The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 22, 2013
Filed:
Dec. 07, 2009
Bruce Howard, Monroeville, PA (US);
Judith Hodgson, Irwin, PA (US);
Nick Tallos, Narberth, PA (US);
Glenn Quinty, Horsham, PA (US);
Bruce Howard, Monroeville, PA (US);
Judith Hodgson, Irwin, PA (US);
Nick Tallos, Narberth, PA (US);
Glenn Quinty, Horsham, PA (US);
David Janocko, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Charles Bice, Murrysville, PA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Cranberry Township, PA (US);
Abstract
A thermally actuated shutdown seal for a rotating shaft having a narrow annular fluid flow path surrounding the shaft. The seal surrounds the shaft with the annulus therebetween during normal operation and constricts against the shaft when the shaft slows or stops rotating. The annulus is maintained open during normal operation by a spacer interposed between opposing ends of a split ring. When the shaft stops rotating, the temperature of the annulus rises, which actuates removal of the spacer from the split ring constricting the split ring against the shaft blocking the annulus. The blocked annulus causes a pressure differential across the seal which urges a polymer seal ring, downstream of the split ring against the shaft which seals the annulus. In one embodiment, the spacer is formed of a meltable material. In a second embodiment, the spacer is removed from the split ring by a thermally responsive actuator.