Sealing system with pressure relief elements and use of a sealing system for producing a pressure cascade in an intermediate space

Abstract

In a sealing system () between two mutually moving components () for sealing a high pressure side (H) with respect to a low pressure side (N), a sealing configuration () is provided in a first annular groove () at the high pressure side and with one or more pressure relief elements () being disposed in second annular grooves () each pressure relief element () having a second sealing ring () with a flat pressure gradient. The hydrodynamic leak rate for each pressure relief element () is chosen in such a fashion that a certain hydraulic pressure obtains in each intermediate region (Z, Z). The sealing system in accordance with the invention () has, in addition to the hydro dynamic transport capability of the sealing rings (), a hydrostatic relief capability by means of connecting channels () provided in the pressure relief elements () which act as check valves for pressure relief of an intermediate region (Z) in the event of a rise in the intermediate region pressure above intermediate region pressure at the high pressure side of the next intermediate pressure region plus a corresponding pressure increase quantity (FIG.).