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US 10,473,222 B2Granted
Dynamic fluid seal
AssigneePrippell Technologies, LLC
InventorsEric E. Rippel, Wally E. Rippel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A low drag fluid seal. The fluid seal includes a lip separated from the rotor shaft, during operation, by a gap, the gap being sufficient narrow, radially, to prevent liquid from seeping through the gap at an unacceptable rate, but sufficiently wide, radially, to avoid unacceptably high viscous drag. Fluid that seeps through the gap accumulates in a recovery cavity and is recovered.
Claims17
A rotary fluid coupling system, comprising:
- a rotor shaft;
- a first fluid seal around the rotor shaft;
- a second fluid seal around the rotor shaft;
- and
- a flow cavity located axially between the first fluid seal and the second fluid seal and in fluid communication with and overlapping a hole in the rotor shaft,
- the first fluid seal including:
- a first flexible lip, a second flexible lip, and a third flexible lip, each surrounding the rotor shaft;
- a recovery cavity, positioned axially between the first flexible lip of the first fluid seal and the second flexible lip of the first fluid seal, the recovery cavity of the first fluid seal configured to recover fluid escaping through a gap between the first flexible lip of the first fluid seal and the rotor shaft;
- and
- a first compressed air cavity, between the second flexible lip of the first fluid seal and the third flexible lip of the first fluid seal, the first compressed air cavity of the first fluid seal being in fluid communication with a source of compressed air through one or more supply holes in the first fluid seal, the one or more supply holes located between the second flexible lip of the first fluid seal and the third flexible lip of the first fluid seal,
- the second fluid seal including:
- a first flexible lip and a second flexible lip surrounding the rotor shaft;
- and
- a recovery cavity, positioned between the first flexible lip of the second fluid seal and the second flexible lip of the second fluid seal, the recovery cavity of the second fluid seal configured to recover fluid escaping through a gap between the first flexible lip of the second fluid seal and the rotor shaft,
- wherein the flow cavity is immediately axially between the first flexible lip of the first fluid seal and the first flexible lip of the second fluid seal.
12 more elements
A rotary fluid coupling system, comprising:
- a rotor shaft;
- a first fluid seal around the rotor shaft;
- a second fluid seal around the rotor shaft;
- and
- a flow cavity located axially between the first fluid seal and the second fluid seal and in fluid communication with and overlapping a hole in the rotor shaft,
- the first fluid seal including:
- a first rigid lip, a second rigid lip, and a third rigid lip, each surrounding the rotor shaft;
- a recovery cavity, positioned axially between the first rigid lip of the first fluid seal and the second rigid lip of the first fluid seal, the recovery cavity of the first fluid seal configured to recover fluid escaping through a gap between the first rigid lip of the first fluid seal and the rotor shaft;
- and
- a first compressed air cavity, between the second rigid lip of the first fluid seal and the third rigid lip of the first fluid seal, the first compressed air cavity of the first fluid seal being in fluid communication with a source of compressed air through one or more supply holes in the first fluid seal, the one or more supply holes located between the second rigid lip of the first fluid seal and the third rigid lip of the first fluid seal,
- the second fluid seal including:
- a first rigid lip and a second rigid lip surrounding the rotor shaft;
- and
- a recovery cavity, positioned between the first rigid lip of the second fluid seal and the second rigid lip of the second fluid seal, the recovery cavity of the second fluid seal configured to recover fluid escaping through a gap between the first rigid lip of the second fluid seal and the rotor shaft,
- wherein the flow cavity is immediately axially between the first rigid lip of the first fluid seal and the first rigid lip of the second fluid seal.
12 more elements
A rotary fluid coupling system, comprising:
- a rotor shaft;
- a first fluid seal around the rotor shaft;
- a second fluid seal around the rotor shaft;
- and
- a flow cavity located axially between the first fluid seal and the second fluid seal and in fluid communication with and overlapping a hole in the rotor shaft,
- the first fluid seal including:
- a first flexible lip surrounding the rotor shaft;
- a flexible seal including a second flexible lip and a third flexible lip, each surrounding the rotor shaft;
- a recovery cavity, positioned axially between the first flexible lip of the first fluid seal and the flexible seal of the first fluid seal, the recovery cavity of the first fluid seal configured to recover fluid escaping through a gap between the first flexible lip of the first fluid seal and the rotor shaft;
- and
- a first compressed air cavity, between the second flexible lip of the flexible seal and the third flexible lip of the flexible seal, the first compressed air cavity of the first fluid seal being in fluid communication with a source of compressed air through one or more supply holes in the flexible seal, the one or more supply holes located between the second flexible lip of the flexible seal and the third flexible lip of the flexible seal,
- the second fluid seal including:
- a first flexible lip, and a second flexible lip, both surrounding the rotor shaft;
- and
- a recovery cavity, positioned between the first flexible lip of the second fluid seal and the second flexible lip of the second fluid seal, the recovery cavity of the second fluid seal configured to recover fluid escaping through a gap between the first flexible lip of the second fluid seal and the rotor shaft,
- wherein the flow cavity is immediately axially between the first flexible lip of the first fluid seal and the first flexible lip of the second fluid seal.
13 more elements
A rotary fluid coupling system, comprising:
- a rotor shaft;
- a first fluid seal around the rotor shaft;
- a second fluid seal around the rotor shaft;
- and
- a flow cavity located axially between the first fluid seal and the second fluid seal and in fluid communication with and overlapping a hole in the rotor shaft,
- the first fluid seal including:
- a first simple seal, a second simple seal, and a third simple seal, each surrounding the rotor shaft;
- a recovery cavity, positioned axially between the first simple seal of the first fluid seal and the second simple seal of the first fluid seal, the recovery cavity of the first fluid seal configured to recover fluid escaping through a gap of the first simple seal of the first fluid seal;
- and
- a first compressed air cavity, between the second simple seal of the first fluid seal and the third simple seal of the first fluid seal, the first compressed air cavity of the first fluid seal being in fluid communication with a source of compressed air through one or more supply holes in the first fluid seal, the one or more supply holes located between the second simple seal of the first fluid seal and the third simple seal of the first fluid seal,
- the second fluid seal including:
- a first simple seal and a second simple seal surrounding the rotor shaft;
- and
- a recovery cavity, positioned between the first simple seal of the second fluid seal and the second simple seal of the second fluid seal, the recovery cavity of the second fluid seal configured to recover fluid escaping through a gap of the first simple seal of the second fluid seal,
- wherein the flow cavity is immediately axially between the first simple seal of the first fluid seal and the first simple seal of the second fluid seal.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.