Aspirating face seal assembly for a rotary machine

A seal assembly of a rotary machine, the seal assembly comprising:

• a slide device coupled with a seal bearing, the slide device configured to create a pressure drop between higher and lower pressure sides of the rotary machine,
• wherein the slide device includes:
• one or more starter teeth configured to restrict a fluid leakage path between the slide device and a rotating component of the rotary machine, the one or more starter teeth configured to reduce a size of the fluid leakage path responsive to the slide device axially moving toward the rotating component, and
• one or more primary sealing teeth configured to form a fluid seal across the fluid leakage path between the slide device and the rotating component responsive to the slide device axially moving toward an annular surface of the rotating component,
• wherein the rotating component includes a directional hooked tooth having a curved surface that bends inward toward and perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

A seal assembly of a rotary machine, the seal assembly comprising:

• a rotating component configured to rotate around an axis of rotation, the rotating component including a directional hooked tooth having a curved surface that bends inward toward and perpendicular to the axis of rotation;
• and
• a slide device coupled with a seal bearing, the slide device including one or more cross-over ports and configured to create a pressure drop between higher and lower pressure sides of the rotary machine,
• wherein the slide device includes:
• one or more starter teeth configured to restrict a fluid leakage path between the slide device and a-the rotating component of the rotary machine, the one or more starter teeth configured to reduce a size of the fluid leakage path responsive to the slide device axially moving toward the rotating component, and
• one or more primary sealing teeth configured to form a fluid seal across the fluid leakage path between the slide device and the rotating component responsive to the slide device axially moving toward an annular surface of the rotating component,
• wherein the curved surface of the directional hooked tooth shaped and positioned to direct fluid in the lower pressure side through the one or more cross-over ports in the slide device.