Non-contact seal for rotational equipment with radial through-hole

An assembly for rotational equipment, comprising:

• a plurality of seal shoes arranged about a centerline in an annular array, the plurality of seal shoes comprising a first seal shoe configured with an aperture that extends radially through the first seal shoe, the first seal shoe extending axially along the centerline between an upstream side of the first seal shoe and a downstream side of the first seal shoe, and the aperture located axially between an axial center of the first seal shoe and the downstream side of the first seal shoe;
• a seal base circumscribing the annular array of seal shoes;
• and
• a plurality of spring elements comprising a first spring element;
• the first spring element including a first mount, a second mount and a spring beam, the first mount connected to the first seal shoe, the second mount connected to the seal base, and the spring beam extending laterally between and connected to the first mount and the second mount;
• wherein each of the plurality of seal shoes includes a plurality of projections extending inwardly from the seal base;
• wherein the plurality of projections in a grouping and are solely between the upstream side and the axial center, and the aperture is solely between the axial center and the downstream side such that the aperture is downstream of the grouping of the plurality of projections;
• and
• wherein the aperture is configured with an elongated cross-sectional geometry when viewed in a reference plane perpendicular to a centerline axis of the aperture.