Aspirating face seal assembly for a rotary machine

An aspirating face seal assembly, comprising:

• a rotating component defining a seal surface;
• a stationary component;
• a seal body defining a seal face, the seal body defining a fluid feed passage within the seal body, wherein the fluid feed passage includes an inlet, and one or more feed ports defined along the seal face, wherein the seal body is moveably coupled to the stationary component via a resilient member;
• a first-pressure plenum defined radially outward from the seal body;
• a second-pressure plenum defined radially inward from the seal body;
• and
• a plenum seal forming a seal between a portion of the seal body and the stationary component, wherein the plenum seal, the stationary component, and the seal body at least partially define a third-pressure plenum in fluid communication with a high-pressure fluid source, wherein the third-pressure plenum is in fluid communication with the inlet of the fluid feed passage, and wherein the third-pressure plenum is pressurized at a higher pressure than both the first-pressure plenum and the second-pressure plenum.