Aspirating face seal tooth configuration

Abstract

An aspirating face seal between high and low pressure regions of a turbomachine at a juncture between rotatable and non-rotatable members of turbomachine includes gas bearing rotatable and non-rotatable face surfaces. Starter seal tooth and optional deflector seal tooth are mounted on seal teeth carrier on rotatable member. Primary seal tooth and non-rotatable face surface are mounted on an annular slider on non-rotatable member. Pull-off biasing means urges the annular slider away from the rotatable member and the non-rotatable face surface away from the rotatable surface. A secondary seal is in sealing engagement with the annular slider in the low pressure region and pull-off biasing means is located radially outwardly of the annular slider in the high pressure region. Biasing means may include coil springs within spring chambers of circumferentially spaced cartridges. Tongues extend inwardly from spring chambers into grooves in slider.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.