Contacting face seal

A sealing assembly for a gas turbine engine, the sealing assembly comprising:

• a first fluidic environment adapted to have a first pressure;
• a second fluidic environment adapted to have a second pressure lower than the first pressure;
• a relatively rotating member disposed between the first and second fluidic environments;
• and
• a circumferential sealing element disposed between the first and second fluidic environments opposite of the relatively rotating member, the sealing element comprising:
• a circumferential body defined as an annulus extending between an outer periphery and an inner periphery around a center axis, the circumferential body including a contact surface configured for face-sealing engagement with the relatively rotating member, an annular groove defined in the contact surface about the center axis, the annular groove defining in the contact face a sealing lip and at least one load distribution pad radially spaced from one another by the annular groove, at least one passage extending between the annular groove and the first fluidic environment to fluidly connect the annular groove with the first fluidic environment;
• and
• a bias member biasing the contact surface and the relatively rotating member toward each other.

A method for sealing a space between a first fluidic environment and a second fluidic environment of a gas turbine engine, the first fluidic environment having a first pressure and the second fluidic environment having a second pressure, the first pressure being higher than the second pressure, the method comprising:

• sealingly engaging a contact surface of a circumferential body of a contacting face seal with a relatively rotating member in the space between the first fluidic environment and the second fluidic environment;
• directing a flow of the first fluidic environment into an annular groove defined in the contact surface between a radially inner annular sealing lip of the circumferential body and at least one radially outer load distribution pad of the circumferential body such that the at least one load distribution pad is entirely surrounded by the first fluidic environment;
• balancing a closing hydraulic pressure with an opening hydraulic pressure across the at least one load distribution pad resulting from surrounding the at least one load distribution pad with the first fluidic environment;
• and
• biasing the contacting face seal and the relatively rotating member toward each other.