Face seal with welded bellows

A sealing arrangement for sealing between a rotating shaft and a casing through which the rotating shaft extends, the sealing arrangement comprising:

• a mating ring carried with the shaft so as to rotate with the shaft;
• a composite seal ring including a seal ring shell and a seal insert, the seal ring shell surrounding a central axis and extending along the central axis from a first end to an opposite second end, the seal insert being mounted at the first end of the seal ring shell, the seal insert having an sealing face that faces axially outwardly from the seal ring shell, the sealing face being adapted to form a dynamic seal with respect to the mating ring, the seal ring shell including an outer radial flange located at an intermediate position between the first and second ends of the seal ring shell, the seal ring shell including a piston portion that extends axially between the outer radial flange and the second end of the seal ring shell;
• an outer housing that telescopically receives the piston portion of the seal ring shell such that relative axial sliding movement along the central axis is permitted between the outer housing and the seal ring shell, the outer housing including an outer form factor adapted to be received within the casing;
• at least one spring axially compressed between the flange of the seal ring shell and the outer housing for generating a spring force that biases the seal ring shell and the outer housing axially away from each other;
• and
• a welded bellows that surrounds the central axis, the welded bellows being positioned within the outer housing and being axially compressed between an end wall defined by the piston portion of the seal ring shell at the second end of the seal ring shell and an end wall defined by the outer housing, the welded bellows having a fixed end and an opposite free end, the fixed end being welded to one of the end walls, and the free end making a non-welded static contact seal with the other one of the end walls.

A seal arrangement, comprising:

• (a) a housing defining a cavity;
• (b) a composite seal including a seal ring insert and a seal ring shell;
• (c) a biasing arrangement including a first end and a second end, the second end being disposed partially within the cavity of the housing for providing axial mechanical loading, the first end of the biasing arrangement abutting the seal ring shell;
• and
• (d) a bellows disposed between an end wall of the housing and an end wall of the seal ring shell, the bellows including a free-floating end and an opposite welded end, wherein the welded end of the bellows is welded to one of the end wall of the housing or the end wall of the seal ring shell and the free-floating end of the bellows contacts but is not welded to the other of the end wall of the housing or the end wall of the seal ring shell.