Sealing assembly having a primary and a secondary seal
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorDaniel Park
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sealing assembly and associated shaft assembly is disclosed. The sealing assembly comprises a primary seal at a sealing interface between a first sealing face of a first seal ring and a second sealing face of a second seal ring. The sealing assembly also comprises a secondary seal between an extension member of a resilient flexible seal and a second circumferential surface of the second seal ring. The resilient flexible seal is coupled to the first seal ring. The first seal ring is rotatable, relative to the second seal ring, and the extension member is configured to disengage from the second circumferential surface of the second seal ring when the first seal ring is rotating, relative to the second seal ring, at or above a threshold speed.
Claims20
A sealing assembly comprising:
- a primary seal at a sealing interface between a first sealing face of a first seal ring and a second sealing face of a second seal ring;
- and
- a secondary seal between an extension member of a resilient flexible seal and a second circumferential surface of the second seal ring, the resilient flexible seal coupled to the first seal ring;
- wherein:
- the first seal ring is rotatable relative to the second seal ring;
- and
- the extension member is configured to disengage from the second circumferential surface when the first seal ring is rotating, relative to the second seal ring, at or above a threshold speed.
A shaft assembly, comprising:
- a housing;
- a shaft adjacent to the housing and rotatable, relative to the housing;
- and
- a sealing assembly configured to be operatively positioned between the shaft and the housing, the sealing assembly comprising;
- a first seal ring, mountable to the shaft, and comprising a first sealing face, a first non-sealing face, opposite the first sealing face, and a first circumferential surface;
- a second seal ring, mountable on the housing, and comprising a second sealing face, a second non-sealing face, opposite the second sealing face, and a second circumferential surface, wherein:
- the first sealing face and the second sealing face are engaged such that a sealing interface is defined between the first sealing face and the second sealing face;
- the first seal ring is co-rotatable with the shaft, relative to the second seal ring;
- and
- the second seal ring is stationary, such that the second seal ring does not rotate, relative to the first seal ring and the shaft;
- a resilient flexible seal coupled to and co-rotatable with the first seal ring, and comprising an extension member, wherein:
- when a rotational speed of the first seal ring is below a threshold speed, the extension member is in sealed engagement with the second circumferential surface of the second seal ring;
- and
- when the rotational speed of the first seal ring is at or above the threshold speed, the extension member is flexed radially away from the second circumferential surface and is disengaged from the second circumferential surface of the second seal ring.
A method of sealing a compressor using a sealing assembly, the method comprising:
- forming a primary seal at a sealing interface between a first sealing face of a first seal ring and a second sealing face of a second seal ring;
- forming a secondary seal between an extension member of a resilient flexible seal and a second circumferential surface of the second seal ring;
- rotating the first seal ring, relative to the second seal ring;
- maintaining the secondary seal when a rotational speed of the first seal ring is below a threshold speed;
- and
- breaking the secondary seal when the rotational speed of the first seal ring is at or above the threshold speed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.