Methods and systems for sealing rotating equipment such as expanders or compressors

A method for distributing pressure across one or more chamber seals, comprising:

• providing process fluid in a machine, the machine comprising a higher-pressure process pipe and a lower pressure process pipe, fluidly coupled to a pressure chamber, the pressure chamber comprising a process chamber, fluidly coupled to one portion of the machine;
• pressurizing, via the process fluid, another pressure chamber comprising a bearing chamber, fluidly coupled to the pressure chamber;
• providing one or more chamber seals, configured to maintain a pressure differential between the pressure chamber and the other pressure chamber, wherein the other pressure chamber is connected via a pressure balancing line to a point in the machine that is at a lower pressure than the other pressure chamber, and wherein dynamic coupled elements are configured in the pressure chamber and/or the other pressure chamber;
• and
• directing at least a portion of the process fluid through the one or more chamber seals by inducing a configured pressure differential across the one or more chamber seals via the balancing line, to induce fluid flow that cascades (i) from the pressure chamber to the other pressure chamber, and then (ii) from the other pressure chamber to the point in the machine that is at the lower pressure than the pressure at the other pressure chamber.

A system for managing pressure across one or more chambers in a machine handling a process fluid, comprising:

• a machine, configured to handle a process fluid, wherein the machine comprises multiple chambers including at least one pressure chamber configured to be pressurized by the process fluid;
• one or more seals, configured to maintain a pressure differential between the chambers;
• dynamic elements, configured within at least one of the chambers;
• a pressure balancing line, configured to connect at least one chamber to a point of lower pressure within the machine;
• and
• wherein the system is configured to direct at least a portion of the process fluid through the one or more seals, by inducing a pressure differential across the seals via the pressure balancing line, to facilitate a cascading flow of fluid between the chambers.