Anti-erosion labyrinth seal
AssigneeAtlas Copco Comptec, LLC
InventorHans Pennink
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An erosion resistant labyrinth seal for use in a rotating machine, such as a turbine or a compressor, that has bleed holes formed in the labyrinth cavities for carrying away erosion producing contaminants entrained in a controlled flow of fluid passing through the seal. Material removed from the flow is vented away from the seal.
Claims15
An anti-erosion gas seal assembly that includes a rotating seal component mounted upon a moving member of a rotating machine and stationary seal component mounted upon a fixed member of the machine to establish a gas barrier between two different pressure regions within the machine, said seal further including an annular body mounted on one of the components having a plurality of spaced apart teeth projected toward the other component to form a series of labyrinth cavities between adjacent teeth whereby gas moves centrifugally within the cavities, said annular body having an enclosed passage positioned beneath the cavities, a series of bleed holes connecting each of the cavities with the passage, each bleed hole being positioned to capture solids entrained in said centrifugal gas flow and direct the solids into said passage, and venting means for connecting the passage with a remote zone outside the seal area whereby gas entrained solids captured in the passage are conducted away from the seal into said remote zone.
An anti-erosion gas seal assembly for controlling the flow of a gas from a high pressure region within a rotating machine into a balancing chamber, said machine including a rotating wheel having a hub that forms one wall of the balancing chamber, a horizontally disposed, rotating seal component secured to the hub that faces a stationary seal component secured to the machine casing, an annular seal body secured to one of the components, spaced annular teeth extending radially from said seal body adjacent the other component to form a series of labyrinth cavities between the teeth whereby gas moves centrifugally within the cavities, said annular body having at least one enclosed internal passage positioned beneath the labyrinth cavities and a series of bleed holes connecting each of the cavities with the said passage, each bleed hole being positioned to capture solids entrained in said centrifugal gas flow and direct the solids into said passage, and a venting channel connecting the passage with a low pressure zone within the machine that is remote from the seal whereby a suction pressure is applied to the passage to conduct gas entrained solid from said passage into said remote low pressure zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.