Floating ring labyrinth-type dynamic shaft seal and process for using same
AssigneeThe Dow Chemical Company
InventorRobert A. Hay, II
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for providing a seal around a reciprocating and/or rotating shaft as in an apparatus for manipulating a fluid at least in part by the rotary and/or reciprocal motion of the shaft, involving the insertion of substantially identically configured free-floating seal elements into the gap between the shaft and its housing, and the improved apparatus resulting therefrom.
Claims23
A process for providing a seal around a relatively movable shaft, comprising the step of at least locally dividing a flow channel defined by an operationally required local clearance h between the shaft and a stationary member associated with the shaft into a plurality of flow subchannels of average dimension h/n (n-1) free floating elements into said flow channel, where n is the number of flow subchannels locally so created.
A process for providing a seal around a relatively movable shaft against leakage of a shear-thinning fluid, comprising the steps of:
- at least locally dividing a flow channel defined by an operationally required local clearance h between the shaft and a member associated with the shaft into a plurality of flow subchannels of average dimension h/n (n-1) free floating elements into said flow channel, where n is the number of flow subchannels locally so created:
- and
- at least locally expanding one of said flow channel and said plurality of flow subchannels.
A seal assembly for use in combination with a relatively movable shaft, comprising means for at least locally dividing a flow channel created by an operationally required local clearance h between the shaft and a stationary member associated with the shaft into a plurality of flow subchannels of average dimension h/n (n-1) free floating elements into said flow channel, where n is the number of flow subchannels locally so created.
In an apparatus for manipulating a fluid at least in part by the relative motion of a shaft, the improvement comprising a seal assembly associated with said relatively movable shaft, wherein said seal assembly includes means for at least locally dividing a flow channel defined by an operationally required local clearance h between said shaft and a stationary member associated with said shaft into a plurality of flow subchannels of average dimension h/n (n-1) free floating elements into said flow channel, where n is the number of flow subchannels locally so created.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.