US 5,180,173 A · Spiral groove face seal

Abstract

A spiral groove face seal has a stationary sealing ring and a rotating sealing ring with opposed radially extending sealing surfaces for restricting fluid flow from a high pressure fluid side to a low pressure fluid side. The rotating sealing ring is in contact with the stationary sealing ring at at least a part of the sealing surfaces when the rotating ring is stopped, and the rotating ring is moved out of contact with the stationary sealing ring when the rotating sealing ring is rotated. The spiral groove face seal comprises spiral grooves formed on one of the sealing surfaces and extending from one circumference of the sealing surface in a radial direction and from the high pressure fluid side to the low pressure fluid side so as to pump fluid from the high pressure fluid side towards the low pressure fluid side. A recess is formed on one of the sealing surfaces coincident with or opposite to at least a portion of the area in which the spiral grooves are formed.

Claims22

Dependent claims

In a spiral groove face seal having a stationary sealing ring and a rotating sealing ring with opposed radially extending sealing surfaces, said rotating sealing ring being in contact with said stationary sealing ring at at least a part of said sealing surfaces when said rotating ring is stopped, said rotating sealing ring being brought out of contact with said stationary sealing ring when said rotating sealing ring is rotated, the improvement comprising:

spiral grooves formed in a spiral groove area of one of said sealing surfaces and extending from one circumference of said one of said sealing surfaces in a radial direction;
and
a recess formed in one of said sealing surfaces, said recess being located in said spiral groove area and extending beyond said spiral groove area to a flat surface of an ungrooved area.

A spiral groove face seal for sealing against flow of fluid from a high pressure side to a low pressure side of said seal, comprising:

a stationary sealing ring having a first annular sealing surface;
a rotating sealing ring mounted rotatably relative to said stationary sealing ring and having a second annular sealing surface facing said first annular sealing surface;
wherein one of said first and second sealing surfaces has an annular spiral groove area with spiral grooves formed therein, said spiral grooves defining a means for pumping fluid from the high pressure side of said seal toward the low pressure side of said seal when said rotating seal ring is rotated;
wherein said one of said first and second sealing surfaces further has an annular dam area with no grooves formed therein, said annular dam area defining a means for blocking fluid pumped from the high pressure side toward the low pressure side by said pumping means before the fluid reaches the low pressure side of said seal;
wherein an annular recessed portion is formed in one of a portion of said annular spiral groove area of said one of said first and second sealing surfaces, and a portion of the other of said first and second sealing surfaces facing said annular spiral groove area of said one of said first and second sealing surfaces;
and
wherein a means is provided for causing respective portions of said first and second annular sealing surfaces to be in solid contact with one another when said rotating sealing ring is not rotating, and for allowing a gap to be formed between said respective portions of said first and second annular sealing surfaces so that a fluid film can be formed therebetween when said rotating sealing ring is rotated.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Spiral groove face seal

Life of this patent

Spiral groove face seal

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22