Emission seal

Abstract

The shaft seal assembly of cartridge designed for sealing shafts entering or exiting enclosed vessels. The enclosed vessels may have a pressure different from the atmospheric pressure and the seal will normally prevent leakage from or into the vessel. The seal is accomplished by having a plurality of fluid pressures presented to different faces or portions of the seals. Utilization of these pressures provides a seal between the faces of the rotating parts and the stationary parts of the seal with a minimum of friction. This reduced friction is a result of some amount of air movement between the sealing faces. This air movement into and out of the seal, resulting from fluid pressure differentials, will also carry away any contaminants that may get into the seal, either to the ambient atmosphere or to a recovery system. The seal is designed to accept axial and radial shaft displacement while maintaining a positive seal between the vessel and the atmosphere. The seal of this invention includes force loading of the rotating members toward the stationary members, each member with its own sealing face. The force of the loading means is modified by utilization of a first pressure to decrease the loading force and a second fluid pressure proportionate to the first fluid pressure applied to increase the loading force. The first and second fluid pressures provide a barrier to the flow of materials in either direction through the seal. The rotating members are driven by drive rings which also act as sealing members along the shaft.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.