US 5,941,532 A · Aerospace housing and shaft assembly with noncontacting seal

Abstract

An aerospace housing and shaft assembly comprising a housing, a shaft rotatably mounted within the housing, a seal assembly operatively positioned between the housing and the shaft, and low pressure air (e.g., atmospheric air) having a pressure substantially less than 14 psia and being positioned on one side of the seal assembly. The seal assembly includes a first seal ring mounted on the housing, and a second seal ring mounted on the shaft in facing relation to the first seal ring. One of the first seal ring and the second seal ring includes a hydropad. The hydropad is positioned to pump low pressure air from the inner diameter toward the outer diameter. The hydropads can include an inner edge oriented substantially circumferentially, an outer edge oriented substantially circumferentially and spaced radially outward from the inner edge, a leading edge interconnecting the inner edge with the outer edge, and a trailing edge interconnecting the inner edge with the outer edge.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An aerospace housing and shaft assembly comprising:

a housing;
a working fluid positioned within said housing:
a shaft rotatably mounted within said housing;
a seal assembly operatively positioned between said housing and said shaft, and having an inner diameter and an outer diameter, said seal assembly including:
a first seal ring mounted on said housing;
and
a second seal ring mounted on said shaft in facing relation to said first seal ring to define an interface between said first seal ring and said second seal ring, wherein one of said first seal ring and said second seal ring includes a surface defining a hydropad, said hydropad facing the other of said first seal ring and said second seal ring and being positioned to overlap an edge of said interface such that said hydropad is exposed to ambient low pressure air having a pressure substantially less than 14 psia and such that said hydropad pumps such low pressure air into said interface between said first seal ring and said second seal ring thereby substantially preventing penetration of said working fluid into said interface.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Aerospace housing and shaft assembly with noncontacting seal

Life of this patent

Aerospace housing and shaft assembly with noncontacting seal

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21