US 6,227,547 B1 · High pressure rotary shaft sealing mechanism

Abstract

A laterally translatable pressure staged rotary shaft sealing mechanism having a seal housing with a shaft passage therein being exposed to a fluid pressure P1 and with a rotary shaft being located within the shaft passage. At least one annular laterally translatable seal carrier is provided. First and second annular resilient sealing elements are supported in axially spaced relation by the annular seal carriers and have sealing relation with the rotary shaft. The seal housing and at least one seal carrier define a first pressure staging chamber exposed to the first annular resilient sealing element and a second pressure staging chamber located between and exposed to the first and second annular resilient sealing elements. A first fluid is circulated to the first pressure chamber at a pressure P1, and a second staging pressure fluid is circulated to the second pressure chamber at a fraction of pressure P1 to achieve pressure staging, cooling of the seals. Seal placement provides hydraulic force balancing of the annular seal carriers.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A laterally translatable pressure staged rotary sealing mechanism comprising:

(a) a housing having a portion thereof exposed to a first fluid at a pressure P1;
(b) a relatively rotatable member being located for relative rotation with respect to said housing;
(c) laterally translatable annular seal carrier means having laterally translatable movement relative to said housing responsive to lateral movement of said relatively rotatable member;
(d) first and second rotary sealing elements being supported in axially spaced relation by said laterally translatable annular seal carrier means and having pressure sealing relation with said laterally translatable annular seal carrier means and said relatively rotatable member and defining a staging pressure chamber between said first and second rotary sealing elements;
(e) a staging fluid supply communicating a second fluid at a staging pressure P2 to said staging pressure chamber, said staging pressure P2 being less than said pressure P1;
and
(f) a sliding seal maintaining sliding sealing engagement with said laterally translatable annular seal carrier means.

4 more elements

A laterally translatable pressure staged sealing mechanism comprising:

(a) a housing having a chamber being exposed to a first fluid at a pressure P1;
(b) a relatively rotatable member being located for rotation with respect to said housing;
(c) laterally translatable annular seal carrier means being laterally movable relative to said housing responsive to lateral movement of said relatively rotatable member;
(d) first and second rotary sealing elements being supported in axially spaced relation by said laterally translatable annular seal carrier means and having pressure sealing relation with said laterally translatable annular seal carrier means and with said relatively rotatable member and defining a pressure staging chamber;
(e) a second fluid at a pressure P2 within said pressure staging chamber, said pressure P2 being less than said pressure P1;
(g) a sliding seal maintaining sliding sealing engagement with said laterally translatable annular seal carrier means;
and
(h) said laterally translatable annular seal carrier means being substantially hydraulic force balanced in the axial direction so as to permit lateral translation thereof regardless of the magnitude of pressure P1.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

High pressure rotary shaft sealing mechanism

Life of this patent

High pressure rotary shaft sealing mechanism

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31