Film riding seals for rotary machines

A seal assembly for a rotary machine, the seal assembly comprising:

• a plurality of sealing device segments disposed circumferentially intermediate to a stationary housing and a rotor, wherein each of the segments comprises:
• a shoe plate with a forward-shoe section and an aft-shoe section having one or more labyrinth teeth therebetween facing the rotor, wherein the shoe plate is configured to allow a high pressure fluid to a front portion of the one or more labyrinth teeth and a low pressure fluid behind the one or more labyrinth teeth and further configured to generate an aerodynamic force between the shoe plate and the rotor,
• a stator interface element comprising a groove or slot for allowing disposal of a spline seal for reducing leakages;
• a plurality of bellow springs or flexures connected to the shoe plate and to the stator interface element;
• wherein the plurality of bellow springs or flexures are configured to allow the high pressure fluid to occupy a forward cavity and the low pressure fluid to occupy an aft cavity;
• and
• a secondary seal integrated with the stator interface element at one end and positioned about the plurality of bellow springs and the shoe plate at the other end.