Abstract: A circumferential film-riding seal operative in a gaseous or liquid environment about a rotating shaft is provided so that it is able to function with extended lifetime, low leakage, and a high-pressure difference thereacross. These characteristics are achieved by the employment of a segmented seal ring mounted in tandem with a floating load ring surrounding the rotating shaft. The seal ring has a bore surface thereon confronting the shaft, and the bore surface has a circumferential lift region located downstream of a circumferential bearing region. The bearing region has additional lift grooves either in the seal ring or in the shaft surface confronting the bearing region, together with feed grooves connecting the additional lift grooves, respectively, to a higher-pressure region adjacent the shaft.

Abstract: A circumferential film-riding seal operative in a gaseous environment about a rotating shaft is provided so that it is able to function with extended lifetime, low leakage, and a high-pressure difference thereacross. These characteristics are achieved by the employment of a segmented seal ring mounted in tandem with a floating load ring surrounding the rotating shaft. The seal ring has a bore surface thereon confronting the shaft, and the bore surface has a circumferential lift region located downstream of a circumferential bearing region. The bearing region has additional lift grooves either in the seal ring or in the shaft surface confronting the bearing region, together with feed grooves connecting the additional lift grooves, respectively, to a higher-pressure region adjacent the shaft.

Abstract: A seal ring construction is provided wherein a seal ring which is formed from a material which is subject to distortion during operation. One end of the ring and portions of the two adjacent sides of the ring which are adjacent the one end of the ring are received in a recess of a stiff shroud assembly. An O-ring recess is formed in each of the sides of the shroud recess which coextend with the two adjacent sides of the ring. Sealing O-rings are positioned in the O-ring recesses and means are formed in the recesses to urge the O-rings into engagement with the sides of the seal ring and into engagement with the inner surface of the shroud recess. The urging means include an inclined surface in each O-ring recess which faces the innermost surface of the shroud recess. In addition, means are provided to take up dimensional differences in the shroud and O-ring components which occur in the manufacturing process.

Abstract: A stationary seal ring assembly for a dry gas face seal unit which comprises a face seal ring adapted to cooperate with a rotating mating ring mounted on a shaft, a shroud mounted on the periphery of the face seal ring to prevent the ring from bending or deflecting when subjected to unbalanced gas pressures, and mounting apparatus connected between the face seal and the shroud for mounting the shroud onto the face seal ring, the mounting apparatus comprising a support ring and a retaining ring which, together with the shroud, urge a pair of seals against the opposite faces of the stationary seal ring.