Leakage Through Seal Between Runner Or Shaft And Static Part Patents (Class 415/168.2)
  • Patent number: 7021907
    Abstract: A hydrogen blower is provided and includes a housing having a drive unit and a compressor unit disposed therein. The drive unit is separated from the compressor unit by a neutral chamber, whereby the neutral chamber effectively seals the drive unit from the compressor unit. The drive unit includes a drive shaft, whereby the drive shaft extends generally between the drive unit and the compressor unit to selectively drive the compressor. In addition, the drive shaft fixedly supports a series of fan blades such that rotation of the drive shaft imparts a pressure on the neutral chamber to effectively seal the drive unit from the compressor unit. In this manner, the drive motor, compressor, and drive shaft may be packaged in a single housing while effectively sealing the drive unit from the compressor unit through cooperation between the fan blades and the neutral chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph Hobmeyr, Bernhard Wnendt, Roland Matthé
  • Patent number: 6976679
    Abstract: An inter-fluid brush seal assembly and associated method are provided. The seal assembly defines a gas passage for supplying gas to interfaces with a rotatable member. At least one of the interfaces is defined by a brush seal, and the flow of the gas through the interfaces can prevent the flow of fluid through the assembly, thereby sealing the assembly and preventing the fluid from passing therethrough. The gas and the fluid can be drained from the assembly through one or more drains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: James D. Goss, Jozsef L. Moharos, Dean J. Nunez
  • Patent number: 6969229
    Abstract: A sealing system (10) which ensures the safe operation of very high pressure centrifugal compressors which process lethal gases. The system comprises sealing means (18, 19) separated by an annular chamber (12), and a discharge line (32) for collecting and eliminating any gases that may be released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone Holding S.p.A.
    Inventors: Riccardo Beccaluva, Stefano Mantellassi, Antonio Pumo
  • Patent number: 6854958
    Abstract: A hydraulic turbine is adapted to introduce oxygen into a water flowing through a water passageway of a turbine. The turbine has a circumferential chamber formed between a rotating band and a stationary discharge ring. The chamber has a gas admission aperture for receiving an oxygen containing gas into the chamber. A downstream end portion of the band has a plurality of spaced apart vanes providing chamber outlet passageways between the vanes and through the band. The vanes are configured to rotate with the band and to draw the oxygen containing gas and water from the chamber through the outlet passageways in the band and into the water passageway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Canada Inc.
    Inventor: Normand Desy
  • Patent number: 6712580
    Abstract: A structure of a water pump is provided without increasing the cost thereof, or without enlarging the size to improve the durability of the water pump. A seal apparatus having a seal ring 13 and a slinger 14 in combination to prevent foreign matter from progressing into the rolling bearing 6a. The amount of compression &dgr; of the second seal lip 23, which occurs when the tip edge of the second seal lip 23 of the seal ring 13 comes in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the outer-diameter-side cylindrical section 26 that is formed at the outer peripheral edge of the slinger 14, is at least {fraction (1/10)} and up to {fraction (7/10)} the height of the second seal lip 23 in the free state. In addition, the roughness of a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the outer-diameter-side cylindrical section 26 which the tip edge of the second seal lip 23 comes in sliding contact with is from 0.2 &mgr;m to 2.0 &mgr;m in the arithmetic mean Ra, or is from 0.8 &mgr;m to 8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Masamichi Iketani
  • Patent number: 6669437
    Abstract: An electric-operated fuel pump has a vaned impeller that is disposed within a pumping chamber for rotation about an axis. The pumping chamber has a main channel extending arcuately about the axis to one axial side of the impeller. The main channel has a radially outer margin that opens along at least a portion of the channel's arcuate extent to an adjoining contaminant collection channel which extends arcuately about the axis and which is effective, as the pumping element rotates, to collect certain fluid-entrained particulates expelled from the main channel and to convey such collected particulates toward the pump outlet. A sump is disposed at the end of the contaminant collection channel proximate the outlet. Several grooves in the seal surface between inlet and outlet, which is called “strip area.” The grooves are extended radially outward, the angles match the impeller vane angles and these grooves prevent leakage of the contaminations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: DeQuan Yu, Paul E. Fisher
  • Patent number: 6638015
    Abstract: A water pump apparatus includes a body adapted to a fixed mounting surface of an engine and having a bore, a rotational shaft rotatably supported on the body via a bearing, an impeller fixed to the shaft and located in a pump chamber for supplying forcibly water from a water inlet to a water outlet, a seal member for sealing between the pump chamber and the bore of the body and a collection chamber portion provided on at least one of the body or the engine so as to communicate with the bore between the bearing and the seal member via a drain passage and for collecting water leaked via the seal member, wherein the collection chamber portion is opened toward the mounting surface of the engine and an opening of the collection chamber portion is fluid-tight closed by fixing the body to the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Ozawa, Junya Yamamoto, Masaki Chujo, Takao Ozeki
  • Patent number: 6582185
    Abstract: A sealing system to prevent loss of a process fluid from a device having a device opening and a rotating member operable for rotational movement within the device opening. A rotary shaft seal such as a labyrinth seal, seals the rotating member in the device opening to inhibit leakage of process fluid. A chamber is connected to the device to recover leakage of the process fluid that leaks from the rotary shaft seal. A barrier seal is connected to the chamber to inject a barrier fluid under pressure to prevent the escape of process fluid from the chamber. The chamber discharges a mixture of barrier and process fluid to a filter, such as a coalescing filter, to separate the barrier fluid from the process fluid. Barrier fluid vapor and water vapor traps can also be used for purification purposes. The barrier fluid is recovered and recycled back to the barrier seal. The process fluid is returned to the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Kenneth Lippert, Scott Alan Spriggs, Gregory William Henzler, Jeffert John Nowobilski, Robert Leroy Baker
  • Patent number: 6574965
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor, a combustor, and turbine enclosed in an engine case with the compressor having a plurality of alternating rows of rotating blades and stationary vanes. The gas turbine engine also includes a substantially circumferential groove formed in the engine case of the compressor section. The groove is substantially adjacent to a row of rotating blades to extract a portion of tip leakage flow from that row of blades and to route the extracted tip leakage flow to the turbine section for cooling turbine components. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the groove communicates with a plenum which communicates with the turbine section of the gas turbine engine via channeling pipes formed within the engine case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew R. Feulner
  • Patent number: 6561756
    Abstract: To provide a water pump capable of preventing coolant leaked from a shaft sealing member from invading a bearing by a simple construction, a water pump has an outer ring of a bearing attached to an inner peripheral face of a pulley, an inner ring of the bearing attached to an outer peripheral face of a cylindrical portion of a housing and a shaft sealing member attached to an inner peripheral face of the cylindrical portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Ozawa, Atsushi Chiba, Masaki Chujo, Junya Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20030053907
    Abstract: A sealing system to prevent loss of a process fluid from a device having a device opening and a rotating member operable for rotational movement within the device opening. A rotary shaft seal such as a labyrinth seal, seals the rotating member in the device opening to inhibit leakage of process fluid. A chamber is connected to the device to recover leakage of the process fluid that leaks from the rotary shaft seal. A barrier seal is connected to the chamber to inject a barrier fluid under pressure to prevent the escape of process fluid from the chamber. The chamber discharges a mixture of barrier and process fluid to a filter, such as a coalescing filter, to separate the barrier fluid from the process fluid. Barrier fluid vapor and water vapor traps can also be used for purification purposes. The barrier fluid is recovered and recycled back to the barrier seal. The process fluid is returned to the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Adam Kenneth Lippert, Scott Alan Spriggs, Gregory William Henzler, Jeffert John Nowobilski, Robert Leroy Baker
  • Publication number: 20020197154
    Abstract: Abnormality in an amount of a working gas leaked from between a rotating ring adapted to rotate with a rotor and a stationary ring of a turbo fluid machine is detected by a pressure switch and a flow meter, which are provided in a primary seal vent line, the working gas leaking from sealing surfaces of the labyrinth seal and the secondary dry gas seal, together with a purge gas purged to the space from outside is discharged outside the machine from a flow passage via a space. When abnormality generates in the secondary dry gas seal, a control valve provided in the purge gas line operates to secure a flow rate in the purge gas line, so that a flow rate detected by the flow meter provided in the purge gas line increases, and thus abnormality in the secondary dry gas seal is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2002
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventor: Hideto Nogiwa
  • Patent number: 6485256
    Abstract: A seal apparatus is comprised of a seal ring 13 and a singer 14 in combination to prevent foreign matter from progressing into the rolling bearing 6a. The amount of compression &dgr; of the second seal lip 23, which occurs when the tip edge of the second seal lip 23 of the seal ring 13 comes in contact with the outside surface of the singer 14, is at least {fraction (1/10)}and up to {fraction (7/10)}the height of the second seal lip 23 in the free state. In addition, the roughness of a portion of the outside surface of the singer 14 which the tip edge of the second seal lip 23 comes in sliding contact with is from 0.2&mgr;m to 2.0&mgr;m in the arithmetic mean Ra, or is from 0.8 &mgr;m to 8.0 &mgr;m in the maximum height Ry. Consequently, a structure of a water pump is provided without increasing the cost thereof, or without enlarging the size to improve the durability of the water pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Masamichi Iketani
  • Publication number: 20020136633
    Abstract: A water pump apparatus includes a body adapted to a fixed mounting surface of an engine and having a bore, a rotational shaft rotatably supported on the body via a bearing, an impeller fixed to the shaft and located in a pump chamber for supplying forcibly water from a water inlet to a water outlet, a seal member for sealing between the pump chamber and the bore of the body and a collection chamber portion provided on at least one of the body or the engine so as to communicate with the bore between the bearing and the seal member via a drain passage and for collecting water leaked via the seal member, wherein the collection chamber portion is opened toward the mounting surface of the engine and an opening of the collection chamber portion is fluid-tight closed by fixing the body to the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Inventors: Yasuo Ozawa, Junya Yamamoto, Masaki Chujo, Takao Ozeki
  • Patent number: 6454523
    Abstract: A water pool apparatus, such as a portable spa, pool, hot tub or recirculating bath tub having a double seal configuration. The water pool apparatus has a water recirculation system which includes a centrifugal pump. The centrifugal pump has a double seal which includes a seal housing and a pair of spaced-apart seals. The seal housing defines an enclosed reservoir chamber. By the invention, any liquids which are successful in leaking past the first seal are trapped within the reservoir chamber. As the reservoir chamber accumulates liquid, the liquid can be recycled back into the water recirculation system by a drain conduit running between the reservoir chamber and the suction side of the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: California Acrylic Industries
    Inventors: Casey Loyd, Pedro Vargas
  • Patent number: 6446699
    Abstract: A cooling water pump, for an internal-combustion engine in particular, with a casing provided with at least one bearing designed to support a pump shaft, with a sealing element devised to seal the bearing against a working space containing the cooling agent as well as with a leakage chamber arranged in the casing and receiving the cooling agent that leaks through the sealing element. A particularly simple way of production is achieved by the fact that the leakage chamber may be brought out of shape by a slider pulled in an essentially transverse direction and preferably normal to the plane on the axis of the pump shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: TCG Unitech Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Martin Schober
  • Patent number: 6270312
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cooling water pump for an internal combustion engine with a housing provided with a bearing designed to support a pump shaft and with a sealing element devised to seal the bearing against a working area containing the cooling agent as well as with a leakage chamber receiving the cooling agent that oozes through the sealing element, wherein the leakage chamber is arranged in a recess of the housing and is provided with an opening to the outside, said opening being partially closed by a locking device. A particularly simple way of production is achieved by having the opening closed by a foil, preferably by a metal foil, deposited on a flange facing which is flush with a front surface of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: TCG Unitech Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Siegfried Heer
  • Patent number: 6200089
    Abstract: A coolant pump, in particular for use in internal combustion engines, includes a pump shaft carrying an impeller with substantially axial intake and radial discharge, and a casing provided with at least one roller bearing supporting the pump shaft, and a pulley for driving the pump. A particularly compact design is obtained by firmly connecting the inner race of the roller bearing to the casing, and by attaching the outer race of the roller bearing to the pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: TCG Unitech Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Siegfried Heer
  • Patent number: 6171070
    Abstract: A high-pressure reciprocating pump is constructed such that a plurality of plungers connected to a driver are made to move back and forth and intake channels or discharge channels are opened and closed by valves in synchronism with movements of the plungers for transferring a fluid under high pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Hakusu Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazutoshi Mitake