POROUS MEDIA VENTLESS SEAL

摘要

The use of externally-pressurized porous media in shaft sealing for turbomachinery is provided for single seals, tandem seals, double-opposed seals, and a ventless seal. These arrangements provide for significant benefits, such as the following: (a) external pressurization allows frozen seal faces to lift open before rotation, (b) pressure is distributed uniformly across the seal face, as opposed to allowing leakage to pass over it, (c) low flow rates of injected gas are possible, (d) the seal faces are self-defending due to the uniform pressure in the gap, and (e) complete elimination of venting process gas is possible. By employing externally-pressurized porous media sealing, a drastic simplification of seal design, as well as gas treatment and seal panel design, is possible.

主权项

1. A porous media seal configured to seal a process side fluid or gas in a rotating equipment, the porous media seal comprising:
a seal ring including porous media positioned over a first plenum and a second plenum; a first conductive passage for communicating a first pressurized fluid or gas at first pressure to the first plenum through a first port; and a second conductive passage for communicating a second pressurized fluid or gas at a second pressure to the second plenum through a second port, wherein the first plenum is closer to the process side fluid or gas in the rotating equipment than the second plenum.