Seal assembly for a hydrogen-cooled electric power generator with interface impervious to location of plant piping

摘要

A seal assembly is provided to prevent leakage of cooling fluid from a generator housing. A bracket 26 includes an inlet connectable to power plant piping for receiving a supply of sealing fluid. The inlet is in communication with a bracket passageway 32 for admitting the sealing fluid in a radially inner section of the bracket. A sealing cartridge 28 is mountable in an annulus defined by the bracket. The sealing cartridge includes at least one cartridge passageway 44 in communication with the bracket passageway for admitting the supply of sealing fluid and passing the supply of sealing fluid to establish a sealing boundary about the rotor shaft. At least one of the bracket or the sealing cartridge includes a first sealing fluid-distribution channel 30 extending along a radial direction for providing fluid communication between the bracket passageway and the at least one passageway in the sealing cartridge.