Plural fluid magnetic/centrifugal seal

摘要

A plural fluid magnetic/centrifugal-fluid seal is provided for hermetically sealing the space between a rotated shaft member and a close fitting spaced-apart stationary housing wherein the housing and the shaft are shaped to provide magnetic pole-like close clearance gap regions between their opposed surfaces. A high viscosity ferromagnetic fluid normally is disposed in the magnetic gap region with the rotating shaft member at rest and at low rotational speeds. A permanent magnet or electromagnet is provided which forms a closed magnetic circuit through the magnetic gap region with the high viscosity ferromagnetic fluid. A circumferentially arranged centrifugal seal forming region is radially disposed outward from the magnetic gap region and is located between the rotatable shaft and the stationary housing member. A low viscosity centrifugal sealing fluid is disposed in the centrifugal seal forming region and is centrifugally thrown outwardly during high speed rotation of the rotating shaft member to form a centrifugal hermetic seal between the rotating shaft member and the housing at high rotational speeds of the rotating member.