Patent ID: 9353647
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: F01D

Claim Text:
1. An oil sump seal pressurization apparatus for a turbine engine, the oil sump seal pressurization apparatus comprising: a non-rotating oil sump housing a bearing, the bearing supporting a rotatable shaft; an oil seal at least partially isolating an interior of the oil sump, the oil seal operatively acting between a non-rotating structural member of the sump and the rotatable shaft; a passage arranged to supply pressurization air to an outward side of the oil seal with respect to the oil sump; a drain arranged to allow draining of oil and venting of at least some of the pressurization air, the drain being positioned axially between the passage and the oil seal; a discourager tooth disposed on the shaft and extending radially outward towards a non-rotating land, the land being disposed axially between the passage and the drain, the discourager tooth being spaced apart from the land in a generally radial direction by a design gap having a width, the discourager tooth including an upper surface having a width; and a first adjacent tooth disposed on the shaft and extending radially outward from the shaft, the first adjacent tooth having a width; wherein the discourager tooth width is at least about 1.5 times the width of the first adjacent tooth.