Non-contacting, gap-type seal having a ring with a patterned microdam seal face

Abstract: A seal face (78) of a ring (76) used in a non-contacting, gap-type seal having an annular groove area (80) with microdams (92), each having a preferable width of about .025 inches, between a plurality of groove surface areas (90). The microdams (92) provide a boundary to the groove surface areas (90) whereby the recess of each groove surface area bounded (90) by the microdams (92) acts as a unitary pressure zone and the pressure in the separate zones decreases in a series of steps as measured from one circumference of the ring to the other circumference.

Description: This invention relates to a gap-type grooved face seal according to the preamble part of claim 1. A seal of this type is known from US-A-4 212 475. In operation, one of the rings rotates with the shaft and includes a radial face in sealing relation to the radial face of the other ring which is itself sealed against the housing. A very narrow gap between the radial faces permits some of the seal fluid to leak to the low pressure side. The fluid flow prevents unwanted heat generation. The gap is obtained by a series of spiral grooves in the face of one of the rings which upon rotation, acts as a pump to force fluid between the seal faces. The fluid flow separates the faces and acts as a lubricant, maintaining the gap and allowing the faces to slide against one another without contact between them. In US-A-4 212 475, it is stated that it is desirable to make the fluid film thickness as small as possible to reduce leakage while simultaneously increasing the film stiffness and thus providing stability to the seal faces and gap dimension. This known seal works well enough when fluid leakage is not a problem, but will nevertheless produce more excess leakage than is necessary. Further similar seals are known from US-A-3 804 424, US-A-4 290 611 and US-A-4 420 162. A seal comprising a seal face containing discrete cup-shaped depressions of varying depths separated by broad land areas is known from DE-A1 29 28 504. One aspect of the present invention is to provide a seal of the type as disclosed which minimizes fluid leakage through the gap between the radial faces, which furthermore is capable of providing a gap between the radial faces without reference to the direction of rotation of the shaft, which is capable of providing a thin fluid film having a high stiffness without requiring internal liquid lubrication, which pumps fluid across the sealing faces and provides for a thin fluid film gap and for minimal fluid leakage, and which provides a minimum of leakage of fluid across the radial sealing faces under both static and dynamic conditions. The above-mentioned objects can be achieved with a seal having the feature combination of claim 1. Further preferred embodiments are described in the depending claims. A prior art seal as well as embodiments of the seal according to the invention will be described with the help of the drawings. The drawings contain: Figure 1: a side elevation view in section of a prior art seal, said view also supporting understanding of the present invention; Figure 2: an end view of a sealing ring having a conventional spiral groove pattern (prior art); Figure 3: end view of a sealing ring according to the present invention; Figure 4: a cross sectional view of the sealing ring of Figure 3 taken along a line approximately at IV-IV; Figure 5: an end view of an alternate embodiment of a sealing ring according to the present invention; Figure 6A: an expanded cross sectional view of the sealing ring of Figure 5 taken along a line approximately at VI-VI; and Figure 6B: an approximate plot of the pressure profile for the sealing ring of Figure 6A following approximately similar dimensions along the X-axis. The environment in which the present invention will be used is depicted in Fig. 1. This environment includes the housing 10 of a compressor (not shown) and a rotating shaft 12 extending through the housing. The mechanical face seal according to the present invention is used to seal high pressure within the space 14 against leakage to the atmosphere A. The basic components of the invention include an annular primary sealing ring 20 having a radially extending face 22 in sealing relation with the radially extending face 24 of an annular mating ring 26. Details of the structure and operation will be discussed as they relate to the present invention. Reference to US-A-4,212,475 is recommended. In operation, the mating ring 26 rotates with the shaft with its radial face 24 being in sealing relation to the radial face 22 of primary ring 20. Friction between these faces upon relative rotation produces heat. To avoid undue heat generation, the seal operates as a gap type seal, e.g. with a very narrow gap or space between the radial faces 22 and 24 to permit leakage or flow from the space to the lower pressure side. Referring now to Fig. 2, an end view of the sealing face of a conventional ring is illustrated. The particular elements shown in Fig. 2 provide a means for maintaining a gap between the sealing faces of the rings 20 and 26. As is well known in the art, this gap is obtained by forming grooves 70 in the face of either the primary or mating ring. Upon rotation, these grooves act as a pump to force fluid into the gap between the seal faces. The fluid separates the faces to permit the desired leakage. Many of the groove patterns presently used have a spiral design and the seals are therefore known as spiral groove mechanical face seals. The general design considerations for a conventional spiral groove gap type seal are well known. The stability of the seal faces depends to a great degree in maintaining a parallel relation between the seal faces relative to each other, as is described in US-A-4,212,475. Seal stability is in part related to the stiffness of the fluid film between the faces. In the case of spiral groove seals, the stiffness and, therefore, stability increase with decreasing fluid film thickness. It is, therefore, desirable to make film thickness as small as possible. This can be done simply by increasing the seal balance. However, pressure and temperature deflections distort the planar quality of the sealing faces and increase the danger of face contact, face damage, and possible seal destruction. Following the teaching of the present invention, these pressure and temperature deflections are minimized by the unique pattern design of a seal face which is capable of maintaining a very thin but highly stable fluid film thickness which nevertheless maintains the parallelity of the sealing faces. In the prior art embodiment a self-aligning feature obtained parallelity of the seal faces by the dimensioning of three seal parameters within specified ranges. These parameters are (1) depth of the grooves; (2) seal balance; and (3) dam width. For a complete description of the optimum ranges of these parameters. These three parameters are not exhaustive of the elements and parameters which affect the seal gap, seal gap thickness and seal gap stability. There are approximately 70 parameters which affect the function of a mechanical face seal, and modification of any one of them will necessarily cause a change in the operation of the seal and seal gap. The present invention is directed to a modification of the grooves in the sealing face of one of the rings which provides narrower and more stable seal gaps while yet at the same time maintaining the separation between the sealing faces and preventing contact between them. Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, there is illustrated a sealing ring 76 including a sealing face 78 utilizing the teachings of the present invention. Like the prior art sealing face 24 shown in Fig. 2, sealing face 78 comprises a groove portion 80 and a dam portion 82. The dam portion 82 is substantially the same as the dam portion shown in Fig. 2, and is bounded by a circle having a diameter GD defining the boundary between the groove portion 80 and the dam portion 82. The groove portion 80, however, has several differences in relation to the groove portion of ring 26. These differences are significant features of the present invention and directly provide the advantages mentioned above. One significant difference is that prior art ring 26 provides grooves 70 which are asymmetrical relative to the circumferential direction of the sealing face. To the contrary, groove portion 80 of seal ring 76 includes a set of forwardly directed grooves 84 as well as a set of rearwardly directed grooves 86, each separated by land areas 88. The two sets of grooves 84,86 intersect at discrete polygons 90 which define areas of the surface of groove portion 80, and each of the polygons 90 comprising these areas of intersection are bounded by microdams 92. The microdams 92 can be any width commensurate with the requirement that each groove be capable of maintaining a fluid interface between the faces of the seal rings. A preferred width of the microdams 92 is approximately .025 inches (0,635mm) for a seal adapted for use with a shaft having a diameter of 4 inches (101,6mm). The height of the microdams 92 relative to the face of seal ring 76 is preferably the same height as the dam portion 82 and the land areas 88, as is shown in Fig. 4. All the ungrooved surfaces, i.e. the dam portion 82, the land areas 88 and the microdams 92 are in the same plane. The seal pattern illustrated in Fig. 3 shows a spiral groove pattern on the seal face, but other groove path patterns are also contemplated for use with this invention. For example, the grooves may be straight and disposed tangentially to the inner diameter circumference. Alternatively, the grooves may be disposed at various angles relative to the inner diameter circumference or different grooves may be disposed in a combination of angles. Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is a seal face pattern which provides a surface with microdams in substantially the same plane and which further have only grooved surfaces between the microdam surfaces. Fig. 5 illustrates a ring 76' having a seal face pattern according to this embodiment where the groove portion 80' with two sets of grooved surfaces 84', 86' comprises a substantially greater radial dimension than the dam portion 82' than does the corresponding dimensions 80,82 of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3. This difference in relative radial dimension translates into a surface area of the annular grooved portion 80' which is significantly greater than the surface area of the annular dam portion 82'. Another major difference from the embodiment of Fig. 3 is that the pattern of the embodiment of Fig. 5 lacks land areas, such as the land areas 88 illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The surface of the groove portion 80' is effectively a lacework pattern of forwardly and rearwardly inclined spiral microdams 96 on a planar grooved surface. The spiral microdams 96 define polygonal surfaces such as the four-sided polygons 94, shaped substantially like diamonds, and three-sided polygons adjacent the edge of the face, shaped substantially like triangles. These surfaces are depressed or grooved areas which are below the plane of the microdam surfaces. The grooved polygonal surfaces, e.g. 94, are at a depth of approximately 200-400 microinches (5,08-10,76mm), which is deeper than the groove depth of conventional grooves 70 of the ring 26 shown in Fig. 2. The depth of the various surfaces, e.g. 94, may be uniform, but uniformity of the grooved surfaces is not necessary. Another feature of the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 is the three-sided polygonal surfaces 98 at the edge of the seal face. These surfaces are defined by microdams 96 that form an oblique angle with the edge of the surface. It has been determined that if these surfaces 98 are not grooved but are in the same plane as the surface of the microdams 96, then rotation of the ring in either the clockwise or the counterclockwise directions provides a greater capability of the ring to pump fluid from the edge of the ring where these surfaces are disposed toward the center of the annular grooved portion 80'. The pumped fluid then maintains an adequate stiffness and thickness to maintain the proper gap between the seal faces. Moreover, the microdam structure and polygonal four-sided surfaces 94 maintain a sealing capability which substantially reduces fluid leakage through the gap between the seal faces. The width of the microdam 96 measured at the planar surface can be in a range of from about .001 (0,254mm) to about .100 inches (2,54mm), with the preferable width being about .025 inches (0,635mm). As is discussed above, the grooved surfaces are at a depth of between about 50 (1,27mm) to about 800 microinches (20,32mm) with the preferable depth being approximately 350 microinches (8,89mm). In a preferred embodiment, the ring material is tungsten carbide and the ring 76' is used as the rotating, mating ring, similar to ring 26 of the seal shown in cross section in Fig. 1. The grooved surfaces are produced by methods known to those skilled in the art. Fig. 6A is an expanded cross-sectional view of the sealing ring 76' of Fig. 5. The cross-sectional view of Fig. 6A is expanded to provide a relative approximate plot of the pressure profile illustrated in Fig. 6B. Figs. 6A and 6B are positioned one above the other so that there is a correspondence along the ordinate (X-axis) between the pressure profile of Fig. 6B and the radial position as taken from the inner diameter (I.D.) to the outer diameter (O.D.) of the ring shown in Fig. 5. It is to be understood that the pressure profile of Fig. 6B is only illustrative of the physical model of the ring 76' when in use. Because the separate polygonal grooved surfaces 94 are three-dimensional, it is not possible to represent in simple form the pressure profile of the grooved surface 94. Thus, the pressure profile of Fig. 6B is only an approximate rendering of a hypothetical cross-sectional slice taken through the ring 76'. The pressure profile of Fig. 6B illustrates the relative pressures hypothetically taken at points along the surface of the ring 76'. The pressure at the inner diameter (I.D.) is atmosphere pressure, and is indicated by P ATM . The pressure at the outer diameter (O.D.) is at the sealed pressure and is indicated by P OD . As in all conventional gap type seals, the fluid being sealed, located at the O.D. in this illustrative embodiment, leaks through the gap and over the surface of the ring from the high pressure, here the O.D., side toward the atmospheric (P ATM ) pressure, which is at the I.D. The fluid at the O.D. is impelled inwardly by the raised triangular ungrooved surfaces 98, in an entrance effect created by pumping action. Reference to Fig. 5 will show that there is an acute angle a between an edge 100 of the triangular surfaces 98 and the circumference of the O.D. which ideally suits the intended "pumping" function of the surfaces 98. A preferred range of angles for a which will work with the arrangement are between 10° and 30°, and the preferred embodiment will have an angle a equal to about 15°. As the ring rotates, the leading edge of raised or offset surfaces 98 act as skimmers on the fluid at the high pressure side and pump or impel the fluid inwardly from the circumference. Referring again to Figs. 6A and 6B, the fluid being pumped from the O.D. reaches the first or outermost microdam 96 which acts as a fluid barrier. The relative pressure is greater at the point closest to the outer wall of the microdam 96. The pressure then drops across the barrier formed by the microdam 96 until the inner wall of the microdam defining the next grooved surface 94 is reached. It is understood that each microdam 96 is at an acute angle to the tangent normal to a given radius which touches the circumference of the seal face at that given radius. Thus, the fluid in each of the grooved surfaces 94 is pumped inwardly by the microdams 96 as the ring 76' rotates and a slight increase in pressure results from the inward pumping. As each microdam 96 acts as a barrier, there is a corresponding pressure drop across each microdam 96. The relative pressure in the grooved surfaces 94 also decreases as the measurements are taken at a surface from close to the outer diameter toward one at the inner diameter. The pressure barriers resulting from step decreases, generated by the microdams 96 as is shown in the pressure profile of Fig. 6B, provides for a minimum of fluid leakage across the surface of the ring 76'. As in conventional groove face seals, the dam portion 82' experiences the greatest pressure drop across the surface and allows the pressure to drop to atmospheric pressure P ATM . The pressure drop across the dam portion 82' is smaller, however, because the step decreases have reduced the relative pressures between the outer wall formed by the dam portion 82' and the inner diameter. The decrease in the amount of pressure drop further reduces the amount of total fluid leakage from a seal utilizing the inventive microdam structure. The fluid pressure analysis made above with regard to the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6A would be applicable also to seal face pattern as shown in the embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4. The differences in the structure, e.g. the land surfaces 88 provided in the embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4, allow for more of a channeling of the fluid flow in a spiral direction as rotation is begun of the ring 76 shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Otherwise the microdams achieve the same function of providing a series of step decreases in the pressure as taken from the outer diameter toward the inner diameter. The microdams also provide the capability for rotation of the sealing ring in either the clockwise or counterclockwise directions. The microdams not only build pressure at the barriers, but also restrict fluid flow, such as air flow, from the atmosphere side toward the high pressure side. The microdams can be utilized in unidirectional, spiral groove seal faces. Placing the spiral grooves on the stationary ring or placing the dams 82 or 82' at atmospheric pressure at the outer diameter and having the pumping surfaces 98 at the inner diameter, can be advantageous.

Claims: A gap-type, grooved face seal having a stationary sealing ring and a relatively rotating sealing ring with opposed radially extending seal faces, one of the sealing rings being sealingly affixed to a housing and the other sealingly affixed to a shaft characterised in that in at least one (76,76') of the sealing rings, the seal face (78,78') is provided with a grooved portion (80,80') having discontinuous grooved surfaces (84,86,90,94) extending inwardly from one circumference of the seal face (78,78') of the sealing ring (76,76'), said grooved surfaces extending across the seal face in a discontinuous pattern and being defined by microdams (92,96) extending between said grooved surfaces (84,86,84',86',90,94), said microdams being offset from the grooved surfaces and having a width at the outermost contacting surface which is significantly smaller than the width of recesses formed by the grooved surfaces, said microdams (92,96) being disposed along the boundary of each said grooved surface, and that the discontinuous grooved surfaces essentially comprise a plurality of grooved polygonal surfaces (84,86,84',86',90,94) disposed on the seal face (78,78') adjacent each other with a microdam (92,96) being disposed between each said grooved polygonal surface and any adjacent said grooved polygonal surface. The seal according to claim 1, characterised in that the grooved surfaces further comprise a pattern of spiral grooves (84,86), a predetermined number of spiral grooves being defined and separated by a plurality of polygonal land surfaces (88) being bounded by two pairs of immediately adjacent spiral grooves (84,86) and having a surface substantially in the plane of the offset microdam surfaces, one (86) of said pair of adjacent spiral grooves (84) being rearwardly inclined and the other (84) of said pair of adjacent spiral grooves (86) being forwardly inclined relative to the direction of shaft rotation. The seal according to claim 2, characterised in that the polygonal land surfaces (88) are in a pattern defined by polygonal surface areas having alternating groove and land surfaces, and that each polygonal land surface (88) in the plane of the face is completely surrounded by a plurality of grooved surfaces. The seal according to claim 1, characterised in that the grooved portion (80,80') further comprises grooved surfaces that define discontinuous spiral grooves (84,86) extending inwardly from one circumference of the seal face (78) in a spiral path, said discontinuous spiral grooves including microdams (92) across said spiral path of said grooves, each said discontinuous spiral groove (84,86) being separated from each adjacent discontinuous spiral groove by polygonal land surfaces (88) extending across the sealing face grooved portion. The seal according to claim 4, characterised in that the discontinuous spiral grooves (84,86) are both forwardly and rearwardly inclined with respect to the direction of rotation, and define intersecting swaths across the surface of said grooved portion (80), that the polygonal land surfaces (88) between the spiral grooves further comprise land area segments which are spaced from each other and separated by said spiral grooves (84,86) extending across said grooved surface, and that further the microdams (92) extend from each land area segments to adjacent land area segments across said swaths formed by said discontinuous spiral grooves. The seal according to claims 4 and 5, characterised in that the surface defining the land area segments is at a height relative to said grooved surfaces which is substantially identical to the height of said microdam surfaces (92) relative to said grooved surfaces. The seal according to claim 6, characterised in that the height is in a range of from approximately 25 microinches (0,635mm) to approximately 1500 microinches (38,1mm), preferably at about 350 microinches (8,89mm). The seal according to claim 1, characterised by a plurality of entrance land areas (98) disposed at said one circumference of the seal face (78,78'), said entrance land areas (98) being of a height relative to the surface of said grooved polygonal surface areas (90,94) substantially equal to the height of said microdams (92,96), each said entrance land area (98) being bounded by the circumference of said seal face and at least two microdams, and being defined by at least one acute angle (α) relative to a tangent at the circumference, so that rotation of the sealing ring causes at least one of said acute angles to form a leading edge (100) for impelling the fluid being sealed inwardly from the circumference. The seal according to at least one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the discontinuous spiral grooves (84,86,84',86') are both forwardly and rearwardly inclined with respect to the direction of rotation, and that said entrance land areas (98) have a substantially triangular shape with two acute angles (α) disposed relative to a tangent at the circumference, so that rotation of the sealing ring in one direction causes said one acute angle to form a leading edge (100) and rotation of the sealing ring in the opposite direction causes said other acute angle to form a leading edge (100), said leading edges being adapted to impel the sealed fluid inwardly from the circumference. The seal according to claim 9, characterised in that the surface defining said entrance land areas (98) is at a height relative to said grooved surfaces which is substantially identical to the height of said microdam (92,96) surface relative to said grooved surfaces, and that said height is in a range of from approximately 25 microinches (0,635mm) to approximately 1500 microinches (38,1mm), preferably at approximately 350 microinches (8,89mm). The seal according to claim 1, characterised in that the grooved portion (80) includes grooves (84,86) being forwardly and rearwardly inclined relative to the rotation of the shaft, the grooved portion including a plurality of lands (88) between said grooves, said forwardly inclined grooves intersecting said rearwardly inclined grooves and defining first discrete areas (90) of said grooved portion which are common to both type of grooves, and second discrete areas (90) associated with only one of said grooves, and that microdams (92) are disposed between and separating said first discrete areas and said second discrete areas, said microdams (92) being offset from the grooved surfaces and having a width at the outermost contacting surface which is significantly smaller than the width of recesses formed by the grooved surfaces. The seal according to claim 11, characterised in that the microdams (92) comprise surfaces being in the same plane as the surfaces defined by said lands (88). The seal according to claim 1, characterised in that the grooved portion (80) comprises intersecting forwardly and rearwardly directed spiral grooves (84,86), the surface areas of the intersection between said forwardly and rearwardly directed spiral grooves comprising a plurality of polygonal grooved surfaces (90), each polygonal grooved surface being circumscribed by plurality of microdams (92) being offset from the grooved surfaces and having a width at the outermost contacting surface which is significantly smaller than the width of the recesses formed by the polygonal grooved surfaces, the microdams separating said groove intersecting areas from groove non-intersecting areas along common borderlines, said groove non-intersecting areas (90) defining lands (88) having plural groove non-intersecting areas (90) adjacent all sides of said lands (88). The seal according to claim 13, characterised in that the microdams (92) further comprise surfaces being in the same plane as the surfaces defined by said lands (88). The seal according to claim 1, characterised in that the grooved portion (80,80') includes grooved surfaces (84,86,84',86',90,94) extending inwardly from one circumference of the sealing face (78,78') and extending across the sealing face in a pattern being defined by lands extending between said grooved surfaces, said lands being offset from the grooved surfaces and being disposed across the surface of said grooved portion, that the lands further comprise entrance land areas (98) defined by having one edge of each said entrance land coinciding with the circumferential edge of said one circumference of the sealing face (78,78'), that a radially extending edge (100) of said entrance land area (98) is forwardly inclined and that another radially extending edge (100) is rearwardly inclinded relative to the direction of rotation such that said forwardly and rearwardly inclinded edges (100) each define an intersecting angle (α) with the circumferential edge of the seal ring relative to a tangent, each said intersecting angle (α) being of from about 10° to about 30°, and that said intersecting angle of each forwardly inclined radially extending edge of each said entrance land provides an entrance effect to said seal ring face upon rotation in either direction. The seal according to claims 1 to 15, characterised in that the grooved portion (80,80') is an annular band extending from the outside circumference or from the inside circumference of the sealing face(78,78') toward or beyond the center of said sealing face. The seal according to claim 15, characterised in that the intersecting angle (α) is approximately 15°. The seal according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterised in that the widths of the microdams (92,96) are between about 0,001 inches (0,0254mm) and about 0,1 inches (2,54mm), preferably at about 0,025 inches (0,634mm) as measured at the surface of the microdams. The seal according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterised by an ungrooved dam portion (82,82') extending inwardly from one inner or outer circumference of the sealing face (78,78') of the ring (76,76'). The seal according to claim 1, characterised in that the grooved portion (80,80') extending inwardly from the circumference across the sealing face of the seal ring further includes a microdam portion with a series of discrete intersecting forwardly and rearwardly inclined, spiral shaped microdams (92,96) extending inwardly from the circumference and toward the center of the sealing face (78,78'), each microdam having a surface disposed in substantially the same plane as the other microdams, said microdams defining axially depressed polygonal surfaces (90,94) in at least one plane different from the plane of the microdam surfaces. The seal according to claim 20, characterised in that the plane of the microdam surfaces is at a height in the range of about 25 microinches (0,635mm) to about 1500 microinches (38,1mm), preferaby at approximately 350 microinches (8,89mm) relative to said depressed polygonal surfaces (90,94). The seal according to claim 20, characterised in that the microdams (92,96) are approximately 0.025 inches (0,635mm) in width as measured at the microdam surface. The seal according to claim 1, characterised in that the sealing face (78,78') defines a generally planar surface extending inwardly from the inner circumference to the outer circumference of the seal ring (76,76'), the surface including shallow grooves being forwardly and rearwardly inclined relative to the direction of rotation of the shaft, each said forwardly and rearwardly inclined grooves (84,86,84'86') being separated from the adjacent respect forwardly and rearwardly inclined grooves by microdams (92,96) disposed along the periphery of said grooves, said microdams being in the generally planar surface defining the sealing face (78,78') and being offset from the grooved surfaces and having a width at the outermost contacting surface which is significantly smaller than the width of the recesses formed by the grooved surfaces, said forwardly inclined grooves (84,84') intersecting said rearwardly inclined grooves (86,86') so that each intersection defines a first discrete area (90,94) substantially in the shape of a diamond being surrounded by microdams (92,96). The seal according to claim 23, characterised in that a set of successive alternate forwardly inclined grooves (84) provide second discrete areas (88) at the intersection with a set of successive alternate rearwardly inclined grooves (86), said second discrete areas (88) being in the generaly planar surface defining the sealing face (78). The seal according to claims 23 and 24, characterised by an ungrooved dam portion (82,82') extending from one inner or outer circumference to a circumferential boundary on said generally planar surface, the grooves (84,86,84',86') extending from the other of said circumferences to said circumferential boundary.

Inventors: HAMAKER JON, PECHT GLENN G, HAMAKER,JON, PECHT, GLENN G.
Applicants: CRANE JOHN INC, JOHN CRANE, INC.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: F16J15
IPC codes: F16J15