Patent ID: 8356819

Claim:
A method of sealing a liquid region from a gas region across an annular surface of a rotating shaft utilizing a plurality of adjoining annularly sealing ring segments facing the rotating shaft, each sealing ring segment having a dead end circumferential groove formed within a shaft-side face of each sealing ring segment at a position closer to the liquid region than to the gas region such that, when the sealing ring segments are positioned proximate the annular surface, the dead end circumferential groove of each sealing ring segment extends arcuately in direction of shaft rotation, and at least one additional groove, selected from the group consisting of a hydrodynamic inclined groove, a hydrodynamic shallow pocket, and an axial bore groove, formed on the shaft-side face of each sealing ring segment wherein the additional groove(s) is in fluid communication with the dead end circumferential groove comprising; urging the sealing ring segments toward the rotating shaft such that the sealing ring segments from a seal with the rotating shaft when the rotating shaft is not rotating; rotating the rotating shaft; directing fluid flow generated by the rotating shaft along the additional groove(s) and into the dead end circumferential groove such that the fluid is pressured as it flows along the additional groove(s) and into the dead end circumferential groove; redirecting the pressurized fluid within the dead end circumferential groove toward the rotating shaft so as to provide a lift force on the sealing ring segments that lifts the sealing ring segments away from the rotating shaft; creating an air seal around the rotating shaft as the pressurized air within the dead end circumferential groove is urged toward the rotating shaft, thereby, maintaining a seal between the rotating shaft and the sealing ring segments during rotation and non-rotation of the rotating shaft; and directing fluid flow generated by the rotating shaft along the additional groove(s) and into the dead end circumferential groove by way of at least one longitudinal bore groove and pressure chamber, each longitudinal bore groove directly contacts one additional groove at a first end of the longitudinal bore groove and directly contacts one pressure chamber at a second end of the longitudinal bore grove, each longitudinal bore groove separate from and substantially parallel to the dead end circumferential groove.