Patent ID: 7905493

Claim:
A sealing assembly for a fluid handling device for a fuel cell system comprising: a rotatable shaft having a drive end opposite to a propulsion end; a first seal concentrically disposed on said shaft between said drive end and said propulsion end comprising a first slide head and a first spring, wherein said first slide head is non-rotatably supported by a first bracket having a first fixed position with respect to said shaft and at least a portion of said first slide head is in contact and sliding engagement with said first bracket when said shaft is rotating, wherein said first seal contacts pressurized process fluid delivered to or from a fuel cell in the fuel cell system; a second seal concentrically disposed on said shaft between said first seal and said drive end comprising a second slide head and a second spring, wherein said second slide head is non-rotatably supported by a second fixed bracket having a second fixed position with respect to said shaft and at least a portion of said second slide head is in contact and sliding engagement with said second bracket when said shaft is rotating; a ring fixed to said rotatable shaft and disposed on said shaft between and adjacent to said respective first seal and said second seal, wherein said ring is on a side of said first seal opposite to a side contacting said process fluids, wherein said first spring and said second spring directly contact and axially bias said first slide head and said second slide head respectively towards said ring, wherein said first and second slide heads are axially biased into engagement with said ring when said shaft is non-rotational; and an interconnection compartment formed between said first and said second seals containing said ring, wherein said interconnection compartment contains a barrier fluid that flows through said first seal and said second seal when said shaft is rotating, thereby preventing migration of pressurized process fluids across said first seal.