Patent ID: 7419164

Claim:
A shaft seal for reducing leakage between a rotating shaft and a static shell, the shaft seal comprising: a plurality of compliant plate members attached in facing relation to the static shell, the compliant plate members defining a sealing ring between the static shell and the rotating shaft, wherein each of the compliant plate members comprises at least one slot therein; and at least one static ring attached to the static shell and extending radially into the at least one slot in the compliant plate members, each of the at least one static ring extending circumferentially through and between a plurality of the compliant plate members such that the at least one static ring serves as a baffler to at least some axial leakage flow between the compliant plate members, wherein each of the compliant plate members comprises multiple slots therein, wherein the shaft seal further comprises corresponding multiple static rings attached to the static shell and extending radially into each of the slots, respectively, wherein at least one of a radial length and an axial width of the multiple slots varies, and wherein at least one of a radial length and an axial width of the multiple static rings varies corresponding to the slot radial lengths and axial widths, respectively.