Patent ID: 8177475

Claim:
A sealing apparatus for routing a contaminated fluid flowing from an upstream space to a downstream space, the sealing apparatus comprising: an annular housing; at least one housing vent hole peripherally disposed in the annular housing; and a labyrinth seal device positioned in the annular housing, the labyrinth seal device having first and second sets of seals and having a purge annulus disposed between the first and second sets of seals, the first set of seals having an inclined deflector face, the purge annulus having a plurality of seal-device vent holes peripherally disposed on the purge annulus, the seal-device vent holes having axes parallel to the inclined deflector face and being in fluid communication with the housing vent hole, the first set of seals being disposed within the annular housing adjacent to the downstream space, the first set of seals having an inclined surface to deflect the flow of contaminated fluid through the at least one housing vent hole, and the second set of seals being disposed within the annular housing adjacent to the upstream space.