초록 ▼

A lubricated hydrostatic seal comprising (a) surface regions having opposing surfaces; (b) a plurality of micropores in one or more of said surfaces having a pore geometry; and (c) a flow of fluid between said surfaces, wherein said flow of fluid past said micropores provides a lifting force between

A lubricated hydrostatic seal comprising (a) surface regions having opposing surfaces; (b) a plurality of micropores in one or more of said surfaces having a pore geometry; and (c) a flow of fluid between said surfaces, wherein said flow of fluid past said micropores provides a lifting force between said surfaces. In a preferred embodiment, the opposing surfaces of the surface regions are nominally parallel. Nominally-parallel surfaces are simple to manufacture and are considerably less expensive than the various converging-surface configurations of the prior art. The nominally-parallel surface configuration can also be utilized in both liquid-lubricated and gas-lubricated hydrodynamic seal applications, and in hybrid-seal applications in which both hydrodynamic and hydrostatic lift are generated.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A gas-lubricated hydrodynamic seal comprising:(a) two surface regions having opposing surfaces; (b) a plurality of micropores in at least of one of said opposing surfaces; said plurality of micropores having a pore geometry; and (c) a gas located between said opposing surfaces, wherein said gas i

1. A gas-lubricated hydrodynamic seal comprising:(a) two surface regions having opposing surfaces; (b) a plurality of micropores in at least of one of said opposing surfaces; said plurality of micropores having a pore geometry; and (c) a gas located between said opposing surfaces, wherein said gas is induced to flow past said plurality of micropores by a relative movement of said opposing surfaces, and wherein said micropores are designed and positioned such that said flow past said micropores generates a lifting force between said opposing surfaces, and wherein said opposing surfaces are nominally parallel.