A hydraulic machine including a runner of Francis type, a head cover and a lower cover, the runner includes a low and a high pressure side, a crown, a band, and a plurality of blades, the crown having a sealing element to seal the space between the crown and head cover against water from the high-pressure side, whereas the runner has at least one passage to drain high-pressure leakage water passing the sealing element to the low-pressure side, and the passage has an inlet aperture located in a portion of the crown which during operation is exposed to high-pressure leakage water, the passage being located within one of the blades and leads from the inlet aperture to the band, where the passage forms an opening leading to the space between the band and the lower cover.

A runner of the Francis type including a crown, a plurality of blades, each blade being defined by a pressure surface, a suction surface, an edge adjoining the high pressure side and a spaced apart edge adjoining the low pressure side. The crown includes a seal to seal the space above the crown against water from the high pressure side. The further runner includes at least one passage being capable to drain high pressure leakage water to the low pressure side. The passage includes an inlet aperture located in a portion of the crown which is exposed to high pressure leakage water. The passage is located within a blade and leads from the inlet aperture to the edge of the same blade adjoining to the low pressure side. The passage is shaped to form a continuous opening in the same edge adjoining to the low pressure side.

A seal assembly for sealing a space between a housing and a component against a liquid medium includes a seal element fixedly connectable to the housing, the seal element including a seal lip that is movable at least in a radial direction, the seal lip being disposed at an angle with respect to the radial direction and a support element in abutment with the seal lip. The support element and the seal element are configured such that a pressure exerted on the seal lip by the liquid medium is transmittable in the radial direction to the support element, and the seal assembly also includes a further seal assembly on a side of the support element axially opposite the seal element, the further seal assembly including a first seal having a first seal body and a second seal having a second seal body.

A sealing system for a Gravity Power Plant having a shaft (104) with a shaft wall (105) and a piston (102) incorporates a seal assembly support base (202) anchored into the shaft wall and surrounding the piston. A seal mount has a radial flange (210) to anchor the seal mount to the support base (202) and a vertical flange (212) extending from an inner circumference of the radial flange. A seal assembly (206) circumferentially contacting the piston, has a plurality of circumferentially spaced clamp assemblies (227) to engage the seal assembly to the vertical flange, the clamp assemblies having an open position releasing the seal assembly from the vertical flange and a closed position constraining the seal assembly on the vertical flange. For seismic isolation of the seal assembly the radial flange is supported on a lower bearing (406) supported on a top surface of the seal assembly support base proximate an inner surface. The radial flange (410) extends inward from the inner surface with the vertical flange spaced from the inner surface by a radial relief (428) within a gap between the seal assembly support base and the piston. An upper bearing is supported in engagement with a top surface (411) of the radial flange (410) of the seal mount (404).

A sealing system for sealing a rotatable shaft of an underwater turbine against an entry of seawater includes a first seal support and a second seal support arranged axially adjacent to the first seal support along the shaft and a first seal element supported by the first seal support and a second seal element supported by the second seal support. The first and second seal elements each have an annular seal body and a lip extending from the seal body to a sealing surface on or rotationally fixed to the rotatable shaft, and at least one lubricant-filled chamber exists between the first and second seal supports and the shaft.

A rolling-element bearing includes first and second concentric ring assemblies mounted for relative rotation. The first ring assembly includes a first rolling ring and a first sealing ring supporting first and second seal elements each having a lip. The second ring assembly includes a second rolling ring and a second sealing ring contacted by the lips of the first and second seal elements. The first sealing ring includes a first sealing member radially spaced from the first seal element and a first leakage test channel having an inlet between the first sealing member and the first seal element and an outlet at an external surface of the first sealing ring, and/or the second sealing ring includes second and third sealing members and a second leakage test channel having an inlet between the second and third sealing members and an outlet at an external surface of the second sealing ring.

A method for driving a transmission mechanism output power in response to an anticipated fluid-pressure gradient field is provided. The method includes sensing the change of direction of pressure gradient field at a desired location from the different area of the transmission mechanism within fluid. The method further includes constructing fluid-pressure gradient field based upon isolation-fluid apparatus or low-density fluid space installed on a transmission mechanism within fluid.

A method, system and apparatus for operating a hydraulic turbine. A speed adjustment quantity for the hydraulic turbine and a corresponding change in flow quantity are obtained. A rotation speed of the hydraulic turbine is adjusted based on the speed adjustment quantity. A change ratio of the flow quantity with regard to the speed adjustment quantity is determined based on the speed adjustment quantity and the corresponding change in flow quantity. An adjustment manner in which the rotation speed is further adjusted is determined based on the determined based on the determined change ratio of flow quantity. An adjustment manner in which the rotation speed is further adjusted is determined based on the determined change ratio of flow quantity. It enables the hydraulic turbine to track a maximum efficiency operation point under a given power order and water head in real time at a low cost.

A hydroelectric device to be placed on/in the flowing water includes a housing having a plurality of wings attached to rotate the housing by the flow of flowing water, a generator module received in the housing and having a rotating shaft that rotates by the rotation of the housing so as to convert the rotational energy of the rotating shaft into electrical energy, and flotation devices coupled to the housing so as to allow the hydroelectric generator to float in the flowing water.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a lip-type shaft seal for, a method of installing a lip-type shaft seal on a shaft of an underwater application, and a lip-type shaft seal therefor. Exemplary embodiments, can be especially advantageous as they can provide a lip-type shaft seal with a point of noncontinuity having such form-locking elements that the actual installation of the seal around the shaft under water may be performed by using the form-locking elements without the use of a habitat.