A face seal assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a seal body having a seal face defining a contact area disposed between tapered sides. The seal body defines an axial width between a back surface of the seal body and the seal face. A decrease in the axial width from wear increases the contact area. A bearing assembly and method are also disclosed.

A sealed bearing assembly includes seal members each including a seal lip with multiple protrusions, and being arranged such that oil passages are defined between the seal lip and a seal sliding surface which is configured to slide circumferentially relative to the protrusions such that the oil passages communicate with a bearing internal space and an exterior of the bearing, and prevent passage of foreign objects having particle diameters larger than a predetermined value therethrough. The seal lip and the seal sliding surface are arranged such that, when the bearing rotates, lubricating oil in the oil passages is pulled into spaces between the seal lip and the seal sliding surface such that a fluid lubricating condition is created between the seal lip and the seal sliding surface, due to a wedge effect.

Object: To provide a seal ring capable of both reducing a friction loss and reducing oil leakage.

Solving Means: The seal ring includes an inner circumferential surface, an outer circumferential surface, side surfaces, a plurality of pockets, and recess regions. The outer circumferential surface is opposed to the inner circumferential surface. The side surfaces are orthogonal to the inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface. The plurality of pockets are provided, spaced apart from one another in at least one of the side surfaces. The recess regions are provided in the at least one of the side surfaces and includes a plurality of independent recesses. In this seal ring, it is possible to both reduce the friction loss and reduce the oil leakage due to a function of buffering oil by the recess region.

A representative seal system (such as a seal system for a turbopump of a rocket engine) automatically adjusts a balance ratio of a seal. The system can include a ring element encircling an axis. A front side of the ring element contacts a revolving surface to form a seal with the revolving surface. The front side can include a stepped surface having two or more steps. Each step includes a sealing surface configured to contact the revolving surface to form a sealing area that is different from a sealing area of each other sealing surface. Each step is positioned and configured to wear away during operation of the machine to expose an underlying surface to the revolving surface, to change the sealing area and the balance ratio of the seal. A representative method of operating a turbomachinery system includes changing the balance ratio of a seal while rotating a rotor.

A seal assembly includes a first sealing ring defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced depressions configured to form a lift off seal with the first sealing ring rotating and to prevent leakage radially with the first sealing ring at rest. At least one ventilation channel extends from a respective edge of one of the depressions to an edge of the first sealing ring and is configured to relieve pressure with the first sealing ring at rest. The first sealing ring can have an inner diameter and an outer diameter such that the plurality of depressions are defined between the inner and outer diameters.

A sliding surface of a first sliding component and a sliding surface of a second sliding component slide against each other in an intersecting manner such that first positive pressure generation grooves and second positive pressure generation grooves at least partially overlap each other. The first positive pressure generation grooves include at least one groove that differs in a position of a terminating end portion from other grooves. The one groove includes a terminating end portion located closer to a sealed fluid space side than a terminating end portions of the other grooves and terminating end portions of the second positive pressure generation grooves.

[Object] To provide a seal ring capable of both reducing a friction loss and reducing oil leakage.

[Solving Means] A seal ring includes: an inner circumferential surface; an outer circumferential surface orthogonal to the inner circumferential surface; side surfaces orthogonal to the inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface; and a plurality of pockets provided, spaced apart from one another in one of the side surfaces. The plurality of pockets each have a symmetrical shape in a circumferential direction and are opened on a side of the inner circumferential surface and closed on a side of the outer circumferential surface. The plurality of pockets each include circumferential end portions that are provided in end portions in the circumferential direction and are R-surfaces each having a convex shape connected to the side surface, a bottom portion provided in a central region in the circumferential direction, and inclined portions each extending between each of the circumferential end portions and the bottom portion. The inclined portions each include at least one ridge portion, a first inclined portion extending between the bottom portion and the ridge portion and forming a first angle with respect to the side surface, and a second inclined portion extending between the circumferential end portion and the ridge portion and forming a second angle smaller than the first angle with respect to the side surface.

A sealed bearing assembly includes seal members each including a seal lip formed with multiple protrusions, and arranged such that oil passages are formed between the seal lip and a seal sliding surface which slides circumferentially relative to the protrusions such that the oil passages communicate with the bearing internal space and the exterior of the bearing, and prevent passage of foreign objects having particle diameters larger than a predetermined value therethrough. The seal lip and the seal sliding surface are arranged such that when the bearing rotates, lubricating oil in the oil passages are pulled into the spaces between the seal lip and the seal sliding surface such that fluid lubricating condition is created between the seal lip and the seal sliding surface, due to the wedge effect.

A hydrodynamic mating ring of the present disclosure may include a sealing face, a hydrodynamic groove disposed in the sealing face, an impeller portion, and an inlet conduit configured to provide fluid communication between the hydrodynamic groove and the impeller portion. A method of sealing may include providing a mating ring having a sealing face, a plurality of hydrodynamic grooves disposed in the sealing face, a plurality of impeller portions, and a plurality of inlet conduits configured to provide fluid communication between respective ones of the plurality of hydrodynamic grooves and the plurality of impeller portions. The method may include rotating the mating ring, and increasing at least one of a pressure, a volume, and a flow rate of fluid to the hydrodynamic grooves via the plurality of impeller portions drawing said fluid into the plurality of inlet conduits.

A seal assembly includes a first sealing ring defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced depressions configured to form a lift off seal with the first sealing ring rotating and to prevent leakage radially with the first sealing ring at rest. At least one ventilation channel extends from a respective edge of one of the depressions to an edge of the first sealing ring and is configured to relieve pressure with the first sealing ring at rest. The first sealing ring can have an inner diameter and an outer diameter such that the plurality of depressions are defined between the inner and outer diameters.