Sealing system for a turbomachine
First Claim
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1. A seal system for a turbomachine comprising:
- a first pressure reducing seal for reducing the pressure of a process fluid flowing therethrough;
first conduit means for delivering a first portion of the fluid to a first relatively low pressure operating region;
second conduit means for delivering a second portion of the fluid to a sealing region operating at a pressure somewhat higher than the pressure of the first operating region;
a second pressure reducing seal in fluid flow communication with the sealing region and a second operating region having a pressure intermediate the sealing region and the first operating region; and
flow regulating means for selectively regulating the flow of fluid between the sealing region and the first operating region to maintain the fluid pressure differential between the sealing region and the second operating region at a substantially predetermined magnitude.
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Abstract
A buffer fluid system for a turbomachine includes flow regulating means for regulating the quantity of buffer fluid flowing to a buffer fluid sealing region from an operating region receiving relatively high pressure fluid through a pressure reducing seal. The buffer system utilizes the leakage flow and vented flow is injected into the inlet of the machine.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A seal system for a turbomachine comprising:
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a first pressure reducing seal for reducing the pressure of a process fluid flowing therethrough; first conduit means for delivering a first portion of the fluid to a first relatively low pressure operating region; second conduit means for delivering a second portion of the fluid to a sealing region operating at a pressure somewhat higher than the pressure of the first operating region; a second pressure reducing seal in fluid flow communication with the sealing region and a second operating region having a pressure intermediate the sealing region and the first operating region; and flow regulating means for selectively regulating the flow of fluid between the sealing region and the first operating region to maintain the fluid pressure differential between the sealing region and the second operating region at a substantially predetermined magnitude. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A seal system for a turbomachine comprising:
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a first relatively high pressure operating region; a first pressure reducing seal reducing the pressure of leakage fluid flowing from said high pressure operating region towards a second relatively low pressure region; first conduit means in fluid flow communication with said second region and a third region operating at a pressure somewhat lower than the pressure of the second region for conducting leakage fluid from said second region to said third region; second conduit means in communication with said first conduit means for transmitting a portion of the fluid flowing through said first conduit means to a sealing region operating at a pressure intermediate the pressures of said second and third regions and being disposed adjacent a fourth region operating at a pressure somewhat lower than the pressure of said sealing region; and flow regulating means connected to said first and second conduit means for controlling the amount of fluid transmitted through said second conduit means to said sealing region. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of sealing a compressor by utilizing leakage fluid as a buffering fluid comprising the steps of:
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transmitting the buffering fluid to a first relatively low pressure operating region for mixing with the working fluid of the compressor; bypassing a portion of the buffering fluid about the first low pressure operating region to a sealing region; passing the fluid from the sealing region to a second region operating at a pressure intermediate the first and second regions; sensing the pressure differential between said second and sealing regions; and regulating the portion of fluid flowing to the sealing region to maintain the pressure differential at a substantially constant magnitude. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification