Shaft Seal Assembly

Abstract

A method for maintaining a seal during shaft misalignment using a shaft seal assembly comprising a first sealing means adjacent said shaft with a defined clearance between said shaft and said sealing means, said shaft moveable axially in relation to said first sealing means; a second sealing means, said first sealing means partially encompassed within second sealing means and in cooperative communication with said second sealing means; a third sealing means, said second sealing means partially encompassed within third sealing means and in cooperative communication with said third sealing means, said third sealing means attached to said housing or vessel and allowing said first sealing means and second sealing means to cooperatively respond to said forces produced by angular misalignment of said shaft during rotation of said shaft while maintaining defined clearance between said shaft and said sealing means.

1 . A method for maintaining a seal around the periphery of a rotatable shaft during misalignment of said shaft, said method comprising the steps of:
 a. securing a fixed stator to a housing, wherein said fixed stator is formed with an annular groove along the radial interior surface thereof;   b. positioning a shaft sealing member within said annular groove of said fixed stator, wherein said shaft sealing member may move radially in said annular groove; and   c. configuring said shaft sealing member with a floating stator and a labyrinth seal, wherein said floating stator and said labyrinth seal have a semi-spherical interface therebetween.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein said annular channel in said fixed stator and said shaft sealing member are further defined so that said annular channel fixes the axial position of said shaft sealing member. 
     
     
         3 . A method for allowing shaft misalignment within a shaft seal assembly, said method comprising the steps of:
 a. securing a fixed stator of said shaft seal assembly to a housing, wherein said fixed stator is formed with an annular groove along the radial interior surface thereof;   b. positioning a shaft sealing member of said shaft seal assembly within said annular groove of said fixed stator, wherein said shaft sealing member may move radially in said annular groove;   c. configuring said shaft sealing member with a floating stator and a labyrinth seal, wherein said floating stator is formed with a concave radially interior surface and said labyrinth seal is formed with a convex radially exterior surface;   d. allowing said shaft to move radially via the relative positions of said fixed stator and said shaft sealing member; and   e. allowing said shaft to move angularly via the interface between said flating stator and said labyrinth seal.