Samuel A Farley

US Patent:

20060267288, Nov 30, 2006

Filed:

May 24, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/136639

Inventors:

David Freal - Oviedo FL, US
Samuel Farley - Oviedo FL, US
Joseph Emery - Oviedo FL, US

International Classification:

F16J 15/00

US Classification:

277345000

Abstract:

A seal assembly is provided to be positioned about a rotor shaft of an electric power generator to prevent leakage of cooling fluid from a generator housing. A bracket is affixed to the housing. The bracket includes an inlet connectable to power plant piping external to the generator for receiving a supply of sealing fluid. The power plant piping is connectable along a radial position that may vary from plant-to-plant. The inlet is in communication with a bracket passageway for admitting the sealing fluid in a radially inner section of the bracket. A sealing cartridge is mountable in an annulus defined by the bracket. The sealing cartridge includes at least one cartridge passageway in communication with the bracket passageway for admitting the supply of sealing fluid and passing the supply of sealing fluid to establish a sealing boundary about the rotor shaft. At least one of the bracket or the sealing cartridge includes a first sealing fluid-distribution channel extending along a radial direction for providing fluid communication between the bracket passageway and the at least one passageway in the sealing cartridge regardless of a variable installation position of the bracket to accommodate variation in the radial position of the power plant piping for receiving the supply of sealing fluid.