TURBO-MACHINERY SEAL

The improved turbo-machinery seal described herein includes an annular seal body encircling the turbo-machinery rotor shaft and disposed within the housing. The seal body includes a first end arranged to frictionally and sealingly engage a radially disposed face in the housing while the seal is exposed to a pressure fluid that biases the seal body toward the radial face. In one aspect, the seal body is provided with a recess in a portion of the bore adjacent the rotor shaft that is exposed to the pressure fluid providing a biasing force on the seal body in a radial direction. In another aspect, the seal body may be provided with a seal on the outer periphery thereof that engages the housing. The area thus isolated by the seal is vented to a low pressure so that the seal body is biased radially. The purpose of the radial bias on the seal body is to provide the seal with a predetermined direction of force so that predictable results can be obtained with respect to the shaft supporting characteristics of the improved seal.