Sealing device for a rotary heat exchanger, in particular for a gas turbine

Claim 1

A sealing device for use in a gas turbine between a static surface and the axial surfaces of a rotating heat exchanger having a high pressure area on one side of the seal and a lower pressure area on the other side of the seal, comprising: (a) a plurality of shoe members located completely about the periphery of the area to be sealed, said shoe members having a longitudinal groove in one side thereof such that they have a "U" shape cross section, (b) a compressible and expansible bellows member having one side sealingly attached to a static surface and the other side sealingly attached to each of said shoe members, (c) a plurality of compression members having a "U" shaped cross section location in said groove in said shoe members, with the base of the "U" shape protruding beyond said groove, said protruding base sealingly engaging an axial surface of a rotating heat exchanger, the width of the compression members being less than the width of the shoe member groove to allow passage of the high pressure into the area between the compression members and the shoe members and urge said compression members into sealing contact with the rotating heat exchanger, and (d) spring means located in said shoe member groove and interposed between said shoe members and said compression members so as to bias said compression members into engagement with the rotating heat exchanger, said spring means being just adequate to compensate for the weight of the compression members in order to ensure a sealing engagement before the appearance of a pressure differential on opposite sides of said seal.