Steam seal

Claim 2

In a fluid seal apparatus for a member, which fluid seal apparatus includes a plurality of spaced-apart seal rings arranged about said member defining at least a first region, a second region, and a third region in communication with the atmosphere and with a low pressure chamber at a pressure below atmospheric pressure, which regions communicate with one another and which are sequentially arranged with respect to the member to be sealed, a first source of first fluid, and a second source of a second fluid, the improvement comprising: first means for conducting said first fluid from said first source to said first region at a first pressure, said first pressure being below atmospheric pressure; second means for conducting said second fluid from said second source to said second region at a second pressure, said second pressure being greater than atmospheric pressure; third means for conducting a mixture of air and said second fluid from said third region to said low pressure chamber, said second fluid flowing from said second region to said third region and air flowing from the atmosphere to said third region; and fourth means for withdrawing a mixture of said first and second fluids from said first region, said second fluid flowing from said second region to said first region, whereby pure seal steam may be supplied as said second fluid while impure seal steam may be supplied as said first fluid to prevent the leakage of said impure steam.

Claim 3

In a fluid seal apparatus for a member, which fluid seal apparatus includes a plurality of spaced-apart seal rings arranged about said member defining at least a first region, a second region, a third region in communication with the atmosphere and with a low pressure chamber at a pressure below atmospheric pressure, and a fourth region arranged between said first and second regions, which first, fourth, second and third regions communicate with one another and which are sequentially arranged with respect to the member to be sealed, a first source of a first fluid, and a second source of a second fluid, the improvement comprising: first means for conducting said first fluid from said first source to said first region at a first pressure, said first pressure being greater than a pressure in said third region; second means for conducting said second fluid from said second source to said second region at a second pressure, said second pressure being above atmospheric pressure and greater than a pressure in said third region or a pressure in said fourth region third means for conducting a mixture of air and said second fluid from said third region to said low pressure chamber, said second fluid flowing from said second region to said third region and air flowing from the atmosphere to said third region; and fourth means for withdrawing a mixture of said first and second fluids from said fourth region, said first and second fluids flowing from said first and second regions, respectively, to said fourth region, whereby pure seal steam may be supplied as said second fluid while impure seal steam may be supplied as said first fluid to prevent the leakage of said impure steam.

Claim 4

In a fluid seal apparatus for a member, which fluid seal apparatus includes a plurality of spaced-apart seal rings arranged about said member defining at least a first region, a second region, a third region in communication with the atmosphere and with a low pressure chamber at a pressure below atmospheric pressure, and a fourth region arranged between said first and second regions, which first, fourth, second and third regions communicate with one another and which are sequentially arranged with respect to the member to be sealed, a first source of a first fluid, and a second source of a second fluid, the improvement comprising: first means for conducting said first fluid from said first source to said first region at a first pressure, said first pressure being greater than a pressure in said third region; second means for conducting said second fluid from said second source to said second region at a second pressure, said second pressure being above atmospheric pressure and greater than a pressure in said third region or a pressure in said fourth region third means for conducting a mixture of air and said second fluid from said third region to said low pressure chamber, said second fluid flowing from said second region to said third region and air flowing from the atmosphere to said third region; and fourth means for withdrawing a mixture of said first and second fluids from said fourth region, said first and second fluids flowing from said first and second regions, respectively, to said fourth region, whereby pure seal steam may be supplied as said second fluid while impure seal steam may be supplied as said first fluid to prevent the leakage of said impure steam.

Claim 5

Apparatus in accordance with claims 1 or 2 wherein said first fluid includes impure steam and said second fluid includes relatively pure steam.

Claim 6

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said second source of said second fluid includes an evaporator.

Claim 7

Apparatus in accordance with claims 1 or 2 wherein said member is a shaft of a turbine.

Claim 8

Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein the first means supplies the first fluid to the first region at a pressure proportional to a load borne by the turbine, and the second means supplies the second fluid to the second region at a pressure which is independent of the load borne by the turbine.

Claim 9

Apparatus in accordance with claims 1 or 2 wherein said member is a stem of a valve.

Claim 10

Apparatus in accordance with claims 1 or 2 wherein said member is a cylindrical member and said regions are sequentially arranged about the cylindrical member.

Claim 11

Apparatus in accordance with claims 1 or 2 wherein said third region is at a third pressure, which third pressure is below atmospheric pressure and lower than the second pressure.

Claim 12

Apparatus in accordance with claims 1 or 2 wherein the second pressure is in the range 1.01 to 1.2 bar.

Claim 13

Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein the third pressure is in the range 0.90 to 0.98 bar.

Claim 14

Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein the third pressure is 0.97 bar.

Claim 15

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first pressure is 0.98 bar.

Claim 16

Apparatus in accordance with claims 1 or 2 wherein the second pressure is 1.02 bar.