US 11,815,491 B2
Mechanical seal with sensor
Ian Martyn Goldswain, Maidenhead (GB); Joseph L. Savio, Des Plaines, IL (US); and Oliver Daniel Hurtig, Frankfurt (DE)
Assigned to JOHN CRANE UK LIMITED, Slough (GB)
Filed by JOHN CRANE UK LIMITED, Slough (GB)
Filed on Jun. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/361,577.
Application 17/361,577 is a continuation of application No. 16/596,122, filed on Oct. 8, 2019, granted, now 11,280,761.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/790,969, filed on Jan. 10, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/742,707, filed on Oct. 8, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0325347 A1, Oct. 21, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01N 29/14 (2006.01); F16J 15/34 (2006.01); G07C 3/00 (2006.01); F16J 15/40 (2006.01); G01D 5/14 (2006.01); G01D 5/26 (2006.01); G01P 3/44 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 29/14 (2013.01) [F16J 15/3492 (2013.01); F16J 15/40 (2013.01); G01D 5/142 (2013.01); G01D 5/26 (2013.01); G07C 3/00 (2013.01); F16J 15/3444 (2013.01); G01P 3/44 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A seal monitoring system for a dry gas seal assembly, comprising:
a dry gas seal having a stator portion with a first seal face and a rotor portion with a second seal face, the dry gas seal is configured to be positioned between a stationary housing and a rotatable shaft with the rotor portion configured to rotate with the rotatable shaft;
an acoustic emissions sensor configured to sense when the first seal face and the second seal face are in an operational condition relative to one another and output a signal indicative of the operational condition; and
a speed sensor sensing speed of the rotatable shaft at speeds below one thousand (1,000) rotations per minute (RPMs), the speed sensor configured to output a signal indicative of a rotational speed of the rotatable shaft;
a processor configured to receive the signal from the speed sensor and the signal from the acoustic emissions sensor; and
wherein the processor is configured to establish that a change in an operating condition of the dry gas seal has occurred based on the signal received from the acoustic sensor and the signal received from the speed sensor.