Rotatable seal assembly. [Patent application; rotating targets]
An assembly is provided for rotatably supporting a rotor on a stator so that vacuum chambers in the rotor and stator remain in communication while the chambers are sealed from ambient air, which enables the use of a ball bearing or the like to support most of the weight of the rotor. The apparatus includes a seal device mounted on the rotor to rotate therewith, but shiftable in position on the rotor while being sealed to the rotor as by an O-ring. The seal device has a flat face that is biased towards a flat face on the stator, and pressurized air is pumped between the faces to prevent contact between them while spacing them a small distance apart to avoid the inflow of large amounts of air between the faces and into the vacuum chambers.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy
- OSTI ID:
- 6039189
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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