ABSTRACT
In some types of machinery the clearance between shaft and housing is neither flooded nor pressurized but can be exposed to either a random or a directed stream of splashing liquid. For such situations, a sealing system is required that can limit access of the liquid to adjacent bearings, etc. Conventional elastomeric contact seals may be applied if the shaft runs at comparatively modest speeds, as in washing machines or car-wash facilities. Temporary flooding of the entrance or an impinging high-speed jet can result in liquid avoiding the primary shield and penetrating the entrance. The subsequent behavior of the liquid that has overcome the primary shield is governed by its momentum, gravity, centrifugal forces, surface tension, and wetting. Liquid collected in the chambers returns to the sealed space via drain passages connected to the bottom of the collecting chamber.
