Packing Ring, Sealing Device, Compressor, Rotational System and Method for Detecting the Condition of Wear

Abstract

A packing ring for a sealing device, having at least two segments that are arranged around a common main axis (X). In order to be able to detect the current condition of wear, the packing ring has at least one indicator means that indicates a position of at least one of the segments in a radial direction (R) perpendicular to the main axis (X) of the packing ring.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sealing device, comprising:
 a housing and at least one packing ring, wherein the packing ring comprises at least two segments that are arranged around a common main axis (X) and spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction, wherein the sealing device comprises a sensor device which detects a position of at least one of the segments in a radial direction (R) perpendicular to the main axis (X) of the packing ring.   
     
     
         2 . The sealing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the packing ring has at least one indicator means that indicates a position of at least one of the segments in the radial direction R perpendicular to the main axis X of the packing ring. 
     
     
         3 . The sealing device according to  claim 2 , wherein the sensor device interacts with the indicator means and/or the packing ring. 
     
     
         4 . The sealing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor device comprises at least one sensor element. 
     
     
         5 . The sealing device according to  claim 4 , wherein the at least one sensor element is arranged at an angle (ß) to the radial direction (R), where 0°<ß<90°. 
     
     
         6 . The sealing device according to  claim 4 , wherein the at least one sensor element is a distance-measuring sensor element. 
     
     
         7 . The sealing device according to  claim 4 , wherein the at least one sensor element is an eddy current sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The sealing device according to  claim 4 , wherein the at least one sensor element is an optical sensor element. 
     
     
         9 . The sealing device according to  claim 8 , wherein the optical sensor element is a confocal sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The sealing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises at least two chamber disks, wherein at least one packing ring is situated between two adjacent chamber disks. 
     
     
         11 . The sealing device according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the at least two chamber disks comprises a slot for an indicator pin of a packing ring. 
     
     
         12 . The sealing device according to  claim 11 , wherein the indicator pin is led in the slot. 
     
     
         13 . The sealing device according to  claim 12 , wherein the slot is situated with a radial spacing from the packing ring. 
     
     
         14 . The sealing device according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one chamber disk comprises a bore for the slot of a sensor element and/or a sensor line. 
     
     
         15 . The sealing device according to  claim 14 , wherein at least one sealing element is situated between the at least two chamber disks in the area of the bore. 
     
     
         16 . The sealing device according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one chamber disk comprises a viewing element. 
     
     
         17 . The sealing device according to  claim 16 , wherein the viewing element consists of quartz glass.