KR102469619B1 - piston sealing system - Google Patents

Abstract

A piston and cylinder arrangement is disclosed in which a field of spaced pockets is provided on a piston skirt and/or a wall of a cylinder to create a seal equivalent between the piston and cylinder. The pockets may be provided in a pattern having a plurality of vertically spaced rows.

Description

piston sealing system

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/501,295, filed May 4, 2017; US Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/479,013, filed March 30, 2017; US Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/491,629, filed April 28, 2017; US Patent Application Serial No. 15/903,636, filed February 23, 2018; US Patent Application Serial No. 15/934,625, filed March 23, 2018; US Patent Application Serial No. 15/934,742, filed March 23, 2018; US Patent Application Serial No. 15/936,713, filed March 27, 2018; US Patent Application Serial No. 15/937,293, filed March 27, 2018; US Patent Application Serial No. 15/938,130, filed March 28, 2018; US Patent Application Serial No. 15/938,427, filed March 28, 2018; and US Patent Application Serial No. 15/941,397, filed on March 30, 2018, from which priority is claimed.

field of invention

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for creating a seal between a blocking element, such as a reciprocating piston, and a surface adjacent to the blocking element, such as a wall of a piston cylinder.

Reciprocating piston and cylinder devices in internal combustion engines, pumps and the like require a seal between the piston and cylinder so that a pressure differential can exist between both ends of the piston. This pressure differential allows the piston to provide a fluid pumping action that is useful in many things including pumps and internal combustion engines. Fully sealed piston and cylinder arrangements can be used, for example, in two, four or multi-cycle internal combustion engines, free-piston engines, caloric engines, turbochargers, superchargers, compressors, pumps and vacuums.

It should be understood that references to a “cylinder” herein are not limited to chambers having a cylindrical shape or circular cross-section. Instead, the term cylinder refers to any chamber or cavity containing a piston having an external shape such that it is sealed against the sidewall of the cylinder, but at the same time allows the piston to slide back and forth within the cylinder in a pumping motion. .

An engine cylinder may include one or more intake ports and one or more exhaust ports that collectively allow gas to flow into and out of the engine cylinder, respectively. Engine valves, such as poppet valves, may be used to selectively open and close the intake and exhaust ports. The selectively timed opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves in conjunction with the pumping motion of the engine piston and introduction of fuel provides an air/fuel charge to the engine cylinders for combustion and discharges the charge exhaust gas consumed from the cylinders after combustion. can be removed

Conventional internal combustion engine pistons used in Otto cycle or diesel cycle operation, for example, typically have a generally cylindrical shape. More specifically, a typical Otto or Diesel cycle engine piston may have a generally smooth cylindrical skirt with a circular cross section that includes a circumferential recess for receiving one or more sealing piston rings. The piston and piston ring assembly can slide reciprocally within the cylinder between top dead center and bottom dead center. The interface of the piston ring and cylinder wall can be lubricated, for example, with engine oil.

Internal combustion engines almost universally require a liquid lubricant, such as engine oil, to lubricate the interface between the piston and the cylinder in which the piston moves back and forth in reciprocating motion. Lubrication systems are generally mission critical and failure of the lubrication system can be catastrophic. The need for piston lubricants brings a number of disadvantages. Lubricating oil wears away and becomes contaminated over time, requiring replacement, adding cost and inconvenience to engine operation. Many lubricating oils require pumps and passages to reapply the lubricating oil to moving parts such as engine pistons. Pumps and passages and other elements of an active lubrication system must operate accurately and require seals between interconnected elements. Leakage in the lubrication system naturally occurs over time as seals deteriorate and pumps leak and wear out, still adding additional maintenance costs and inconvenience to engine operation. Leakage can also allow lubricant to enter the combustion chamber, interfering with combustion and fouling the injectors and spark or glow plugs. Lubricating oil in the combustion chamber can also lead to unwanted exhaust emissions. Leakage can also contaminate the lubricating oil with combustion by-products. All of the problems described above accompany the use of lubricated pistons, all adding to failure modes and maintenance costs. Accordingly, a need exists for an internal combustion engine that relies less or not at all on piston lubrication.

Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to use in internal combustion engines, but such engines are piston and cylinder arrangements in which the piston is sealed to the cylinder using one or more vertically spaced sealing piston rings disposed around the outer surface of the piston skirt. can benefit from the present invention because of routine use. Many other devices other than internal combustion engines and pumps may include moving elements that require a seal to be formed therebetween. Embodiments of the present invention may also be used in these applications.

Accordingly, it is an object of some, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the present invention to provide a system and method for contactless or semi contact-less sealing between a blocking element and an adjacent surface.

Accordingly, it is an object of some, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the present invention to provide a system and method for contactless or semi-contactless sealing between a piston (with or without piston rings) and a peripheral cylinder.

It is also an object of some, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the present invention to provide a sealing system and method that reduces friction losses due to contact between a piston ring and a peripheral cylinder by reducing or eliminating the use of a piston ring.

It is also an object of some, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the present invention to provide a sealing system and method that does not require the use of lubricant or requires less change of lubricant.

It is also an object of some, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the present invention to provide a low wear sealing system and method of sealing that induces less wear on components within the system, thereby reducing maintenance requirements and increasing reliability of the system.

It is also an object of some, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the present invention to reduce the number of parts required for sealing to reduce the cost of the system and replacement parts inventory requirements.

It is also an object of some, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the present invention to provide improved heat transfer between a piston and cylinder surface to reduce cooling system complexity and increase system efficiency.

It is also an object of some, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the present invention to provide a restorative self-correcting centering action of a moving member, such as a reciprocating piston, within a cylinder.

These and other advantages of some, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art of internal combustion engines.

In response to the foregoing challenges, Applicant has developed an innovative sealing system comprising: a first structural surface; a blocking element having a first end, a second end, and a blocking element surface extending between the first and second ends; Arranged in a plurality of rows, on the first structure surface (but not extending through), or on the blocking element surface (but not extending through), or on the first structure surface and the blocking element surface (but not extending through) , does not extend through) a plurality of laterally spaced pockets forming a field of pockets; and a working fluid provided to the first end of the blocking element at an elevated pressure relative to the working fluid pressure at the second end of the blocking element, the first structural surface proximate to and at a substantially uniform distance from the blocking element surface. The seal equivalent is created from the interaction of the working fluid with the field of the pocket.

Applicants have also developed an innovative sealing system comprising: a first structural surface; a blocking element having a first end, a second end, and a blocking element surface extending between the first and second ends; a pocket on the first structural surface (but not extending through), or on the blocking element surface (but not extending through), or on the first structural surface and the blocking element surface (but not extending through) a plurality of spaced apart pockets arranged as a field of , wherein the first structural surface is disposed proximate to and substantially uniformly spaced from the blocking element surface.

Applicant also developed an innovative internal combustion engine, comprising: an engine cylinder having a cylinder wall; a piston disposed within an engine cylinder and having a skirt and a head; and arranged as a field of pockets on the piston skirt (but not extending through), or on the engine cylinder (but not extending through), or on the piston skirt and engine cylinder (but not extending through). It includes a plurality of spaced pockets.

Applicant has also developed an innovative method of sealing a first structural surface to the blocking element surface between a first end of the blocking element and a second end of the blocking element, the first structural surface being substantially uniform proximate to the blocking element surface. arranged at a distance, the method comprising: arranged in a plurality of rows, on a first structure surface (but not extending through), or on a blocking element surface (but not extending through), or on a second structure surface (but not extending through); 1 providing a plurality of laterally spaced pockets forming a field of pockets on the structural surface and on the blocking element surface, but not extending through it; providing a working fluid to the first end of the blocking element; and moving the blocking element surface relative to the first structural surface to create a seal equivalent due to working fluid turbulence induced by the field in the pocket.

It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are illustrative and explanatory only and do not limit the invention as claimed.

In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like elements. The drawings are illustrative only and should not be construed as limiting the invention.
1 is a longitudinal partial sectional view of an internal combustion engine cylinder and a side view of a piston disposed therein, wherein the piston is attached to a non-guided connecting rod and includes an outer sealing structure formed according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal partial sectional view of an internal combustion engine cylinder and a side view of a piston disposed therein, wherein the piston is attached to a guide connecting rod and includes an outer sealing structure formed according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the piston and cylinder of Figure 1 taken through section line 3-3, wherein the piston includes an outer seal structure formed according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4 is an isometric enlarged view of a portion of a piston wall defined by section line 4-4 in Fig. 2, the piston wall portion comprising external sealing structures formed according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention;
5 is an isometric view of a rectangular variant of a piston formed according to a third embodiment of the invention;
6 is an isometric view of a rectangular variant of a piston formed according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;
7 is a plan view of a rotary engine cylinder and rotor including an outer sealing structure formed according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Referring to FIG. 1 , in a first embodiment of the present invention, a cooperatively shaped piston 36 and peripheral cylinder 38 are illustrated. The cylinder 38 may have a combustion chamber 21 with an upper end wall, which in this embodiment is slightly rounded or domed, and a continuous side wall. One or more spark or glow plugs, intake and exhaust valves, and associated ports may communicate with the combustion chamber 21 . An engine crankcase may be disposed below the engine cylinders 38 .

The piston 36 may include an upper end 50 or head, a lower end 51 distal to the upper end, and a sidewall or skirt 35 extending between the piston head and the lower end of the piston. The piston 36 can be attached to an unguided connector rod 42 which in turn can be connected to a crank 46 which is connected to a crankshaft 44 in the crankcase.

The piston skirt 35 may have a circular cross section when looking down into the cylinder 38 onto the piston head 50 from above. The piston head 50 may be domed cooperatively with the upper end wall of the combustion chamber 21 . When viewed from above, looking down into the cylinder 38, the cylinder may also have a circular shape. In an alternative embodiment, it is understood that when viewed from above, cylinder 38, piston skirt 35 and piston head 50 may have a non-circular cross-sectional shape, such as a rectangular shape.

The piston 36 may be disposed within the combustion chamber 21 of the cylinder 38 such that the piston skirt 35 is closely aligned with the combustion chamber 21 sidewall, but evenly spaced from and parallel to the sidewall. The upper end wall and side walls of the combustion chamber 21 together with the piston head 50 can form a working space or compression area 24 capable of receiving a working fluid. The piston 36 may be configured to slide reciprocally within the combustion chamber 21 toward and away from the upper end wall.

1 and 3, the outer surface or face of the piston skirt 35 is separated by a land 23 formed therein, and a plurality of recesses or pockets 22 collectively forming a pocket field 25. ) can have. Applicant considers pockets 22 formed "on" the piston skirt 35 to mean the same thing as formed "in" the piston skirt. In both cases, the pocket 22 extends inwardly from the outermost surface of the piston skirt 35 surrounding the pocket. Preferably, but not necessarily, the pockets 22 can be of the same shape and dimensions in terms of shape at the mouth, shape at the base, height, width, diameter, depth, and/or volume. Preferably, the piston skirt 35 is a hollow wall construction (i.e. not solid between opposing external points) and the pocket 22 is formed within the piston skirt but through the piston skirt into the hollow interior of the piston 36. does not extend The pockets 22 of the fields 25 may be arranged in at least one circumferential row, or more preferably in a grid or array pattern consisting of two or more spaced apart columns and rows of pockets. The number, shape, size and arrangement of lands and pockets in the fields 25 shown in the figure have been selected for ease of description and illustration and are not to be considered limiting.

Field 25 of pocket 22 extends in two dimensions (x and y) on a planar surface, or extends in two dimensions on the surface of a curved object in space (e.g. piston 35 having a circular cross section). It can be. Each pocket 22 may be aligned with pockets in adjacent rows and/or columns, aligned with pockets located in rows and/or columns with one or more intervening rows and/or columns spaced apart, or non-aligned with each other. . Preferably, the field 25 of pockets 22 includes at least two pockets spaced from each other in the x direction and at least two pockets spaced from each other in the y direction. Also preferably, the dimension or size of each pocket 22 at the inlet, as measured in the x or y direction, is significantly smaller than the dimension of the surface on which the pocket is disposed (i.e., the field 25 dimension). More preferably, the dimension or size of each pocket 22 at the inlet is significantly smaller than the dimension of the surface on which the pocket is disposed when measured in both the x and y directions. By fairly small is meant that the dimension or size of each pocket at the inlet is less than half, more preferably less than one-quarter, of the dimension of the surface on which the pocket is disposed when measured in the x and/or y direction. Further, the total surface area of the field 25 occupied by the lands 23 (e.g., the surface area of the piston skirt 35) preferably exceeds the total surface area attributable to the entry of the pockets 22 in the field.

Referring to Figure 3, due to the presence of pockets 22 and lands 23 arranged in suitable sealing system fields 25 on the face of the piston skirt, the seal over the extension of the piston skirt 35 from top to bottom. or seal equivalents can be created. A seal or equivalent may be created as a result of the pressure differential of the working fluid between the piston head 50 and the piston lower end 51 . As the piston 36 moves upward in the chamber 21, the pressure and temperature of the working fluid 26 in the working space 24 rises, causing the head 50 of the piston 36 and the lower end of the piston ( 51) to create a differential pressure of the working fluid between them. This differential pressure can cause the working fluid to flow into the space between the side wall of the piston skirt 35 and the side wall of the combustion chamber 21, ie towards the lower end 51 of the piston 36 and into the seal gap. The flow of working fluid 26 through the seal gap can cause a local venturi effect in each pocket 22, which can increase the velocity of working fluid 26 and reduce its pressure. The change in velocity and pressure of the working fluid 26 can be a function of the substantially small clearance between the sidewall of the piston skirt 35 and the sidewall of the combustion chamber 21 as well as the geometry and arrangement of the pockets 22.

With continued reference to FIG. 3 , the pocket 22 preferably has a relatively sharp edge at the junction of the face of the piston skirt 35 and the pocket inlet, i.e., the junction of the land 23. As the working fluid 26 flows over the sharp edges of the pockets 22, the local pressure may decrease due to turbulence. As a result, the working fluid 26 may expand, creating a momentary pressure drop and a localized increase in turbulence. Additional working fluid 26 flowing over and into each successive pocket 22 can start the cycle, where each pocket 22 acts as a resonator (e.g., a Helmholtz-type resonator); This allows working fluid to be drawn into and expelled from the pocket 22 at a definable frequency, creating additional localized turbulence.

The resulting turbulence may be a function of the physical properties of the working fluid 26 in the system and the diameter (or height and width) of each individual pocket 22 in the field 25, internal geometry, relative position and depth. The resulting turbulence may also be a function of a substantially small clearance or seal gap due to the ratio of the volume of space above and within each pocket 22 to the volume of space above each land 23. This localized turbulence can interact with the flowing working fluid 26 to generate vortex motion that impedes further flow of the working fluid 26 . Reducing the flow of the working fluid can temporarily reduce the resonant effect, temporarily reducing the re-localized turbulence, and then causing the flow rate of the working fluid 26 to temporarily increase again.

When the piston 36 is on its upstroke, the working fluid 26 that has passed over the pocket 22 in the top row (closest to the upper end of the piston 36) repeats the described turbulent flow, but with a higher starting pressure. A pocket in an adjacent row of the lower pocket field 25 may next be encountered. This process continues until the local pressure in the seal gap is sufficiently reduced (preferably, but not necessarily, to the pressure level of the working fluid contained in the cylinder 38 below the piston 36). It can be repeated as it passes successively over successive rows of seal system pocket fields 25 with relatively reduced market pressure. Repeated cycles of pressure reduction from pocket 22 to pocket in field 25 result in only acceptable working fluid 26 reaching the point where the local pressure in the seal gap is less than or equal to the pressure of the working fluid in the space below the piston 36. Because it will flow past (or preferably, because the working fluid will not flow), it can create a seal or an effective equivalent of a seal. It is understood that a "seal equivalent" having an acceptable level of leakage resulting from a sufficiently reduced pressure across the face of the piston skirt 35 results when the amount of leakage of working fluid permits operation of the engine in which the seal equivalent is utilized. .

The localized turbulence in each successive pocket 22 can be reduced over time due to the gradual leakage allowed by the pocket's resonant action. Thus, localized turbulence may also be a function of the speed of motion of the piston 36 relative to the sidewall of the chamber 21, as the motion of the piston may cause a change in pressure around the piston 36 within the chamber. The effectiveness of the sealing system may require a varying pressure of the working fluid 26 to provide active flow to the sealing system field 25 by providing consistent flow into and out of the pockets 22 to maintain the effectiveness of the sealing system. have.

The leak rate of the seal system can be modified by using different land (23) spacing patterns and pocket (22) geometries within the seal system pattern (25). The land 23 spacing allows the front (lower) pocket to prevent the working fluid 26 flow from causing internal decaying self-reinforcing oscillations within the sealing system field 25, while Pocket 22 may be selected to provide backflow to the previous (upper) pocket.

The effectiveness of the seal system pattern 25 for a particular application may be a function of the external dimensions of the seal system field 25 in addition to the design parameters of the individual pockets 22 . Referring again to FIG. 3 , sealing efficiency may be improved by modifying the geometry of some or all of the pocket 22 to include a converging region 39 at the interior base of the pocket and a diverging region at the mouth of the pocket. A de Laval nozzle effect can be created in the pocket by using a convergent region (39) and a larger divergent region to form a resonant cavity at the bottom of the pocket, which results in a localized supersonic working fluid (26). Motion can cause greater localized turbulence.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3 , the piston 36 may self-center within the cylinder 38 due to the tendency of the pressure around the piston to normalize at any given vertical point on the piston skirt 35 . For example, a substantially small separation distance between the piston 36 and the cylinder 38, i.e., when the seal gap is temporarily unequal with respect to the central axis, the total normalized force by the pressure acting on the surface area of both sides of the piston this may occur. This total normalizing force allows the piston 36 to be centered within the cylinder 38 with vibrations around the central axis damped. The time required for the normalizing force to return the piston to the center of the cylinder can be reduced by adding one or more equalizing grooves (40). The equalization groove 40 is disposed on the land 23 area, or between the pockets 22, or both on the land area and between the pockets, or on the side wall of the chamber 21 opposite the pocket to form a sealing system. It allows for a more uniform distribution of force on the employing surface more quickly.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 . Referring to FIG. 2 , a piston 36 is disposed within a cylinder 38 and includes a piston skirt 35 with a field 25 of pockets 22 and a piston head 46 . Fields 25 of pockets 22 are provided without any equalization grooves. The piston 36 is connected to the crankshaft 44 by means of a crank 46 , a connector rod 42 , and a cross head 34 . The crosshead 34 slides within a crosshead guide 33 allowing the crosshead 34 and piston 36 to move in a vertical direction while keeping the piston 36 in a centered position relative to the combustion chamber 21. accepted as possible. Sections 4-4 of pocket field 25 are shown in detail in FIG. 4, where pocket 22 and land 23 have relatively sharp connecting edges at the pocket entry.

The piston skirt 35 cannot have an outer circumferential circular shape in alternative embodiments of the present invention, but instead may be formed into any shape, such as oval, rectangular, etc., as long as any edge of the shape is rounded. For example, third and fourth embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 where the piston does not have a circular cross section. FIG. 5 shows a rectangular piston similar to the circular piston embodiment of FIG. 1 , including a field of pockets 25 and an equalizing groove 40 disposed on the piston skirt between the piston head 50 and the piston lower end 51 . (37) is exemplified. The equalization groove 40 may extend around the circumference of the piston skirt 35 to form a continuous closed loop structure that balances or equalizes the pressure of the working fluid surrounding the piston skirt so that it is the same at all points. . FIG. 6 shows a rectangular piston 37 similar to the circular piston embodiment of FIG. 2, including a field 25 of pockets disposed on the piston skirt between the piston head 50 and the piston lower end 51, but without equalizing grooves. ) exemplifies.

A fifth embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 7 showing a partial cross-sectional view of the rotary engine housing and internal rotary engine components. The rotary engine housing comprises a first rotatable vane (64), a second rotatable vane (74), a third rotatable vane (84), and a fourth rotatable vane (92) connected together (eg hinged). In addition, the horseshoe-shaped supercharger boss 100 can be accommodated. Each vane 64, 74, 84, 92 and protrusion 100 has a pocket separated by a land 23 formed on an outer surface rotating about a central axis relative to the flat sidewall of the rotary engine housing (removed). 22) of field 25. The vanes 64, 74, 84, 92 and boss 100 may be parallel and spaced apart from the flat sidewall of the rotary engine housing, and thus may be parallel to the inner surface of each vane that collectively defines the combustion chamber 21. , a seal equivalent is provided between the outer face of each vane away from the inner face as the vanes and bosses rotate.

The described pistons, vanes and other structures configured to form seal equivalents with surfaces such as chamber walls (collectively referred to as “blocking elements”) are used in power producing engines as well as pumps and other systems where seals or seal equivalents are desired. It should be understood that it can be used on devices.

Additionally, the fields 25 of pockets 22 and/or equalizing grooves 40, described as being formed on or within the surface of the blocking element, are instead on or in the surface opposite the blocking element in alternative embodiments. It should be understood that it can be formed within. Fields 25 of pockets 22, described as being formed on or within the surface of the blocking element, may also be formed on or within the surface of the blocking element, in addition to being formed on or within the surface of the blocking element. It should be understood that it can also be formed within.

It should also be understood that the structure described above may be used to provide a sealing system for fluids including, but not limited to, compressible fluids, gases, liquids, suspensions, plasmas, and Bose-Einstein condensates. do.

It should also be appreciated that the pocket 22 may have any shape effective to create the desired decompression effect at the inlet, at the bottom, and along the inner wall of the pocket extending between the inlet and the bottom. Such shapes may be, for example, round, circular, rectangular, square, trapezoidal, parallelogram, rhombic, oval, elliptical, triangular and polygonal. The cross-section of the equalization groove 40 may also have any of the above or other shapes, as long as they produce the desired pressure balancing effect. It is also understood that the pocket 22 may have a flat, rounded, or contoured bottom on the side distal from the pocket opening. The flat bottom of the pocket 22 may extend in a plane parallel to the plane in which the lands 23 surrounding the pocket extend. Alternatively, such a flat pocket bottom may be inclined and extend in a plane that is not parallel to the plane in which the peripheral land extends.

It should also be appreciated that the pocket 22 may, in some embodiments, have a filleted, chamfered, or other broken/unsharp edge at the pocket entrance and its junction with the surrounding land.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The elements described above are provided as an illustrative example of one technique for implementing the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many other implementations are possible without departing from the invention described in the claims. For example, the pockets and/or patterns of the pockets need not be uniform and/or the lands need not be flat, without departing from the intended scope of the present invention. Also, a pattern of pockets may be provided on the cylinder wall instead of and/or in addition to the piston skirt. Accordingly, the present disclosure is illustrative of the scope of the present invention and is not intended to be limiting. It is intended that this invention cover all such modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims (31)

a sealing system,
a first structural surface;
a blocking element having a first end, a second end, and a blocking element surface extending between the first and second ends;
a plurality of laterally spaced pockets on (but not extending through) the first structural surface, or on (but not extending through) the blocking element surface, or on the first structural surface and the blocking element surface. (but not extending through) a plurality of laterally spaced pockets arranged in a plurality of rows to form a field of pockets;
An equalization groove formed in the field of the pocket on the surface of the first structure (but not extending through) or on the surface of the blocking element (but not extending through), the equalization groove formed on the circumference of the first structure or blocking element. an equalization groove, which is a continuous closed-loop structure extending around the circumference; and
a working fluid provided to the first end of the blocking element at an elevated pressure relative to the working fluid pressure at the second end of the blocking element;
the first structural surface is disposed proximate to and at a substantially uniform distance from the blocking element surface;
A sealing system in which the seal equivalent is created from the interaction of the working fluid with the field of the pocket. 2. The sealing system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of laterally spaced pockets are of different sizes and shapes. 2. The sealing system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of laterally spaced pockets are arranged in a pattern having a plurality of rows of pockets and a plurality of rows of pockets. 2. The sealing system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of laterally spaced pockets has a pocket mouth having a sharp edge formed at the junction of the pocket with the first structural surface or blocking element surface. 2. The sealing system according to claim 1, wherein the first structural surface is provided by a cylinder wall and the blocking element surface is provided by a skirt of a piston. 6. The sealing system according to claim 5, wherein the cylinder wall is provided in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, and the piston is an internal combustion engine piston. 2. The sealing system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of laterally spaced pockets has a circular pocket inlet formed at the junction of the pocket with the first structural surface or blocking element surface. 2. The sealing system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of laterally spaced pockets has a rectangular pocket inlet formed at the junction of the pocket with the first structural surface or blocking element surface. 2. The sealing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of laterally spaced pockets has a converging portion and a diverging portion. A method of sealing a first structural surface to a blocking element surface between a first end of a blocking element and a second end of the blocking element, the first structural surface being disposed proximate to and at a substantially uniform distance from the blocking element surface, comprising: , the method,
providing a plurality of laterally spaced pockets, the plurality of laterally spaced pockets on (but not extending through) the first structural surface or on (but not extending through) the blocking element surface; , or arranged in a plurality of rows to form fields of pockets on (but not extending through) the first structural surface and the blocking element surface;
forming equalization grooves in a field of pockets on a surface of a first structure (but not extending through) or on a surface of a blocking element (but not extending through), the equalization grooves forming the first structure or the blocking element a continuous closed loop structure extending around the circumference of;
providing a working fluid to the first end of the blocking element; and
moving the blocking element surface relative to the first structural surface to create a seal equivalent due to working fluid turbulence induced by the field of the pocket. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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