Eli5: How does water not get inside ships or submarines through the motor shaft?
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On my USS Ustafish, we had a very smooth mechanical seal used to keep the water out of the people tank. The surfaces were lubricated by a slight flow of water past the seal. We would check it to ensure it was not too much. A backup seal was provided by a stuffing ring. If the mechanical seal fails, the stuffing ring is tightened until the flow is reduced but not stoped as the slight flow would provide lubrication to the packing seal. I’m sure the mechanical seal had a lifetime and would need eventual replacement.
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