FACE SEAL ARRANGEMENT WITH REDUCED BALANCE RATIO

A face seal arrangement (150) includes a seal seat (162) rotating with a shaft and a nonrotating face seal including a sealing ring (154). The sealing ring (154) includes a sealing face (158) biased into contact with the seal seat (162). The sealing ring (154) also has a groove (160) defined remote from the seal face relative to the seal seat (162). The groove (160) provides a pressure face that will be exposed to high pressure air outward of the bearing compartment (107). A coil spring (153) biases the seal housing (152) towards the seal seat (162), such that the sealing face (158) of the sealing ring (154) is biased into contact with seal seat (162) by air pressure against the pressure face, and the coil spring (153). A balance ratio is defined between an area of the pressure face and an area of the sealing face (158), the balance ratio is between 0.5 and 0.64.