US3100014A

US3100014A - Resilient sector plate for rotary regenerative heat exchanger

Info

Publication number: US3100014A
Application number: US56732A
Authority: US
Inventors: Glenn E Flurschutz
Original assignee: Combustion Engineering Inc
Current assignee: Combustion Engineering Inc
Priority date: 1960-09-19
Filing date: 1960-09-19
Publication date: 1963-08-06
Anticipated expiration: 1980-08-06

Description

1963 G. E. FLURSCHUTZ 3,100,014

RESILIENT SECTOR PLATE FOR ROTARY REGENERATIVE HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Sept. 19, 1960 United States Patent 3,100,014 RESILENT SECTOR PLATE FUR RUTARY REGENERATIVE HEAT EXCHANGER Glenn E. Flurschutz, Wellsville, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Combustion Engineering, Inc, a stock corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 19, 1960, Eer. No. 56,732 2 Claims. (Cl. 165-9) The present invention relates to improvements in regenerative heat exchange apparatus of the rotary type, and particularly it relates to a novel arrangement that substantially eliminates the leakage of fluid between areas of high and low pressure.

In rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus a cylindrical rotor having sector shaped compartments carrying a mass of heat exchange element is rotated alternately between spaced streams of .a heating fluid and a fluid to be heated in order that heat from the heating fluid may be continuously transferred to the fluid to be heated through the intermediary of the heat absorbent element mass. The rotor is surrounded by a cylindrical housing having end or sector plates at opposite ends formed with spaced apertures between imperforate portions of sector-ial configuration that provide for the spaced flow of fluids through the rotor. To prevent mingling of the heating fluid and the fluid to be heated, radial partitions of the rotor that form the sectorial rotor compartments are provided with radial seals that wipe against the imperforate portions of the sector plates.

Frequently, thermal and mechanical forces combine to warp or deform the rotor and the rotor housing to the extent that it becomes impossible to maintain a satisfactory sealing relationship between the relatively moving parts that precludes fluid flow therebetween. Therefore, the present invention is directed to a sealing arrangement that effectively precludes leakage of fluid between relatively movable parts of the rotor and rotor housing. More particularly the invention relates to a unique sector or end plate arrangement that is made axially flexible to conform readily to variations in the axial spacing between the ends of the rotor and the confronting housing structure.

The invention will be better understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional side elevation of a rotary regenerative heat exchanger utilizing the principles of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the sector plate.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional elevation of the sector plate as seen from line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawing the numeral designates a rotor having a cylindrical rotor shell 12 divided into sector shaped compartments by radial partitions 14 that extend between a central rotor post 16 and the rotor shell 12. The rotor is rotated slowly about its axis by a motor and reduction gearing arrangement that is diagrammatically illustrated at 18. The rotor compartments are filled with a mass of regenerative heat exchange material in the form of spaced metallic plates or other material that first ab sorbs heat from hot gases entering the heat exchanger through a duct 24 from a boiler or other source of heat to be discharged after passing over the heat exchange element through an outlet duct 26 to which an induced draft fan (not illustrated) is connected. As the rotor turns slowly about its axis, the element that has been heated by the hot gases in duct 24 is moved into a stream of fluid to be heated that enters through a duct 28. After passing over the elements and absorbing heat therefrom, the heated 3,100,014 Patented Aug. 6, 1963 ice 2 fluid is discharged through a duct 32 and directed to a boiler furnace or other point of use.

A housing 34 enclosing the rotor shell 12 is provided at either end opposite ends of the rotor shell with upper and lower end or

sector plates

36 and 38 which are apertured at 39 and 40 in circumferentially spaced locations to admit and discharge streams of the heating fluid and the fluid to be heated that flow through the rotor. In order that the streams of heating fluid and fluid to be heated may not commi ngle, the

end plates

36 and 38 have imperforate portions 42 located between the openings that are at least equal to or somewhat greater in circumferential extent than one rotor compartment. The imperforate plate 42 cooperates with the radial seals 44 to isolate a single sectorial compartment when it lies between the spaced fluid passageways. In order that the fluid streams may not bypass the rotor and flow through the annular space between the rotor and its housing, circumferential seals are provided on the shell 12 which cooperate with the confronting face of an adjacent end plate to seal off the annular space between the rotor 10 and its concentric rotor housing from the circulating fluids.

In present practive the circumferential seal and the radial sealing leaves are customarily formed from strips of thin metallic material that theoretically conform somewhat to variations in the configuration of the confronting end plate in order that leakage of fluid through the clearance space therebetween may be reduced to a minimum. Actually however, such sealing leaves tend to flex little during operation except for that which occurs in accordance with the thermal deformation of the rotor structure to which they are attached.

This invention however provides a composite flexible sealing surface suspended in a plane between the end edge of the rotor and the confronting face of the adjacent end plate that conforms readily to variations in configuration of the sealing leaves to preclude the flow of fluid therebetween.

In accordance with the invention the flexible sealing surface comprises essentially the overlapping end flanges 48 of a series of sealing leaves 52 that are attached in a substantially radial arrangement to the imperforate portion of each end or sector plate 42. The sealing leaves comprise essentially a web portion 54 having a flange 48 at one end and an oppositely extending flange 60 at an opposite end that provides means through which a series of bolts or metal screws 56 are directed to secure the sealing leaves to the sector plate. To facilitate removal and replacement of the sealing leaves 52, alternate flanges 60 are sized to permit a single series of screws to adequately secure the flanges of a pair of adjacent sealing leaves to the sector plate 42.

When securing the individual leaves 52 to the face of sector plate 42 they are arranged with their overlapping flanges 48 facing in the direction of rotor movement to preclude interference with the end edge of the rotor and sealing means 44 as the rotor moves by. Furthermore, to insure maximum resiliency of each sealing leaf, each web portion 54 is arranged to slope generally downward in the direction of rotor movement such that as the sealing means 44 approaches a sealing leaf '52 its first area of contact is adjacent the curved portion that lies between the web 54 and flange 48. To preclude leakage of the heating fluid or the fluid to be heated through the voids between the overlapping sealing leaves 52, the sealing leaves are adapted to radially overlap the inner and outer arcuate edges of the sectorial compartments formed between the radial partitions 14.

In operation, rotating of the rotor 10 will advance the radial seals 44 successively into contact with the sealing leaves 48, and depending upon the extent of thermal distortion present in the rotor and adjacent end plates 42,

each leaf will flex accordingly to permit passage of the -radial seals .44. As each leaf fleXes it abuts-an adjacent leaf which then flexes similarly but to a lesser extent, such that the composite surface that comprises the over- :zlappingle'aves ;48'.assurnes a somewhat undulated configuration in continuous contact with .the end .edges of the radial seals. 'M'oreover, due to the slope of web '54, ivthetlength or each leaf, .and the lack ofabrupt bends in the. configuration of each leaflflexure of each leaf is disuturbed evenly over a large area and a concentration of stresstat any singlepoint is eliminated to thereby preclude over fatigue'and untimely failure.

While'this invention has been described with reference -*tothe single embodiment illustrated in the drawing, it is :evident that various changes may be made without derparting from the spirit of the invention. "It is therefore :intended that all'matter contained in the above descriprtionor shown intthe accompanying drawings shall be innterpretedlas illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

11. Rotary regenerative-heat exchange apparatus in- :cluding a cylindrical rotor having s'ectorial compartments that carry a mass of .heat absorbent material alternately zbetwee'n av-heating fiuid'anda fluid to be heated; a cylindricalf housing surrounding the rotor-including end plates at opposite ends thereofrhaving apertures between imperforate sector-shaped portions that alternately direct the 4 heating fluid and the fluid to be heated through spaced compartments of the rotor; and a resilient sealing surface suspended from the imperforate portion of each end plate into sealing relation with the adjacent end of the rotor, said resilient surface comprising in combination a series of mutually overlapping radial flanges that extend between inner and outer edges of the rotor compartments; a resilient web fixedwto a radial edge of each flange and extending toward said end plate; a second flange fixed to a spaced radial edge of each resilient web and extending therefrom in a plane substantially parallel to the overlapping radial fianges; and means securing each of said second flanges to the end plate to maintain the resilient 1 overlapping flanges in position as a composite sealing plate confronting the adjacent end of the rotor.

2. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the resilient web slopes generally away from the end plate in the direction of rotor movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,746,598 Ljungstrom ;Feb. 11, 1930 2,468,826 Karlsson et al. May 3, 1949 2,549,656 Yerrick et al Apr. 17, 1951 3,011,766 Hess Dec. -5, 1961

Claims

1. ROTARY REGENERATIVE HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL ROTOR HAVING SECTORIAL COMPARTMENTS THAT CARRY A MASS OF HEAT ABSORBENT MATERIAL ALTERNATELY BETWEEN A HEATING FLUID AND A FLUID TO BE HEATED; A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING SURROUNDING THE ROTOR INCLUDING END PLATES AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF HAVING APERTURES BETWEEN IMPERFORATE SECTOR-SHAPED PORTIONS THAT ALTERNATELY DIRECT THE HEATING FLUID AND THE FLUID TO BE HEATED THROUGH SPACED COMPARTMENTS OF THE ROTOR; AND A RESILIENT SEALING SURFACE SUSPENDED FROM THE IMPERFORATE PORTION OF EACH END PLATE INTO SEALING RELATION WITH THE ADJACENT END OF THE ROTOR, SAID RESILIENT SURFACE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A SERIES OF MUTUALLY OVERLAPPING RADIAL FLANGES THAT EXTEND BETWEEN INNER AND OUTER EDGES OF THE ROTOR COMPARTMENTS; A RESILIENT WEB FIXED TO A RADIAL EDGE OF EACH FLANGE AND EXTENDING TOWARD SAID END PLATE; A SECOND FLANGE FIXED TO A SPACED RADIAL EDGE OF EACH RESILIENT WEB AND EXTENDING THEREFROM IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE OVERLAPPING RADIAL FLANGES; AND MEANS SECURING EACH OF SAID SECOND FLANGES TO THE END PLATE TO MAINTAIN THE RESILIENT OVERLAPPING FLANGES IN POSITION AS A COMPOSITE SEALING PLATE CONFRONTING THE ADJACENT END OF THE ROTOR.