US3270803A

US3270803A - Sealing arrangement for rotary heat exchanger

Info

Publication number: US3270803A
Application number: US161062A
Authority: US
Inventors: Noel D Hazzard
Original assignee: Combustion Engineering Inc
Current assignee: Combustion Engineering Inc
Priority date: 1961-12-21
Filing date: 1961-12-21
Publication date: 1966-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 1983-09-06

Description

Sept. 6, 1966 N. D. HAzzARD 3,270,803

SEALING ARRANGEMENT FOR ROTARY HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Deo. 2l, 1961 IN VEN TOR.

United Statesv Patent O 3,270,803 SEALING ARRANGEMENT FOR ROTARY HEAT EXCHANGER Noel D. Hazzard, Wellsville, NY., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Combustion Engineering, Inc., a stock corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 161,062 S Claims. (Cl. 16S- 9) The present invention relates to rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus, and more specically it relates to an improved arrangement adapted to preclude the iloW of lluid between rotary and stationary parts thereof.

A rotary regenerative heat exchanger has a rotor including a cylindrical shell joined to a rotor post by radial partitions that form compartments carrying heat transfer material that is alternately contacted by a heating gas and air or other fluid to be heated. The rotor is surrounded by a rotor housing having end or sector plates formed with openings to provide passage for the heating gas and air to and from the heat transfer material. To prevent the mingling of the two uids the partitions forming the rotor compartments are provided with radial seals and the rotor shell is provided with circumferential sealing surfaces that cooperate with the stationary parts of the rotor housing to preclude uid ilow therebetween.

This invention lis directed to an improved form of circumferential sealing arrangement for use in a rotary regenerative heat exchanger which will be best understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional elevation in diagrammatic form of a rotary regenerative heat exchanger embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section showing the relationship between the sealing members and the relatively rotatab-le members, and

FIGURE 3 is a top view as seen from line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

In the drawings the numeral designates the cylindrical shell of a rotor divided into sector-shaped cornpartments by radial partitions 12 which are connected to a central rotor post 14 having a trunnion 15 that is rotated about its axis by a motor and reduction gearing arrangement shown diagrammatically at 16. The rotor compartments contain regenerative heat transfer material in the form of closely spaced metallic plates 18 which rst absorb heat from the heating fluid entering the heat exchanger through a duct 22 from a boiler `or other source to be discharged, after passing over the heat transfer material 18, through an outlet duct 24 to which an induced draft fan (not illustrated) is usually connected. As the rotor is turned slowly about its axis the heated plates 18 are moved into the stream of air or other fluid to be heated which is admitted through a duct 26. After passing over the plates 18 and absorbing heat therefrom, the stream yof air `or other lluid is directed to a boiler furnace or other place of use through an outlet duct 28.

A housing 32 encloses the rotor 10 and is provided at opposite ends with end plates which include a diametral member 38 extending across an annular rim 42 to form a pair of spaced apertures that direct the heating iluid and the fluid to be heated to and from the heat exchange material carried by the rotor. The annular rim 42 comprises essentially a circumferential sealing means that precludes fluid flow through the annular space which surrounds the rotor, while the diametral member 38 lies in sealing relation with the end edges of the radial partitions 12 to preclude fluid flow between spaced apertures.

The diametral member 38 is ported centrally at 40 to receive the trunnion 15 and is secured by bolting or by welding to the support llange 48. The rim 42 is secured continuously to an vimperforate flange 52 of .an annular member that includes a cylindrical flange 54 whose overall diameter is somewhat less than that of the rotor housing 32.

The cylindrical llange 54 is adapted to extend downward into the space between sides of an annular channel 55 that is carried by the rotor housing 32. The entire rim 42 together with the annular member 52-54 is adjustably supported by a series of arcuately spaced adjusting means S6 that bear on ilanges 50 at their respective ends of the housing. These means 56 permit axial movement of the rim 42 to .an optimum sealing relationship with adjacent flange 46 carried by the end edge of the rotor shell 10.

Into each lof the channels 55 at the upper and lower ends of the housing is poured a molten material 58 selected for its ability to remain in a solid state below certain predetermined temperatures that lies within the normal temperature range of heating fluid. As the material 58 cools its solidifies to encase the vertical flange 54 submerged therein in an imperforate casting that absolutely precludes the leakage of fluid therethrough.

The material 58 is preferably selected to have a melting point only slight-ly higher (for example 50 F.) than the temperature of the heating fluid leaving the housing through the duct 28, such a temperature being suiciently high that the material 58 will remain in its solid form during the time the heat exchanger is operated within its predetermined temperature range, and in its solid form it will hold the flange 54 rmly in a predetermined position. As an example, lead which has a melting point of 621 F. would be a satisfactory material 58 for use in heat exchangers designed to operate at temperatures under the melting point of lead.

Embedded in the material 58 or otherwise carried by the channel 54 in the manner shown in FIGURE 2 is a heating means such as resistance coil 62 which when energized heats the material 58 suflicient to reduce it to a liquid mass in order that the ange 52-54 embedded therein may be moved axially as desired by means 56. As the ange 52-54 is moved axially it carries with it the annular rim 42 which may thus be moved into an optimum sealing relationship with the end edge of the rotor 46.

After the annular rim 42 has been adjusted axially to the desired relationship with the end edge -of the rotor 46, the heating means is de-energized to permit the molten material to cool and solidify and thus lock the flange 54 in its predetermined position until `such time as further adjustment is made necessary.

While the invention has been described with reference to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, it is evident that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not ina limiting sense.

I claim:

1. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus having a rotor including a cylindrical rotor shell and a central rotor post spaced .apart to form a compartment therebetween, a mass of heat absorbent material carried in said compartment, a housing surrounding said rotor in spaced relation to provide an annular space therebetween, apertured end plates at opposite ends of said housing adapted to direct a heating fluid and a lluid to be heated through spaced portions of the rotor, said end plates comprising an annular rim aligned with the end of the rotor and 2. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus hav.

ing a rotor including a cylindrical rotor shell and a central rotor post spaced apart to form a compartment therebetween that carries a mass of heat absorbent material, a housing surrounding said rotor in spaced relation to provide an annular space therebetween, means at theend of said housing adapted to direct a heating fluid and a fluid to be heated through the heat absorbent material carried by the rotor, said means comprising an annular rim axially aligned with each end of Said rotor and formed with a diametral portion that provides spaced apertures for the ow `of said fluids, an upright annular channel means positioned in the annular space adjacent spaced ends of the rotor, an annular tlange carried by each annular rim adapted to extend into the space between sides of said channel means, means carried by said housing adapted to adjust the annular rim axially with respect to the end `of said rotor, a mass of meltable material having a melting point in excess of the temperature of said heating tluid carried by said channel adapted to remain solid vat normal operating temperature and solidly encase the end of said annular flange to preclude the flow of uid thereby.

3. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus as dened in claim 2 including heating means adjacent said annular channel adapted to reduce said meltable material to a liquid form whereby the annular rim may be moved axially with respect to the end -of said rotor shell.

4. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus as de- 4 l ned in claim 2 wherein the melting temperature of the meltable material lies intermediate the inlet and outlet temperature of the heating uid.

5. Sealing means adapted to preclude the ow of uid through the annular space between a cylindrical rotor and a xed concentric rotor shell spaced therefrom to provide an annular spacing therebetween, said sealing means comprising an annular sealing member adapted to be held in a closely spaced relation with said cylindrical rotor, an upright channel means carried by said housing in said annular spacing, an annular ange extending from said annular sealing member into the space between sides of said channel means, a meltable material carried in said channel means adapted to solidly encase the end of said annular flange and hold it in a predetermined position that precludes its rotation with the rotor, heating means for reducing the meltable material and reducing it to a liquid state, and means for adjustably moving said an nular sealing member when the meltable material has been reduced to a liquid state.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,099,722 11/ 1937 Byers 277-28 2,294,214 8/ 1942 Seinfeld 165-9 2,761,654 9/1956 Valvo 165-9 2,911,202 11/ 1959 Trewiler 16S-9 3,010,704 11/1961 Egbert 16S-9 3,024,005 3/ 1962 Dore et al 16S-9 3,108,632 10/1963 Jensen et al. 16S-9 FOREIGN PATENTS 749,549 5 195 6 Great Britain.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES SUKALO, Examiner.

T. W. STREULE, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. ROTARY REGENERATIVE HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS HAVING A ROTOR INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL ROTOR SHELL AND A CENTRAL ROTOR POST SPACED APART TO FORM A COMPARTMENT THEREBETWEEN, A MASS OF HEAT ABSORBENT MATERIAL CARRIED IN SAID COMPARTMENT, A HOUSING SURROUNDING SAID ROTOR IN SPACED RELATION TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR SPACE THEREBETWEEN, APERTURED END PLATES AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID HOUSING ADAPTED TO DIRECTED A HEATING FLUID AND A FLUID TO BE HEATED THROUGH SPACED PORTIONS OF THE ROTOR, SAID END PLATES COMPRISING AN ANNULAR RIM ALIGNED WITH THE END OF THE ROTOR AND FORMED WITH A DIAMETRAL PORTION THAT PROVIDES SPACED APERTURES FOR THE FLOW OF SAID FLUIDS, AN UPRIGHT ANNULAR CHANNEL POSITIONED IN THE ANNULAR SPACE ADJACENT AN END OF THE ROTOR, AN ANNULAR FLANGE CARRIED BY SAID ANNULAR RIM ADAPTED TO EXTEND INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN SIDES OF SAID CHANNEL MEMBER, MEANS FOR ADJUSTING SAID RIM AXIALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE END OF THE ROTOR, AND A MASS OF MELTABLE MATERIAL CARRIED IN SAID CHANNEL SOLIDLY ENCASING THE END OF THE ANNULAR FLANGE POSITIONED THEREIN.