US3710851A

US3710851A - Ball-and-socket coupling for rotor

Info

Publication number: US3710851A
Application number: US00173212A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Finnemore
Original assignee: Air Preheater Co Inc
Current assignee: Alstom Power Inc
Priority date: 1971-08-19
Filing date: 1971-08-19
Publication date: 1973-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 1990-01-16
Also published as: CA960210A; JPS5230735B2; DE2239533C2; JPS4830137A; DE2239533A1

Abstract

An arrangement by which sector-shaped baskets containing heat absorbent elements of a rotary regenerative heat exchanger are pivotally connected to a central rotor post by ball-and-socket type joints that permit relative distortion and limited movement of adjacent members to preclude breakage of the connecting bond therebetween.

Description

United States Patent 1 1 Finnemore 1 1 Jan. 16, 1973 54] BALL-AND-SOCKET COUPLING FOR 3,369,593 2/1968 Brandt ..165/1() TOR 3,572,425 3 1971 Brandt et al 165/9 [75] Inventor: Harlan E. Finnemore, Wellsville, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,136,087 12/1968 Great Britain ..l65/10 [73] Assignee: The Air Preheater Company, Inc.,

wensvlne, Primary ExaminerAlbert W. Davis, Jr. 22 Filed: Aug. 19, 1971 Attorney-Wayne H- Lang et An arrangement by which sector-shaped baskets con- [52] U.S. Cl. ..165/9, 165/10, 64/; mining heat absorbent elements of a rotary regenera "I tive heat exchanger are pivotally connected to a cen [58] Fie d of Search ..165/ 9,10, Hal rotor post by ball and socket type joints that 56 R f d mit relative distortion and limited movement of ade erences e jacent members to preclude breakage of the connect- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing bond therebetween- 3,216,486 11/1965 Hall et a1. ..165/8 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures u 'lll I [ILL UN 6 (4 Q- .2:

i, e .11 I 7 I I 111;

. w 1 315i 17s ,1.- 1 F I BALL-AND-SOCKET COUPLING FOR ROTOR SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus a rotor having radial compartments that carry a mass of heat absorbent material rotates alternately between a hot and a cold fluid in order that heat absorbed by the mass of heat absorbent material from the hot fluid may in turn be transferred to the cold fluid flowing therethrough.-

The rotor is surrounded by a housing formed with openings in end plates at spaced ends thereof that simultaneously direct the heating fluidand the fluid to be'heated through spaced compartments of the rotor.

Asthe need for large heat exchangersof high capacity becomes increasingly common, and inasmuch as the temperature differential at which such heaters operate is usually high, it has become difficult to maintain a sealing relationship between the relatively rotatable parts of the apparatus sufficient to preclude the leakage of fluid therebetween. Furthermore, subjecting the rotor to alternating hot and cold fluids in addition to starting and stopping its operation produces an alternate heating and cooling of the rotor that provides varying degrees of thermal expansion and contraction of the rotor and the rotor housing which is sufficient to induce excess leakage of fluid therebetween and the breakage of connecting weldments to'the extent that optimum operation of the device is prevented and the integrity of the apparatus is extremely difficult to maintain. Therefore, this invention is directed to an arrangement whereby the rotor of a rotary regenerative heat exchanger is comprised of independent sector-shaped baskets of heat absorbent element joined together only at their outer periphery and pivotally held to a rotatable rotor post by ball-and-socket type joints that permit relative expansion and contraction to preclude the cracking and breakage of bonds therebetween and the ultimate failure of the structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation of a modified form of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The arrangement of the drawing shows a rotary regenerative heat exchanger having a horizontal rotor post 12 supported on bearings 14 and rotated about its axis by means such as a drive motor 16 that is connected through suitable reduction gearing to the rotor post. A mass of heat absorbent material 18 contained in the independent sector-shaped containers or baskets 22 is adapted to absorb heat from a hot fluid and then give it up to a cooler fluid.

The baskets 22 are open at opposite ends thereof to permit the flow of fluid therethrough and are secured at a single point adjacent their inner faces to the central rotor post 12 by ball-and-socket type coupling 24 that permits limited relative movement between the rotor post 12 and the surrounding rotor 26 comprised of the independent baskets 22.

The rotor 26 is surrounded by a rotor housing 28 having end plates 32 and 34 positioned opposite ends of the rotor with

openings

36, 38, 42 and 44 for the inlet and outlet of the heating fluid and the fluid to be heated. To preclude the leakage of fluid through the space between the rotor and the rotor housing, sealing means are provided on the edges of the rotor to bridge the space between the rotor and the rotor h ousing. Accordingly the arcuate ends of the rotor are provided with circumferential sealing means 46 that 'are bolted to the end edges of the rotor and are adapted to rub the adjacent ends of the rotor housing. Radial seals 48 are fixed between open ends of adjacent baskets to bridge the space between the rotor and the rotor housing while axial sealing means 52 are held intermediate flanges 60 at the arcuate ends of adjacent baskets to preclude the flow of fluid through the annular space between the rotor and rotor housing.

Ball-type couplings 24 between the sector-shaped baskets 22. and the rotor post 12 are positioned substantially at the midpoint of the radially inner face of each basket from which they depend and they comprise essentially an elongate stud 54 having a ball joint 56 secured to the outer end thereof and held to the rotor post by a socket 60 in the rotor post or in a reinforcement ring 62 that surrounds the rotor. The stud 54 is preferably supported by a stiffener 58 and it is frictionally held by a hemispherical depression in the support ring 62 that is secured to the outer periphery of the rotor post. Retainer members 64 positioned by means such as bolts 68 hold the ball in the socket during the assembly of the rotor and preclude the entry of foreign matter during its operation.

The baskets 22 are connected together at their peripheral outer edgesby joining flanges 60 with bolts 62 to form an annular rotor shell having a substantially constant radius that extends continuously around the rotor post while the radial inner ends of each basket are independent from adjacent baskets, but connected through the ball-and-socket couplings 24 to the rotor post v12. Thus the radial outer end of each basket is integral with the baskets adjacent thereto, while the radial inner end of each-basket is independent from other baskets and movably secured to the rotor post to preclude the use of fixed weldments or other type joints that permit no relative expansion or other movement therebetween.

In a modification of the ball-and-socket type joint shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing, the ball 72 at the end of a stud 74 is screwed into the rotor post 12 until the collar 76 on the stud abuts the rotor post to assure that the ball 72 protrudes beyond the periphery of the rotor post a fixed distance. A hemispherical depression or socket 78 is formed on the end of a stud 82 which is secured'as by welding to the central face of the sectoral basket and is laterally supported by gussets 84 or other supporting means. The ball is secured in the socket by a retainer 84 on opposite sides of the socket and held by means such as bolts 86. The space provided by the collar 76 permits access to the space adjacent the rotor post for the nuts 88 that cooperate with bolts 86 to hold the retainers in position around the ball joint.

inasmuch as the wall 72 is subjected to a different range of loading when in tension or in compression, it is designed with a variable section to accommodate the differential. Thus the hemisphere R, adjacent the rotor post 12 may be of one diameter while R remote therefrom is substantially smaller to permit the use of retainers 85 having added size and strength that may be advantageous during the assembly operation when an entire sector-shaped basket and its contents may be supported from the rotor post solely by the ball-andsocket joint. To assure continuous alignment during all phases of rotor movement it is essential that the centers for R, and R, coincide.

While my invention has been shown as it relates to a basic ball-and-socket type joint and a single modification, it is obvious that various other modifications and substitutions may be made without departing from the intent of the invention. It is therefore to be understood that the details of the ball-and-socket type joint are to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus having a central rotor post, a plurality of independent sector-shaped baskets arranged in lateral juxtaposition around the rotor post to comprise an annular rotor, a mass of heat absorbent material carried in the baskets of the rotor, means connecting the outer periphery of adjacent sectroal baskets into an integral shell, housing means surrounding the rotor having end plates with and-socket joint independently connecting each basketto the rotor post to provide a movable joint whereby there may be limited movement therebetween.

2. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus of the type defined in claim 1 wherein said ball-andsocket joint is positioned at the midpoint of the end of the adjacent rotor basket. 7

3. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus of the type defined in claim 1 wherein the ball-and-socket joint comprises a ball depending from each sectorshaped basket and the cooperating socket comprises a spherical depression on the rotor post.

4. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus of thetype defined in claim 3 including a reinforcement member surrounding the rotor post to provide a base for the depression supporting the ball.

5. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus as defined in claim 4 including retaining means fixed to the rotor post having a spherical depression formed therein that cooperates with the depression in the rotor post to surround the ball of said joint and hold it therebetween in compression and in tension.

6. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said ball-and-socket joint comprises a ball having hemispheres of different radii.

7. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the hemisphere of the ball adjacent the rotor post has a larger radius than the hemisphere of said ball remgte thegefrom.

Claims

1. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus having a central rotor post, a plurality of independent sector-shaped baskets arranged in lateral juxtaposition around the rotor post to comprise an annular rotor, a mass of heat absorbent material carried in the baskets of the rotor, means connecting the outer periphery of adjacent sectroal baskets into an integral shell, housing means surrounding the rotor having end plates with openings for a heating fluid and a fluid to be heated, means for rotating the rotor about its horizontal axis to align the heating element of the rotor alternately with the heating fluid and the fluid to be heated, and a ball-and-socket joint independently connecting each basket to the rotor post to provide a movable joint whereby there may be limited movement therebetween.

2. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus of the type defined in claim 1 wherein said ball-and-socket joint is positioned at the midpoint of the end of the adjacent rotor basket.

3. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus of the type defined in claim 1 wherein the ball-and-socket joint comprises a ball depending from each sector-shaped basket and the cooperating socket comprises a spherical depression on the rotor post.

4. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus of the type defined in claim 3 including a reinforcement member surrounding the rotor post to provide a base for the depression supporting the ball.

7. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the hemisphere of the ball adjacent the rotor post has a larger radius than the hemisphere of said ball remote therefrom.