US3834450A - Rotary regenerative heat exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

A rotary regenerative heat exchanger in which a disc-like matrix is rotated by providing circumferentially-spaced impulse buckets around the outer periphery of the matrix into which a nozzle is arranged to discharge a jet of fluid.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Penny [4 Sept. 10, 1974 ROTARY REGENERATIVE HEAT [56] References Cited EXCHANGER UNITED STATES PATENTS [76] Inventor: Robert Noel Penny, l2 Alderbrook 3,007,685 11/1961 Hryniszak.. 165/7 X Rd., Solihull, England 3,203,181 8/1965 Benson 60/3951 H [22] Filed: 1972 Primary Examiner-Albert W. Davis, Jr. [21] App]. No.: 313,881 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hauke, Gifford, Patalidis &

Dumont [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57,] I ABSTRACT Dec. 18, 1971 Great Britain 58898/71 A rotary regenerative heat exchanger in which a disc like matrix is rotated by providing circumferentially- [52] Cl 137 1 2; paced impulse buckets around the outer periphery of [51] Int Cl Fzsd 19/00 I the matrix into which a nozzle is arranged to discharge 58 Field of Search 165/7, 8, 10; 60/3951 H alet 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures ROTARY REGENERATIVE HEAT EXCHANGER The invention relates to a rotary regenerative heat exchanger for a gas turbine engine and of the kind including a rotatable disc-like matrix having heat exchange passages extending between the end faces of the matrix.

Hitherto such a matrix has been rotated either by mounting the matrix for rotation by a co-axial shaft or by providing a driving annulus around the outer periphery of the matrix. In either case the driving member, that is the shaft or annulus, would have to be driven through gearing or other torque-transmitting means from an output shaft of the gasturbine engine with which the heat exchanger is associated. The gearing may introduce several disadvantages, for example, increased cost of manufacture, it occupies space adjacent the engine, and may introduce undesirable torque between the driving member and the matrix. An object of the invention is to provide an alternative driving engagement which does not require any torquetransmitting means outside the heat exchanger-housing.

According to the invention, a rotary regenerative heat exchanger having a rotatable disc-like matrix having heat exchange passages extending between the end faces of the matrix has a plurality of circumferentially spaced impulse buckets arranged around the outer periphery of the matrix, the heat exchanger also including means defining at least one impulse jet arranged to discharge fluid into the buckets thereby to effect rotation of the matrix, sealing means being provided to prevent leakage of fluid from the periphery of the matrix to the end faces thereof.

Preferably, the fluid supplied to the jets is derived from one of the fluid streams between which heat exchange is to be effected at a position either upstream or downstream of the matrix, and the fluid after leaving the buckets is returned to said fluid stream.

The buckets may be formed by recesses in the periphery of a rim portion of the matrix. Alternatively the periphery of the matrix may carry impulse blading forming the aforesaid buckets.

The matrix may be mounted for rotation on a central shaft or axle or it may be arranged to turn in a circular peripheral track or otherwise be restrained at its periphery for rotary movement.

By way of example, a rotaryregenerative heat exchanger of a gas turbine engine in accordance with the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial section through the heat exchanger, and

FIG. 2 is a section on the line IIII in FIG. 1.

The heat exchanger comprises housing parts 1, 2 defining a tubular housing containing a disc-like matrix 3 rotatable co-axially in the housing, walls 4, 5 dividing the housing into two substantially semi-cylindrical chambers 6, 7 and 8, 9 at each end of the matrix 3 and supporting diametrically positioned bar-like seals 10, ll engaging the respective end faces of the matrix 3. The chambers 6, 7 and 8 lead compressed air through the matrix 3 to a combustion chamber (not shown) of the engine and the chambers 9 and 7 lead exhaust gases from a t urbine fnot shown) of theengin e to an exhaust duct. The matrix 3 has a multiplicity of passages therein for leading the compressed air and the exhaust gasesbetween the chambers 6 and 8 and 9 and 7 respectively. The passages may be defined between the convolutions of alternate corrugated and plane strips of ceramic-like material spirally wound together before firing, as is well known, or through chambers defined between apertured end plates and containing porous masses of heat exchange material. Whichever construction of matrix is employed, the porous part 12 of the matrix 13 is surrounded by a non-porous rim 13 which may be separately made or integral with the porous part 12. The rim 13 is located from axial movement in non-rotatable liners l4, 15 together defining an annular channel for receiving the rim l3 and themselves located in an annular channel defined by the housing parts 1, 2. The periphery of the rim 13 of the matrix 3 is engaged by an enveloping ring formed by interengaging arcuate blocks 16, 17 of two different materials, e.g., a metal and a ceramic. The blocks 16, conveniently those of metal, are supported from the liners l4, 15 respectively by couplings 18 which permit limited radial and circumferential movement of the blocks relatively to the liners. In this way relative expansion between the housings parts 1, 2, the liners 14, 15, the ring of blocks 16, 17 and the matrix 3 can be accommodated. The materials of the blocks 16 and 17 and the arcuate lengths thereof are so chosen that the circumferential expansion of the composite ring approximates to that of the matrix 3. The material used for the liners 14, 15 is also selected to have a coefficient of expansion similar to that of the matrix material.

There is an annular gap between the inner peripheral wall of the liners l4, l5 and the outer periphery of the blocks 16, 17 forming an annular chamber 25 which communicates through passageways 19, 20 in the seals l0, 11 with passageways 21, 22 in the walls 4, 5 and communicating through ports 23, 24 with the compressed air chambers 6, 8. Thus the annular chamber 25 contains compressed air tapped from the compressed air stream passing through the matrix 3. One or two or more of the blocks 16, 17 are formed with impulse nozzles 26 for leading compressed air from the annular chamber25 to the periphery of the matrix 3. The rim portion of the matrix 3 is formed with bucketlike-depressions 27 of saw-tooth shape or scallops into which the nozzle or nozzles 26 direct jets of compressed air. This effects rotation of the matrix 3. The speed of rotation can be altered by providing more or less nozzles 26 or by the shape of the nozzles 26 or their inclination. The port 23 communicating with the compressed air at the higher pressure end of the matrix 3 is larger than the port 24 to create a flow of compressed air into the annular chamber 25. Compressed air from each depression 27 communicates with the face of the liner adjacent the lower pressure end of the matrix 3, i.e., the right-hand end face as shown in FIG. 1, through a bleed duct 28 which when in registration with the seal 11 will leak round the back of the seal 11 into the passageway 22 and hence through the port 24 into the chamber 8. i

The illustrated embodiment provides a method of rotating the matrix at a speed dependant upon the compressed air pressure and rate of flow. Furthermore no driving gear or equivalent means is required and no undesirable torque is produced in the matrix.

The illustrated embodiment may also be modified for the driving of a shaft-mounted matrix or a matrix freely mounted on an axle by providing a seal offset from and surrounding the matrix shaft and its bearings instead of using the diametrically-positioned bar seals 10, 11.

Instead of providing the depressions 27 in the rim of the matrix, the latter may be provided with turbine blades to receive jets of compressed air from the nozzles 26.

Instead of the matrix being guided for rotary movement between the composite ring formed by the blocks l6, l7 and by the liners l4, 15, the matrix may be therwise restrained at its periphery, e.g., by three or more circumferentially spaced rollers engaging the periphery of the matrix.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A rotary regenerative heat exchanger comprising v means defining at least one impulse jet to discharge fluid into said buckets, thereby to effect rotation of said matrix, and sealing means to prevent leakage of said fluid from the periphery of said matrix to the end faces thereof. Y

2. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 in which said fluid supplied to said jets is derived from one of the fluid streams between which heat exchange is to be effected, said fluid after leaving the buckets returning to said fluid stream.

3. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim I in which said buckets are formed by recesses in the periphery of said matrix.

4. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 including means defining a circular track in which the periphery of said matrix is arranged to turn.

5. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 in which means are provided to restrain the matrix at its periphery for rotary movement.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent NO. Dated Sept.

Inventofl ROBERT N. PENNY It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 1, line 62, delete the numeral "7" Col. 2, line 9, delete "13" first instance,

and insert 3- Signed and sealed this 5th day of November 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

C. MARSHALL "DANN McCOY M. GIBSON JR.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer RM P0405) uscoMM-oc some-poo .5. GDVIRNMINT PRINTING OFFICE 2 1." 0-366-334,

Claims (5)

1. A rotary regenerative heat exchanger comprising a rotatable disc-like matrix having heat exchange passages extending between the end faces of the matrix, a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced impulse buckets arranged around the outer periphery of said matrix, means defining at least one impulse jet to discharge fluid into said buckets, thereby to effect rotation of said matrix, and sealing means to prevent leakage of said fluid from the periphery of said matrix to the end faces thereof.

2. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 in which said fluid supplied to said jets is derived from one of the fluid streams between which heat exchange is to be effected, said fluid after leaving the buckets returning to said fluid stream.

3. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 in which said buckets are formed by recesses in the periphery of said matrix.

4. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 including means defining a circular track in which the periphery of said matrix is arranged to turn.

5. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 in which means are provided to restrain the matrix at its periphery for rotary movement.

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