Abb Air Preheater Inc.

The Air Preheater Company, Inc.

Robin B Rhodes

Kurt M Fierle

Wayne S Counterman

Mark E Brophy

William F Harder

Mark A Perry

The rotor of an existing rotary regenerative air preheater is retrofitted with deeper cold end baskets for general performance enhancement and/or for the tolerance of ammonium bisulfate deposits. the normal cold end support gratings are removed and the support of the cold end baskets of increased depth is at least partially from the existing rotor stay plates.

Rotor construction for air preheater

The gas flow bypass around the heating elements in a regenerative air preheater is reduced by the use of floating bypass seals which are placed in the rotor compartments between stacked heating elements. The seals comprise a frame with an open center with the peripheral frame portion bridging the gaps between the heating elements and the sides of the compartments. The seals may be adjustable and may include a deformable edge seal to actually contact and seal against the sides.

Floating bypass seal for rotary regenerative heat exchangers

An air preheater has heat transfer elements with a first series of corrugated elements having longitudinally oriented, mutually parallel corrugations formed generally continuously across the lateral direction. Positioned on either side of each of the corrugated elements of the first series are a series of notched plates each having mutually parallel spaced apart notches. Each notch is formed by parallel double ridges projecting transversely from opposite sides and the element has flat sections between the notches. The notches are oriented obliquely in mutually opposite directions relative to the corrugations of the adjacent elements whereby the notched elements are in contact with the corrugated elements solely at the points of intersection of the notches and corrugations. This produces an increased number of boundary layer breaks and improves heat transfer as well as providing straight line passages through the elements.

Air preheater heat transfer surface

Ceramic blocks which may be catalyst coated having gas flow channels therethrough are supported in a metal framework to form a removable basket for a rotary regenerative air heater. The blocks are supported between compressed packing material with individual rows being supported at one inlet edge and the opposite outlet edge by Z-plates.

Support of ceramic catalyst

An element basket for a rotary regenerative heat exchanger having an array of heat absorbent plates that comprise heat transfer elements therefor. Retaining means are affixed at opposite ends to basket walls to positively position the element plates within the basket. The element plates have curved recesses at opposite ends thereof to receive the retaining means, the recesses having a dimension greater than that of a transverse section of the adjacent retaining means to permit freedom of movement therebetween and to preclude a concentration of stresses that would effect premature failure thereof.

Element basket for heat exchanger

A concentric tube type recuperative heat exchanger that includes an outer transparent tube 22 and an inner metallic tube 24 connected to suitable headers 12 and 14. The outer tube 24 is closed at the bottom end and open at the top end in order that cool air may be directed down through the open ended inner tube and up through the annular space therebetween where it may accept radiant energy transmitted through transparent tube 22. A tubular heat shield 36 of apertured metal lying in the annular space between tubes absorbs radiant heat passing directly through transparent tube 22 and that which is reflected from inner tube 24. Shield 36 serves simultaneously as a means for increasing the turbulence of fluid flowing through the annular space between tubes and as a heat sink that absorbs heat radiated between tube walls.

Growing community of inventors

Wellsville, NY, United States of America

Robin B Rhodes