Rotary regenerative heat exchanger

Abstract

A rotary regenerative heat exchanger has a structure in which a rotor accommodating a heat storage body such as a heat transfer element is rotated inside a housing, the heat storage body is heated by means of a high-temperature heating fluid such as exhaust gas and stores the heat, and low-temperature fluid to be heated such as combustion air is heated by the heat stored in the heat storage body; and a sector plate for dividing the flow passages for the abovementioned two kinds of fluids, namely the heating fluid and the fluid to be heated, flowing through the inside of the rotor is provided at the upper end face of the rotor with a slight gap therebetween, and a static seal is disposed on both sides of the gap between the sector plate and the external structure of the heat exchanger, a suction pipe being provided in the external structure in such a way as to suction dust material such as ash which accumulates or is agitated on the sector plate.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-281662, filed on Dec. 22, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entiretyTECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present invention relates to a rotary regenerative heat exchanger.PRIOR ART[0003]A rotary regenerative heat exchanger which is generally installed as an air preheater in a power generation plant or the like conventionally has a structure in which a rotor 1 accommodating a heat storage body 1a such as a heat transfer element is rotated inside a housing 2, the heat storage body 1a is heated by means of a high-temperature heating fluid G1 such as exhaust gas and stores the heat, and low-temperature fluid to be heated G2 such as combustion air is heated by the heat stored in the heat storage body 1a, as shown in FIG. 3.[0004]As is clear from FIG. 4, the flow passages for the abovementioned two kinds of fluids, namely G1 and G2, which flow through the insid...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The rotary regenerative heat exchanger has several technical effects. First, it prevents dust materials such as ash from accumulating on the sector plate, which could impair movement and cause the heat exchanger to stop operating. Second, the fabric cloth material attached along the outer face at the tip end of the static seal enhances the seal and prevents dust material from entering the sector plate, reducing the risk of erosion. Third, the fabric cloth material follows the vertical movement of the sector plate and is easily replaced.

Problems solved by technology

However, if the static seals 5, 5 are provided on both sides of the sector plate 3, as described above, ash etc. accompanying entrained leaks from the heating fluid G1 side accumulates on the upper face of the sector plate 3 as a deposit T, as shown in FIG. 6, and therefore the movement of the sector plate 3 is impeded and there is a risk that the rotary regenerative heat exchanger will cease operating.

Furthermore, in the case of the sector plate 3 comprising the abovementioned metal sheets, a very small gap at the seal part is inevitable, as shown in FIG. 7, and the performance of the rotary regenerative heat exchanger is degraded by leak flows produced from this gap, while at the same time there is a risk of erosion caused by ash contained in the leak flow.

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