A rotary heat exchanger system

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a rotary heat exchanger system, which includes: a rotor; a sector plate extending along the surface of the rotor to provide a seal to the rotor; an actuator configured to move the sector plate; a pin gauge configured to extend toward the rotor; and a control system. The control system is configured to: operate the rotary heat exchanger system with multiple work duties during a commissioning phase; determine an associated position of the pin gauge in contact with the rotor for each work duty; determine a corresponding position of the sector plate for each work duty based on the associated position of the pin gauge; operate the rotary heat exchanger system with one of the work duties during heat exchange operation; and instruct the actuator to move the sector plate based on the corresponding position of the sector plate for the work duty during heat exchange operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of rotary exchangers, and in particular to sealed rotary exchangers. Background Art

[0002] Rotary exchangers or rotary machines are generally used to regulate gas flows. Rotary exchangers include rotors, and different gas flows (such as hot gas flows and cold gas flows) are directed through and / or across the rotor. In certain embodiments, the rotor places the hot gas flow and the cold gas flow in a heat exchange relationship to transfer heat between the hot gas flow and the cold gas flow, such as to heat the cold gas flow to a desired temperature. Unfortunately, the rotor may deflect during operation. The deflection of the rotor may cause leakage of the gas flow and the mixture or other undesirable flows of the gas across the rotor. Therefore, the operation of the rotor may be limited or reduced. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a rotary heat exchanger system. For example, according to an embodiment, the present disclosure may relate to a rotary heat exchanger system, which includes: a rotor configured to rotate around a rotation axis; a sector plate extending along the surface of the rotor to provide a seal to the rotor; an actuator configured to move the sector plate; a pin gauge configured to extend toward the rotor; and a control system. The control system is configured to: operate the rotary heat exchanger system with multiple work duties during the commissioning phase; determine the associated position of the pin gauge for contacting the rotor for each of the multiple work duties; determine the corresponding position of the sector plate based on the associated position of the pin gauge for each of the multiple work duties; operate the rotary heat exchanger system with the work duties in the multiple work duties during heat exchange operation; and instruct the actuator to move the sector plate based on the corresponding position of the sector plate for the work duties during heat exchange operation.

[0004] These and other advantages and features will become apparent in view of the accompanying drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] In order to complete the description and to enable a better understanding of the present disclosure, a set of drawings is provided, in which like reference numerals refer to the same features throughout. The drawings form an integral part of the specification and illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure, which should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, but only as an example of how to implement the present disclosure. The drawings include the following figures:

[0006] Figure 1 is a system schematic diagram of a rotary heat exchanger system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0007] Figure 2is a partially cut-away perspective view of a rotary heat exchanger according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0008] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a rotary heat exchanger according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0009] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of a rotary heat exchanger including a pin gauge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0010] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Detailed perspective view of a portion of a rotary heat exchanger.

[0011] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a method for operating a rotary heat exchanger to maintain a seal between a sector plate and a rotor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] In general, the present disclosure relates to a sealed rotary heat exchanger. The rotary heat exchanger includes a rotor configured to rotate to regulate a gas flow. For example, a hot gas flow may be directed through a first conduit and directed onto the rotor, and a cold gas flow may be directed through a second conduit and directed onto the rotor. The rotor includes a heat transfer element configured to absorb heat from the hot gas flow, thereby heating the heat transfer element. When the rotor rotates, the heated heat transfer element is moved to become exposed to the cold gas flow. The heat transfer element then discharges heat to the cold gas flow to heat the cold gas flow. Therefore, the rotor operates to transfer heat from the hot gas flow to the cold gas flow (for example, to preheat the cold gas flow).

[0013] In some embodiments, the rotary heat exchanger includes one or more fan-shaped plates, which are positioned to form multiple sections through which the rotor can rotate. For example, the fan-shaped plate may extend across a portion of the rotor between the first conduit and the second conduit and sealably engage with the surface of the rotor (e.g., extending within a threshold distance of the surface of the rotor). Such an arrangement of the rotor can prevent the hot gas flow introduced to the rotor via the first conduit from mixing with the cold gas flow introduced to the rotor via the second conduit without first entering the rotor. That is, the engagement of the fan-shaped plate against the seal of the rotor prevents the hot gas flow from crossing / flowing around the rotor to the cold gas flow, and the cold gas flow from crossing / flowing around the rotor to the hot gas flow. Therefore, the fan-shaped plate maintains the desired flow of gas through the rotor. However, during the operation of the rotor, the rotor may deviate from the fan-shaped plate. For example, the operation of the rotor may generate a temperature difference across different sides of the rotor to thermally expand a portion of the rotor and thus deform the rotor. Gravity may also cause deformation at the outer edge of the rotor, which is usually not fully supported (e.g., to allow rotation). As a result, the seal between the rotor and the sector plates may be degraded, allowing gas to flow therebetween and causing undesirable flow of gas across the rotor, thereby degrading the desired operation of the rotary heat exchanger system.

[0014] Therefore, maintaining the sealed engagement between the rotor and the sector plate can improve the operation of the rotary heat exchanger system. Therefore, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to moving the sector plate to sealably engage with the rotor to accommodate deformation of the rotor. For example, a pin gauge can be implemented to help determine the deformation of the rotor and the corresponding movement of the sector plate that seals and engages with the deformed rotor. In some embodiments, the rotary heat exchanger system is configured to operate with various work duties (e.g., operating mode, operating rate) that cause different amounts of deformation of the rotor. Therefore, each work duty is associated with a different position where the sector plate will maintain a seal engagement with the rotor. In other words, for each work duty, the sector plate can be moved to a different position to seal and engage with the rotor. In order to determine the different positions corresponding to each work duty of the sector plate and the rotary heat exchanger system, the rotary heat exchanger system is operated in a commissioning (e.g., calibration) phase. During the commissioning phase, the rotary heat exchanger system operates with different work duties while the sector plate remains unchanged. Therefore, during the commissioning phase, the rotor deforms and moves further away from the sector plate, thereby forming a gap between the rotor and the sector plate.

[0015] The pin gauge is positioned to indicate the size of the gap under each duty. In particular, the pin gauge is configured to extend across the gap to contact the rotor, and the extension of the pin gauge can be adjusted to accommodate gaps of different sizes caused by different deformations of the rotor. Therefore, the size of the gap between the rotor and the sector plate can be determined for each duty based on the position of the pin gauge. For each determined gap size, the corresponding position of the sector plate is determined to maintain a sealed engagement with the rotor deformed to form a gap. That is, for each duty, the position of the sector plate that maintains a sealed engagement with the deformed rotor is determined based on the size of the gap between the rotor and the sector plate for the duty. During the heat exchange operation, the sector plate is moved to maintain a sealed engagement with the rotor. For example, a specific duty of the rotary heat exchanger system can be selected for operation, and the position of the sector plate corresponding to the specific duty as determined during the commissioning phase can be selected and implemented. Therefore, the position of the sector plate can be adjusted based on the determined duty without actively and continuously measuring the position of the rotor during the heat exchange operation. Therefore, operations related to moving the sector plate to maintain a sealed engagement with the rotor can be performed more easily. For example, operation and maintenance of a sensor that continuously monitors the actual position of the needle gauge during operation of the rotary heat exchanger system (e.g., during a specific work duty) can be avoided (which also avoids associated handling operations). Thus, continuous adjustment of the sector plate based on the monitored needle gauge position (e.g., due to continuous deformation of the rotor) can be avoided, thereby simplifying the operation for moving the sector plate to sealingly engage with the rotor.

[0016] Figure 1An exemplary power plant 10 of the type that may incorporate a rotary heat exchanger 12 with a heat transfer element according to the present disclosure is illustrated in FIG. The power plant 10 includes a generator 14 coupled to a steam turbine 16 to generate electricity. The turbine 16 is driven by steam from a boiler 18 that receives air for combustion via an air inlet 20 and exhausts combustion gases via an exhaust 22. Fans 24a and 24b may be used to supply air to the boiler inlet 20, and to draw the combustion gases from the exhaust 22 through a dust removal system 26 before releasing the combustion gases to the atmosphere. The rotary regenerative heat exchanger 12 may be positioned adjacent to the air inlet 20 and the exhaust 22 to preheat the air entering the boiler 18 using heat from the combustion gases exhausted from the boiler 18. The rotary regenerative heat exchanger may also be used in a gas-to-gas heater to control emissions from the plant. Another implementation of the rotary regenerative heat exchanger 12 may include a mining operation used to preheat very cold air (e.g., ambient air) entering the mine by using heat available in the warmer exhaust air from the mine. Although the present disclosure primarily discusses implementations in rotary heat exchangers configured to transfer heat, it should be noted that the techniques discussed herein may be applied to any other suitable implementations, such as for transferring certain particles between fluids.

[0017] Reference now Figure 2, shows a partially cut-away perspective view of a rotary heat exchanger 12 utilizing heat transfer elements and containers according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The rotary heat exchanger 12 includes a housing 28 with a first conduit or opening 30 and a second conduit or opening 32. However, in other embodiments, the rotary heat exchanger 12 may include any number of conduits that allow any amount of flow through the rotary heat exchanger 12. The first opening 30 communicates with the boiler air inlet 20 (e.g., relatively cool air), and the second opening 32 communicates with the boiler exhaust 22 (e.g., relatively hot air). A rotor 34 containing a plurality of heat transfer element containers 36 is mounted for rotation in the housing 28 such that the heat transfer element containers 36 in the rotor circulate through the openings 30 and 32, thereby exposing the rotor 34 to each of the incoming air from the boiler air inlet 20 and the exhaust air from the boiler exhaust 22. For example, a portion of the rotor 34 may be aligned with the second conduit 32 under certain circumstances of operation of the rotary heat exchanger, thereby causing the heat transfer elements in the heat transfer element containers 36 to be heated. Rotation of the rotor 34 causes the position of the portion to change so that for a duration after that particular instance, the portion of the rotor 34 is aligned with the first conduit 30 to enable heat to be transferred from the heat transfer element reservoir 36 to the incoming air. Thus, the rotor 37 transfers heat from the exhaust gas to the incoming air via the heat transfer element reservoir 36. Continued rotation of the rotor 34 causes the portion to change or alternate between the first conduit 30 and the second conduit 32 to absorb heat from the exhaust gas and transfer heat to the incoming air, respectively.

[0018] In some embodiments, the rotary heat exchanger 12 includes a scalloped plate 38 positioned to block exhaust gas flow across the rotor 34 toward the incoming air, and to block incoming air flow across the rotor 34 toward the exhaust gas. For example, the scalloped plate 38 may be positioned between the first conduit 30 and the second conduit 32 and extend across the rotor 34 to provide a seal against the surface of the rotor 34. Thus, the scalloped plate 38 prevents or at least hinders mixing between the exhaust gas and the incoming air to achieve the desired flow of air / gas through the rotor 34, thereby achieving the desired operation of the rotary heat exchanger 12.

[0019] Figure 31 is a side cross-sectional view of a rotary heat exchanger system 100 (such as the rotary heat exchanger 12) with a rotor 102 (such as the rotor 34). The rotor 102 is configured to transfer heat from a hot gas to a cold gas, thereby heating the cold gas. To this end, the rotor 102 is configured to rotate around an axis 104 extending along an axis 106. The rotary heat exchanger system 100 also includes a fan-shaped plate 108 extending along the rotor 102, such as at a first side 110 (e.g., top side). The fan-shaped plate 108 promotes the desired flow of gas through the rotor 102 by preventing or reducing leakage across / around the rotor 102. For example, the fan-shaped plate 108 can prevent the hot gas and the cold gas from mixing with each other by preventing or at least hindering the flow of hot gas toward the cold gas and / or the flow of cold gas toward the hot gas without first entering the rotor 102. To this end, the fan-shaped plate 108 extends to contact or nearly contact with the surface 112 of the rotor 102 in a state of sealing engagement with the rotor 102.

[0020] During operation of the rotor 102, there may be a temperature difference between a first side 110 of the rotor 102 and a second side 114 (e.g., bottom side) of the rotor 102 opposite the first side 110. For example, the first side 110 may be exposed to incoming hot gas and heated cold gas, while the second side 114 may be exposed to incoming cold gas and cooled hot gas. Therefore, the first side 110 may be at a higher temperature than the temperature of the second side 114. The increased temperature of the first side 110 may cause a greater thermal expansion (such as in direction 116) of the first side 110 compared to the thermal expansion of the second side 114. The greater dimensional increase of the first side 110 compared to the second side 114 may cause the rotor 102 to bend or flex relative to the shaft 104 in a direction 118 to move the surface 112.

[0021] Thus, while the rotor 102 is flexing in the direction 118 relative to the axis 104, the portion 119 (e.g., the movable portion) of the sector plate 108 can be moved to maintain extension along the surface 112 of the rotor 102. That is, the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 can also bend in correspondence with the bending of the rotor 102 (e.g., rotate about the hinge 121, which couples the portion 119 to the remaining portion of the sector plate 108, such as a fixed portion) to maintain sealing engagement with the rotor 102 to continue to prevent mixing between hot and cold gases. For example, the rotary heat exchanger system 100 can include an actuator assembly 120 having an actuator 122. The actuator 122 is configured to contact the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 and adjust the force applied to the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 to adjust the bending of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108. The rotary heat exchanger system 100 also includes a pin gauge 124 configured to extend (eg, from the actuator 122, from the sector plate 108, from a separate and dedicated support) toward the rotor 102. For example, the pin gauge 124 may extend from the sector plate 108 toward the surface 112 of the rotor 102.

[0022] The position of the needle gauge 124 can be adjusted to indicate deformation of the rotor 102. For example, during a commissioning phase (e.g., a calibration phase) of the rotary heat exchanger system 100, the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 can remain stationary at the stationary position 128. In addition, the rotor 102 can be operated to deform the rotor 102 and move away from the sector plate 108 in the direction 118, thereby forming a gap 129 between the sector plate 108 and the surface 112 of the rotor 102, so that the rotor 102 and the sector plate 108 are no longer in sealing engagement with each other. The position of the needle gauge 124 can be adjusted by changing its extension across the gap 129 to contact the surface 112 of the rotor 102. Therefore, the extension of the needle gauge 124 for contacting the surface 112 indicates the size of the gap 129. In addition, the size of the gap 129 indicates the corresponding position of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108, which will place the sector plate 108 in sealing engagement with the rotor 102 so as to reduce the size of the gap 129 to below the threshold size. To this end, an actuated position 130 of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 that will position the sector plate 108 in sealing engagement with the rotor 102 is determined based on the size of the gap 129. Thus, the needle gauge 124 facilitates determining the actuated position 130 of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 based on the position of the needle gauge 124 during the commissioning phase.

[0023] In heat exchange operation of the rotary heat exchanger system 100, wherein the rotor 102 operates to transfer heat to condition (e.g., preheat) a gas flow and deliver the conditioned gas flow, the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 is moved to the determined actuated position 130 to maintain sealing engagement with the rotor 102. For example, after heat exchange operation of the rotary heat exchanger system 100 has been initialized (e.g., to induce potential deformation of the rotor 102), the sector plate 108 may be moved from the rest position 128 (e.g., which would otherwise form a substantially sized gap 129) to the actuated position 130 (e.g., to reduce the size of the gap 129 or eliminate the gap). Thus, operation of the sector plate 108 to prevent undesirable gas mixtures is maintained.

[0024] In some embodiments, the actuator 122 is configured to move the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 in a two-position configuration. That is, the actuator 122 is configured to maintain the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 in a static position 128 or an actuated position 130. However, in some embodiments, the actuator 122 is configured to move the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 to and maintain the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 between the static position 128 and the actuated position 130 in an intermediate configuration. For example, the rotary heat exchanger system 100 may be configured to operate in a plurality of different duty duties. Each duty may include various parameters that affect the deformation of the rotor 102. For example, the rotational speed of the rotor 102, the temperature of the hot gas directed through the rotor 102, the temperature of the cold gas directed through the rotor 102, and / or another suitable parameter may be changed in different duty duties to cause different amounts of deformation of the rotor 102. Therefore, the position of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 that is held in sealing engagement with the rotor 102 may be different between each duty duty.

[0025] To this end, during the commissioning phase, the rotary heat exchanger system 100 may be operated at different duty duties, and the corresponding size of each gap 129 formed due to different amounts of deformation of the rotor 102 may be determined for each duty duty based on the different positions at which the pin gauge 124 contacts the surface 112 of the rotor 102. The corresponding position of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 that remains in sealing engagement with the rotor 102 is then determined for each duty duty based on the deformation of the rotor 102. During heat exchange operations, the rotary heat exchanger system 100 may be operated at a specific duty duty, and the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 may be moved to a position corresponding to the specific duty duty. A change in the operation of the rotary heat exchanger system 100 from a specific duty duty to an additional duty duty may cause the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 to be moved to a position corresponding to the additional duty duty. Thus, for different duty duties, portions 119 of sector plates 108 may be driven to move by different amounts to accommodate varying amounts of flexure of rotor 102 relative to shaft 104 in direction 118 to provide sealing against surface 112 of rotor 102 .

[0026] For example, the rest position 128 may be associated with a first duty in which the rotor 102 is substantially undeformed. Thus, for the first duty, the actuator 122 may not move the portion 119 of the sector plate 108. However, the actuated position 130 may be associated with a second duty in which the rotor 102 is substantially deformed. Thus, for the second duty, the actuator 122 may move the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 to the actuated position 130. Thus, the actuator 122 may move the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 between the rest position 128 and the actuated position 130 based on the duty rather than based on active monitoring of the position of the needle gauge 124 and / or the rotor 102.

[0027] In certain embodiments, the rotary heat exchanger system 100 includes or is communicatively coupled to a control system 132 that is configured to operate the actuator 122 to move the portion 119 of the sector plate 108. The control system 132 includes a memory 134 and a processor 136 (e.g., a processing circuit). The memory 134 includes a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk storage media device, an optical storage media device, a flash memory device, an electrical, optical, or other physical / tangible (e.g., non-transitory) memory storage device. Thus, generally speaking, the memory 134 includes one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., a memory device) encoded with software with computer-executable instructions that can be executed to implement the operations described herein. For example, the memory 134 stores or encodes instructions for adjusting a damper. The processor 136 includes, for example, a collection of microcontrollers and / or microprocessors, each configured to execute corresponding software instructions stored in the memory 134. The processor 136 is configured to, for example, execute instructions stored in the memory 134 to actuate the actuator 122. To this end, the processor 136 is communicatively coupled to the actuator 122. For example, the processor 136 is configured to transmit a signal to instruct the actuator 122 to transition between the rest position 128 and the actuated position 130.

[0028] The control system 132 is configured to determine the actuated position 130 of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108. For example, during a commissioning phase (e.g., initiated by the control system 132 or by an independent control system operating the rotor 102), the control system 132 may be configured to determine the deformed position of the rotor 102 relative to the pin gauge 124. For example, the control system 132 may include or be communicatively coupled to a sensor 138 (e.g., a position sensor, a visual sensor) configured to monitor the position of the pin gauge 124 for contacting the rotor 102 during the commissioning phase (e.g., under different job duties), and the control system 132 may be configured to determine the deformed position of the rotor 102 based on data received from the sensor 138. For another example, a user (e.g., an operator, a technician) may be configured to determine the position of the pin gauge 124 for contacting the rotor 102 during the commissioning phase (e.g., under different job duties), and the user may provide user input to the control system 132 to indicate the position of the pin gauge 124. The control system 132 is then configured to determine the position of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 that is sealingly engaged with the rotor 102 at its deformed position indicated by the position of the pin gauge 124, and establish the position of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108, such as the actuated position 130. In embodiments where the rotary heat exchanger system 100 is configured to operate in a plurality of different operating duties, the control system 132 is configured to determine the respective position of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 that remains sealingly engaged with the different deformed positions of the rotor 102 for each operating duty.

[0029] By establishing the actuation position 130 of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 during the commissioning phase, the control system 132 may instruct the actuator 122 to actuate to move the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 without using the sensor 138 or any other operation to actively monitor deformation of the rotor 102 during operation of the rotary heat exchanger system 100 to transfer heat (e.g., in heat exchange operation). For example, the control system 132 may conveniently instruct the actuator 122 to move the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 based on the effective work duty and its associated position of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 as determined during the commissioning phase. Such an operation for moving the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 without using the sensor 138 or another technique to continuously monitor the position of the rotor 102 may simplify the operation of the rotary heat exchanger system 100. For example, constant adjustment of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 that may otherwise be driven by the actuator 122 in response to a determined change in the position of the rotor 102 may be avoided. Thus, power consumption associated with constantly monitoring the position of the rotor 102 and instructing the actuator 122 to move based on the constantly changing position of the rotor 102 may be avoided.

[0030] As another example, relatively more complex circuitry and / or programming that would otherwise enable continuous adjustment of the actuation of the actuator 122 based on the determined position of the rotor 102 may be avoided. In fact, after the commissioning phase has been completed to establish the actuation position 130 of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108, the sensor 138 and even the pin gauge 124 may be removed from the rotary heat exchanger system 100, thereby reducing the number of components implemented in the rotary heat exchanger system 100, which may contribute to the ease of operation and / or inspection / maintenance of the rotary heat exchanger system 100. In addition, removing the pin gauge 124 from the rotary heat exchanger system 100 may enable the pin gauge 124 to be used in different rotary heat exchanger systems, such as to determine the corresponding deformation of another rotor under different work duties. Therefore, a single pin gauge 124 may be used in multiple rotary heat exchanger systems, thereby increasing the functionality of the pin gauge 124 and reducing the potential costs associated with manufacturing and / or purchasing multiple pin gauges 124 (e.g., each pin gauge is configured for use in a single rotary heat exchanger system). However, in certain embodiments of the rotary heat exchanger system 100, the sensor 138 may also be used to continuously monitor the position of the rotor 102 (e.g., based on the extension of the pin gauge 124 for contacting the surface 112 of the rotor 102) to move the portion 119 of the sector plate 108 during operation of the rotary heat exchanger system 100, such as to verify deformation of the rotor 102 to facilitate movement of the portion 119 of the sector plate 108.

[0031] Figure 4 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a rotary heat exchanger system 100, specifically illustrating a specific implementation of a pin gauge 124. The pin gauge 124 is configured to be mounted to a sector plate 108. For example, the sector plate 108 may include a mounting member 180 extending at a first side 182 (e.g., a top side) of the sector plate 108, and the pin gauge 124 may be configured to be coupled to the mounting member 180. Thus, the pin gauge 124 is secured to the sector plate 108 to enable positional adjustments to indicate deformation of the rotor 102, such as during a commissioning phase of the rotary heat exchanger system 100.

[0032] Figure 5 1 is a detailed perspective view of a portion of the rotary heat exchanger system 100, further illustrating a specific implementation of the pin gauge 124. The pin gauge 124 includes an enclosure 200 configured to be coupled to the mounting member 180 of the sector plate 108, and a pin 202 (e.g., a metal rod) at least partially disposed in the enclosure 200. The pin 202 is configured to move relative to the enclosure 200 to adjust its extension from an interior 204 of the enclosure 200 to an exterior of the enclosure 200. Such movement of the pin 202 helps indicate the position of the rotor 102.

[0033] For example, the mounting member 180 may include a hole 206 into which the enclosure 200 of the needle gauge 124 is configured to be inserted. For example, the hole 206 may be threaded, and a corresponding portion of the enclosure 200 may also be threaded so that the enclosure 200 can be threadedly engaged with the hole 206. As another example, the enclosure 200 may be configured to be coupled to the hole 206 via an interference fit. In either case, the enclosure 200 may be easily and conveniently coupled to the mounting member 180 and decoupled from the mounting member to facilitate the ease of adjusting the specific implementation of the needle gauge 124. In some embodiments, the enclosure 200 includes a flange 208, which is configured to abut the mounting member 180 to prevent the enclosure 200 from extending excessively into the mounting member 180. The sector plate 108 also includes a channel 210 that is aligned with the hole 206 and is exposed to the gap 129 between the sector plate 108 and the rotor 102 at a second side 212 (e.g., bottom side) of the sector plate 108 opposite the first side 182. Thus, the needle 202 of the needle gauge 124 is configured to extend from the enclosure 200 at the first side 182 of the sector plate 108, through the retaining portion 206 and the channel 210, and into the gap 129 at the second side 212 of the sector plate 108. For example, the needle 202 may extend across the gap 129 to contact the surface 112 of the rotor 102.

[0034] Thus, when the position of the rotor 102 relative to the sector plate 108 changes (e.g., during the commissioning phase) to change the size of the gap 129, the extension of the needle 202 from the enclosure 200 for contacting the surface 112 of the rotor 102 by crossing the gap 129 also changes. Therefore, the amount of extension of the needle 202 for contacting the rotor 102 (e.g., relative to the sector plate 108) indicates the position of the rotor 102, thereby indicating the position of the sector plate 108 for sealing engagement with the rotor 102. In certain embodiments, the position of the needle 202 can be automatically adjusted (e.g., without the need for a user to perform manual adjustments). For example, gravity can drive the movement of the needle 202 relative to the enclosure 200 (e.g., in a downward direction) to maintain contact with the surface 112 of the rotor 102. For another example, the needle gauge 124 may include a biasing member 214 (e.g., a spring) configured to urge the needle gauge 124 toward the rotor 102 to maintain contact with the surface 112. In additional or alternative embodiments, the position of the needle 202 may be manually adjusted by a user. For example, the user may apply a force that moves the needle 202 relative to the enclosure to contact the surface 112 of the rotor 102. In any case, the changing position of the needle 202 (e.g., the amount that the needle 202 extends out of the enclosure 200) is identified to determine the position of the rotor 102 and the corresponding position of the sector plate 108 to provide a sealing engagement with the rotor 102.

[0035] Figure 6A method for operating a rotary heat exchanger system is illustrated. In some embodiments, the operations of the method are performed by the same entity (e.g., control system 132). In additional or alternative embodiments, the operations of each method are performed by different entities (e.g., by different control systems, such as control system 132 and an independent control system dedicated to operating the rotor). It should also be noted that the method can be performed in a different manner than that depicted. For example, additional operations may be performed, and / or any of the depicted operations may not be performed, may be performed in a different manner, and / or may be performed in a different order.

[0036] Figure 6 2 is a flow chart of a method 250 for operating a rotary heat exchanger (e.g., rotary heat exchanger system 100) to maintain a seal between a sector plate (e.g., sector plate 108) and a rotor (e.g., rotor 102). At block 252, a pin gauge is positioned to extend toward the rotor during a commissioning phase. For example, an enclosure of a pin gauge may be mounted to the sector plate, and a pin of the pin gauge may extend through the sector plate and into a gap between the rotor and the sector plate. During the commissioning phase, the rotor is not operated to deliver conditioned gas to a target location (e.g., a component or other equipment). Instead, the commissioning phase is operated to determine the positioning of the sector plate for various work duties.

[0037] At box 254, the rotary heat exchanger system is operated at multiple duty cycles during the commissioning phase. Each duty cycle may be associated with different parameters to cause a different amount of deformation of the rotor. For example, the rotational speed of the rotor, the temperature of the gas flow directed through the rotor, etc. may be changed at different duty cycles. The sector plate is fixed during each duty cycle. Therefore, the rotor moves relative to the sector plate, thereby adjusting the size of the gap between the rotor and the sector plate.

[0038] At frame 256, for each work duty, the pin gauge extends to contact the rotor, and the associated position of the pin gauge for contacting the rotor is determined. In fact, because the rotor can be deformed by different amounts for various work duties to provide gaps of different sizes for each work duty, the amount that the needle extends across the gap to contact the rotor can be changed for different work duties. For example, the deformation and bending of the rotor farther away from the fan plate can cause the needle to extend farther out of the enclosure to contact the rotor. Therefore, the extension amount of the needle for contacting the rotor can indicate the deformation amount of the rotor. In addition, the corresponding position of the fan plate for each work duty is determined based on the associated position of the pin gauge. In particular, while the rotor is deformed by the amount indicated by the position of the pin gauge, the corresponding position of the fan plate is determined based on the corresponding position of the seal provided to the fan plate. Therefore, each work duty is associated with the corresponding corresponding position of the fan plate.

[0039] At box 258, the rotor is operated with one of the job duties during the heat exchange operation. In the heat exchange operation, the rotor operates to deliver regulated gas to the target location. In addition, due to the commissioning phase, the corresponding position of the fan plate is associated with the job duty. The corresponding position of the fan plate can enable the fan plate to provide a seal to the rotor, which is expected to be deformed due to the operation of the rotor under the job duty. In some embodiments, the pin gauge is removed before starting the heat exchange operation. That is, the pin gauge may not be used during the heat exchange operation. Therefore, there may be fewer implemented components in the rotary heat exchanger system to reduce its complexity. On the contrary, for example, the pin gauge can be used for an independent rotary heat exchanger system, such as to determine the deformation of its rotor and the corresponding position of its fan plate.

[0040] At block 260, during heat exchange operation, the sector plate is moved based on the corresponding position of the sector plate for the work duty. For example, when the work duty is initiated, the actuator is actuated to move the sector plate toward the corresponding position. Thus, a specific position of the sector plate can be selected and achieved based on the work duty of the rotor without having to monitor the actual position of the pin gauge or rotor during operation under the work duty. Thus, the operation of a sensor that determines the position of the rotor or another parameter indicative of deformation of the rotor can be avoided, thereby improving the ease of operation and / or implementation of the rotary heat exchanger system.

[0041] It should also be understood that the rotary heat exchanger system or part thereof described herein may be made of any suitable material or combination of materials, such as metal or synthetic materials, including but not limited to plastic, rubber, their derivatives, and combinations thereof. The present disclosure is also intended to cover modifications and variations of the present disclosure that fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. For example, it should be understood that terms such as "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "front", "back", "side", "height", "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "interior", "exterior", "inside", "outside", etc., as may be used herein, only describe reference points and do not limit the present disclosure to any particular orientation or configuration. In addition, the term "exemplary" is used herein to describe examples or illustrations. Any embodiment described in an exemplary manner herein should not be interpreted as a preferred or advantageous embodiment, but should be interpreted as an example or illustration of a possible embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Finally, when used herein, the term "comprises" and its derivatives (such as "comprising", etc.) should not be understood as excluding the possibility that the described and defined content may include additional elements, steps, etc. At the same time, when used herein, the term "approximately" and its family terms (such as "approximate", etc.) should be understood to indicate values ​​that are very close to those accompanying the above terms. That is, deviations from the exact value within reasonable limits should be accepted, because those skilled in the art will understand that such deviations from the indicated values ​​are inevitable due to measurement inaccuracies, etc. The same applies to the terms "about" and "around" and "substantially".

Claims

1. A rotary heat exchanger system, comprising: a rotor configured to rotate about an axis of rotation; a sector plate extending along a surface of the rotor to provide sealing for the rotor; an actuator configured to move the sector plate; a pin gauge configured to extend toward the rotor; as well as A control system, the control system being configured to: operating the rotary heat exchanger system in multiple job responsibilities during the commissioning phase; determining, for each of the plurality of job duties, an associated position at which the pin gauge contacts the rotor; for each of the plurality of job duties, determining a corresponding position of the sector plate based on the associated position of the pin gauge; operating the rotary heat exchanger system at a job role in the plurality of job roles during heat exchange operations; as well as The actuator is instructed to move the sector plate based on the corresponding position of the sector plate for the duty during the heat exchange operation.

2. The rotary heat exchanger system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to: instructing the actuator to move the sector plate to a first corresponding position for the work duty during the heat exchange operation; operating the rotor in an additional one of the plurality of duty duties during the heat exchange operation; as well as The actuator is directed to move the sector plate to a second corresponding position for the additional duty during the heat exchange operation, wherein the second corresponding position is different from the first corresponding position.

3. A rotary heat exchanger system according to claim 2, wherein in the additional duty the pin gauge extends further to contact the rotor than in the duty, and the actuator is configured to increase the movement of the sector plate in the additional duty than in the duty.

4. The rotary heat exchanger system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the actuator moves the sector plate between a plurality of positions based on the corresponding positions of the sector plate for the work duty.

5. A rotary heat exchanger system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control system is configured to instruct the actuator to move the sector plate between a rest position and an actuated position in a two-position configuration based on the corresponding position of the sector plate for the work duty.

6. A rotary heat exchanger system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pin gauge is mounted to the sector plate during the commissioning phase.

7. The rotary heat exchanger system of claim 6, wherein the pin gauge comprises: an enclosure configured to be mounted to the sector plate during the commissioning phase; as well as A needle is at least partially disposed in the enclosure, wherein the needle is configured to move relative to the enclosure and to extend from an interior of the enclosure to an exterior of the enclosure.

8. The rotary heat exchanger system of claim 7, wherein the associated position of the pin gauge includes the pin extending from the enclosure to contact the surface of the rotor.

9. A rotary heat exchanger system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 7 and 8, wherein the control system is configured to instruct the actuator to move the sector plate without the use of a sensor.

10. A rotary heat exchanger system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 7 and 8, wherein the sector plates are fixed during the commissioning phase of the rotary heat exchanger system.

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