Abstract: A connecting linkage is provided between two structural members which includes a pinned connection to allow rotation of one structural member with respect to the other and which permits adjustment and alignment before locking the device in position without the need for drilling a precisely positioned hole for the pin in the structural member. An oversized hole is formed in one of the structural members and the pin is placed through the hole. A first support plate having pin-sized holes is then placed over each end of the pin followed by a second pair of support plates also having pin-sized holes. The assembly is then moved with respect to the first structural member as permitted by the oversized hole around the pin into a desired position. The second pair of support plates are then welded to the second structural member and the first pair of support plates are welded to the first structural member. If desired, the pin may be welded to the second pair of support plates.

Abstract: An arrangement is provided in an air preheater for mounting and adjusting the axial seal plates in relation to the rotor using a reduced number of adjustable mountings and replacing the remaining adjustable mountings with adjustable compression stops. These adjustable compression stops engage but require no attachment to the axial seal plates. This reduces the work necessary in the limited space between the air preheater housing and the axial seal plates thereby reducing costs and facilitating installation and replacement.

Abstract: A swing-arm sootblower for a rotary regenerative air preheater is mounted to sweep across the air preheater rotor at a constant speed or angular velocity. A constant speed motor is attached through a speed reducer to a drive sprocket. A chain drive turns driven sprocket which is connected to the rotatable mounting shaft for the sootblower lance or arm. Limit switches are tripped at the ends of the arc of travel of the lance by a trip arm mounted on the drive sprocket to turn the motor off and to close a valve for the sootblowing medium. The speed of the lance can be adjusted in general or at particular points in the art of travel.

Abstract: A rotary regenerative air preheater has bypass seals located at the top and bottom of one side of each sector of heat exchange baskets located at the top and bottom of the adjacent diaphragm and sealing the gap between that one side of the baskets and the diaphragm. The bypass seals are metal strips extending along the radial length of the diaphragm with a main body portion attached to the diaphragm and a bent leg portion extending outwardly to engage the baskets. The bypass seals are notched to fit over the stay plates and are attached over the radial seals to hold the radial seals in position.

Abstract: In an air preheater with a large lower cold end center section and a smaller, upper hot end center section, the connecting plate duct assemblies on both the hot and cold end are made the same height rather than to have cold end connecting plate duct assemblies which are larger and equal in height to the cold end center section. This minimizes the design and manufacturing costs and provides cold end connecting plate duct assemblies which are smaller, lighter and easier to handle. This then requires that the housing panels around the outside of the rotor be longer to reach between these connecting plate duct assemblies. At the ends of the hot and cold center sections are main support pedestal panels which support the hot end center section above the cold end center section. These main support pedestal panels together with the housing panels complete the rotor housing.

Abstract: Incompressible ceramic heat exchange blocks which may be catalyst coated having gas flow channels therethrough or other incompressible heat exchange surface are supported in a metal framework to form a removable basket for a rotary regenerative air heater. Between selected rows of the incompressible heat exchange material are layers of compressible corrugated metal heat exchange plates. This layered structure is packed into the framework in the compressed state.

Abstract: The heat exchange baskets for a rotary regenerative air preheater are loaded radially into the rotor rather than axially from the duct end. The rotor is divided into sectors by diaphragms, and support gratings are provided in each rotor sector with the baskets being positioned and supported on the gratings. The angle of each rotor sector is smaller than the complimentary angle of each basket such that the outboard end of each basket can contact the diaphragms before the contact of the inboard end. The baskets thereby serve to stiffen the rotor structure while reducing bypass gaps.

Abstract: A rotary regenerative air preheater has a rotor which is divided into sectors by diaphragm plates. Mounted between these diaphragms are support gratings which support the heat exchange baskets with there being at least two circumferentially adjacent full-wrapper baskets on each support grating. The gratings include radial seals which extend axially into the spaces between these adjacent baskets to provide a seal to minimize circumferential fluid flow. Attached to the radial seals at the axial ends of the rotor are seal strips which form a seal with the sector plates on the rotor housing thereby forming a double seal to minimize cross flow between the gas side and the air side.

Abstract: A heat transfer element basket assembly for a rotary regenerative heat exchanger having a splitter plate or stiffening member mounted between the heat transfer plates at a position intermediate between the inner and outer ends of the basket. The stiffening member includes elongated slots adjacent the top surface which accommodate lifting lugs. Elongated slots and lifting lugs also may be included adjacent the bottom surface of the basket. These lugs slide up and down within the elongated slots to an extended position partially above the surface of the basket when in the lifting mode and to a retracted position fully below the surface when not in use. Since the lugs are retracted when the basket has been placed in the rotor, they will not interfere with the vertically adjacent baskets. This means that the baskets have a low profile and can be tightly packed in the rotor.

Abstract: A regenerative thermal oxidizer for oxidizing a contaminant in an air or other gas stream includes a heat transfer material which heats the incoming air and collects heat from the exiting air. The direction of flow of the air through the oxidizer is periodically reverse for the regenerative heat exchange. When flow is reversed, a quantity of untreated air in the oxidizer which would otherwise be discharged to the atmosphere is collected in a purge chamber which surrounds the lower portion of the discharge stack. The untreated air enters the bottom of the chamber and the air already in the chamber is forced out from vent holes in the top of the chamber into the stack. The untreated air in the chamber is fed back to the oxidizer through the inlet of the blower feeding the oxidizer while clean air is drawn into the chamber from the stack through the vent holes.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting hot spots in a rotary regenerative air preheater which compensates for normal variations in the temperature of the incoming hot gas stream or incoming cold air stream. Alarm conditions are based on calculations relating to the average and maximum outlet gas or outlet air over a period of time compared to the air and gas inlet temperature. The alarm is triggered if the maximum values deviate from the time averaged values more than a selected percentage.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A catalytic regenerative oxidizer (18) comprises a closed casing (24) having upper and lower ends, an input port (20) at the lower end and an output port (22) at the upper end. The casing contains a plurality of stacked layers or beds, including upper (34), lower (32), and central beds (40) of silica gravel or the like. Two catalyst layers (36, 38) are provided in the stack, one between the lower and central gravel beds, and the other between the upper and central gravel beds. A heating element (42) is situated in the central bed, for maintaining at least one of the catalyst layers at an activation temperature in the range of about 500-1000 deg.F. The catalyst layers are formed by a multiplicity of ceramic pellets on which is deposited a catalyst material, such as precious metal. The contaminated gas stream enters the casing through the lower port and passes vertically through the stacked beds and layers.

Abstract: A control system for regulating the temperature of a heat detector disposed on a heat exchanger. The control system includes a temperature detector (42) for determining the temperature of the hot spot sensor (32), non-liquid cooling means (50,52) for cooling the detector when its temperature is above the desired temperature range, and non-liquid heating means (48,53) for heating the detector when its temperature is below the temperatures range. The control system includes control means (82) coupling the temperature sensing means to the non-liquid heating and cooling means. By keeping the heat detector at a generally constant temperature, the accuracy of the hot spot sensor on the heat exchanger is improved.

Abstract: An improved element basket for a rotary air preheater includes a tubular structural element disposed in each of the four corners of the basket frame and extending therethrough in mutually parallel relation. During installation of the basket into the preheater rotor, rods are provided each having an attachment member formed in one end. The rods are inserted into the tubular elements and retaining clamps are attached thereto to prevent withdrawal. A chain or rope is attached to the attachment members, thus allowing the basket to be conveniently drawn into a desired position in the rotor.

Abstract: A hot spot detection system (78) at one location that is fixed with respect to the rotor (12), and a temperature suppression system (62) at another location that is fixed with respect to the rotor. The suppression system is automatically energized by the hot spot detection system when a threshold temperature is detected. Preferably, the suppression system includes one or more pipes (66) that span the radial dimension of the heating element compartments in the rotor. The detection system can be in the conventional location, on the trailing edge (40) of the air inlet duct (32) of the air preheater. The suppression piping (66) is preferably located in the hot end, or air discharge duct (34), of the air preheater. Depending on the location of the suppression piping with respect to rotor rotation, a timing device (100) is preferably employed to start and stop the flow of suppression water into the rotor, just prior to and after the hot spot passes under the piping.

Abstract: A heat pipe air preheater includes a multiplicity of heat pipes arranged in a plurality of superposed planar rows inclined relative to the horizontal, the rows of heat pipes including a first group of rows inclined at a first inclination angle and a second group inclined at a second inclination angle. Means are provided for removing collections of soot or other particulate matter from the evaporator ends of the heat pipes, the rows of the first group being disposed on one side of these means while the rows of the second group are disposed on the other side, the rows of the two groups converging in the direction of the heat pipe condenser ends.

Abstract: An improved element basket for a rotary air preheater includes at least one imperforate steel sheet, tack welded to the basket exterior, completely covering one side of the basket. A distal edge portion of the sheet is bent back upon itself and is biasable against a wall surface of the air preheater rotor. The side sealing member fills the gaps between the element basket and the adjacent rotor compartment wall, preventing gas or cold air from bypassing the heat transfer elements in the basket.

Abstract: An element basket assembly (30) for a rotary regenerative heat exchanger (2) is comprised of a plurality of heat transfer element plates (32) stacked in an array within a supporting basket frame formed of upper and lower plank-like shell members (34,44) each formed into a trough-like member having a base end (342,442) and a pair of spaced outwardly extending legs (344,444). The shell members (34,44) are interconnected at their base ends by corner angle bars (35) and at the outward ends of their legs by closure member (36) to form a four-sided frame housing. Retaining grates (42a,42b) are mounted within the trough-like shell members (34,44) so as to extend across the upper and lower end surfaces of the stacked element plates (32) for retaining the element plates within the housing.