Abstract: A rotary heat exchanger (10) for a furnace or incinerator has a gap face seal structure which is adjustable during operation of the heat exchanger. A rotary wheel (40) is disposed between adjacent face seals (32, 34) in a housing (15). The face seals (32, 34) are spaced from adjacent side surfaces of the wheel (40) by a predetermined gap. The wheel (40) is carried on a shaft journalled in bearings (48, 54) mounted to a first section (11) of the housing (15). The bearings (48, 54) are coupled to the shaft (41) to permit axial displacement of the shaft (41) relative to the housing (15). The first section (11) of the housing is joined to a second section (12) by an adjustable coupling (26) to permit relative displacement therebetween. In this way, the gaps between the wheel (40) and the face seals (32, 34) can be adjusted while the wheel is hot to maintain the gaps at a minimum to reduce the thermal gradients across the wheel which may induce stresses and cracks in the wheel.

Abstract: A furnace (10) has a preheater zone (12) into which exhaust gases of a combustion chamber (14) are recycled for preheating of articles passing through the furnace. The exhaust gases are supplied to the preheater zone (12) through jet pipes (18) which create a turbulent flow about the articles in the furnace (10). The exhaust gases are withdrawn by a fan (30) which is disposed in a duct (34) adjacent to the furnace entrance (13). To prevent the introduction of ambient air into the furnace (10), a pressure chamber (56), which is maintained at an elevated pressure relative to the ambient air, is provided within the preheater zone (12), with the chamber (56) pressurized by gases supplied by the jet pipes (18). A sealing arrangement defined by the pressure chamber (56) and the articles passing through the furnace prevents the introduction of cool air through the preheater zone (12).

Abstract: An industrial heating furnace wherein hot exhaust gases from the furnace are heat exchanged in a rotary ceramic heat exchanger with air which is supplied to burners in the furnace for combustion air. The temperature of the gases within the furnace is controlled and the ratio of the flow of gases through the two sides of the rotary heat exchanger is controlled at a predetermined value which is approximately one to maximize efficiency of the furnace operation and to minimize thermal stresses on the ceramic heat exchanger.

Abstract: A drying oven for painted surfaces wherein the work is heated and dried by heated, high pressurized air blown against the work as it passes through the oven. A plurality of elongated pipes, each of which have a plurality of nozzle openings therealong, direct the air against the work. The heat of incineration of the solvents stripped from the work is recovered for makeup heated air to the furnace. One or more ceramic rotary heat exchangers are used to transfer the heat from the incineration exhaust gases to the fresh air. Energy required for circulating air through the furnace is minimized by supplying makeup air with a fan to a cold side of the rotary ceramic heat exchanger.

Abstract: An incinerator for combustible fumes in a mixture of such fumes and air wherein the fumes are raised to incineration temperature by combustion of a normally liquid fuel such as oil. The fumes and air mixture is first heated, preferably by heat exchange with the combustion chamber, to the vaporization temperature of the liquid fuel which is injected in atomized form into the heated fume and air mixture. The fume and air mixture along with the vaporized liquid fuel is then drawn through a fan which substantially homogeneously disperses the vaporized liquid fuel in the fume and air mixture and passes the homogeneous mixture to a combustion zone having a flame grid through which the liquid fuel-containing mixture passes. The liquid fuel in the mixture is ignited at the flame grid to form a flame curtain which raises the temperature of the fume and air mixture to incineration or oxidation temperature of the fumes. The fumes are thus oxidized and can thereafter be exhausted to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A heat exchanger and mounting structure therefor for use in connection with incinerators, for example, the heat exchanger formed of a ceramic wheel with a central core and an annular portion with gas passages extending axially therethrough. The ceramic wheel is mounted at the central core with a mounting means which comprises first and second wedge members in abutting relationship with opposite sides of the core. Means bias the wedge members towards each other so that the core is resiliently held substantially under compression between the two wedge members to eliminate tension stresses on the ceramic wheel due to thermal expansion differences between the ceramic wheel and the mounting structure therefor. The mounting structure includes a first shaft secured to the first wedge member and a second shaft, tubular in shape and concentrically mounted on the first shaft, the second shaft being secured to the second wedge member.

Abstract: A heat exchanger and mounting structure therefor for use in connection with incinerators, for example, the heat exchanger formed of a ceramic wheel with a central core and an annular portion with gas passages extending axially therethrough. The ceramic wheel is mounted at the central core with a mounting means which comprises first and second wedge members in abutting relationship with opposite sides of the core. Means bias the wedge members towards each other so that the core is resiliently held under compression between the two wedge members to eliminate tension stresses on the ceramic wheel due to thermal expansion differences between the ceramic wheel and the mounting structure therefor. The mounting structure includes a first shaft secured to the first wedge member and a second shaft, tubular in shape and concentrically mounted on the first shaft, the second shaft being secured to the second wedge member. The shafts are supported on the cool side of the heat exchanger wheel by a pair of bearings.

Abstract: An incinerator for combustible fumes in a mixture of such fumes and air wherein the fumes are raised to incineration temperature by combustion of a normally liquid fuel such as oil. The fumes and air mixture is first heated, preferably by heat exchange with the combustion chamber, to the vaporization temperature of the liquid fuel which is injected in atomized form into the heated fume and air mixture. The fume and air mixture along with the vaporized liquid fuel is then drawn through a fan which substantially homogeneously disperses the vaporized liquid fuel in the fume and air mixture and passes the homogeneous mixture to a combustion zone having a flame grid through which the liquid fuel-containing mixture passes. The liquid fuel in the mixture is ignited at the flame grid to form a flame curtain which raises the temperature of the fume and air mixture to incineration or oxidation temperature of the fumes. The fumes are thus oxidized and can thereafter be exhausted to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A fume incinerator having a rotary heat exchanger with a novel seal structure therefor. A rotating rotary heat exchanger wheel is positioned in the mouth of a tubular incinerator having a closed end wall opposite to the rotary heat exchanger. A baffle extends from the heat exchanger wheel to a point spaced from the closed end of the incinerator so that the fume and air mixture, after passing through one side of the heat exchanger wheel, is passed through one side of the incinerator wherein it is heated to a temperature sufficient to oxidize the fumes in the mixture, passes around the end of the baffle to the other side of the incinerator and through the other side of the heat exchanger wheel. The fume and air mixture is preheated from the heat of combustion as it passes through the heat exchanger wheel. The heat exchanger wheel is axially tapered and a seal member surrounding the heat exchanger is likewise tapered in a complementary manner.