Rotary pre-heater for high temperature operation

An insulation retaining assembly for a high temperature rotary pre-heater having a rotor including a cold-end rotor and a hot-end rotor, the insulation retaining assembly comprising:

• a plurality of retainer elements radially restrained relative to the rotor, each of the plurality of retainer elements comprising:
• a root end adapted to be held in fixed relationship to the cold-end rotor;
• a distal end proximate to and in moveable relationship to the hot-end rotor;
• and
• an elongate axial portion extending between the root end and the distal end, the elongate axial portion being in moveable relationship with the hot-end rotor,
• wherein the distal end of each retainer element cooperate with one another to form a distal end circumferential expansion facilitating feature between adjacent distal ends for circumferential movement of adjacent distal ends relative to one another.