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US 3,939,904 AGranted
Rotary disc regenerator
OwnerAlbert H. Beaufrereinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Rotary disc regenerator, and regenerative air-cooled gas turbine engines embodying the same, characterized by non-rubbing seals which are effective to minimize air-to-exhaust leakage and make it possible to employ a sheet metal matrix as the heat exchange means of the regenerator.
Claims13
In a rotary heat exchanger, useful as a regenerator for gas turbine engines, the combination of a rotary disc comprising:
- hub means at the center of the disc and having an outer surface which is of outwardly convex radial cross-sectional shape,
- an annular member forming the outer periphery of the disc and having an inner surface of inwardly convex radial cross-sectional shape, and
- a heat exchange matrix comprising two elongated thin metal sheets each having a width equal to the axial thickness of the matrix, one of said sheets being transversely corrugated and the other being uncorrugated, said sheets being disposed in mutual face-to-face engagement and arranged in a closed
- spiral which is concentric with the axis of rotation and in which the uncovered crests of the corrugations of said one sheet in each convolution of the spiral are in contact with said other sheet in the next adjacent convolution of the spiral, the edges of said sheets at each side of the disc lying in a common plane and constituting the face of the matrix,
- said spiral having an effective radial thickness such as to completely fill the annular space between said hub means and said annular member,
- the inner and outer surfaces of said matrix being generally right cylindrical when the matrix is cool and undistorted,
- the central portions of the inner and outer surfaces of said matrix being affixed to the central portions of said outer surface of said hub means and said inner surface of said annular member, respectively;
- and a stationary seal device disposed adjacent one of the
- faces of the matrix constituted by the edges of said sheets, said seal device being constructed and arranged to enclose an air flow space through which air under pressure can be supplied to the matrix in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the disc, said seal device comprising:
- bimetal means extending at least generally along a diameter of the matrix in close proximity to but out of contact with said one face, said bimetal means being operative to wrap the seal device in conformity to said one face of the matrix as the matrix warps under the influence of temperature changes, whereby close proximity of the seal device to the matrix is preserved and rubbing of the matrix against the seal device is avoided.
7 more elements
In a rotary heat exchanger useful as a regenerator for gas turbine engines, the combination of a rotary disc comprising:
- hub means located at the center of the disc and having an outer surface which is of outwardly convex radial cross-sectional shape, an annular member forming the outer periphery of the disc and having an inner surface of inwardly convex radial cross-sectional shape, and
- an integrated axial through flow heat exchange matrix which, when cool and undistorted, has generally right cylindrical inner and outer peripheral surfaces and two circular major faces which are flat and lie in planes transverse to the axis of rotation of the disc,
- said matrix defining heat exchange passages extending from one of said major faces to the other and through which gas can flow in heat exchange relation to the matrix,
- said matrix, when cool and undistorted, having an effective thickness, in a plane intermediate said major faces, such as to completely fill the annular space between said hub means and said annular member in said intermediate plane, the intermediate portions of said inner and outer surfaces of said matrix being affixed to the intermediate portions of said outer surface of said hub means and said inner surface of said annular member, respectively,
- said matrix, when heated, expanding radially in the portions thereof adjacent said major faces, with space for such expansion being afforded by the fact that the radial distance between said onvex surfaces increases from said intermediate portions toward said major faces, such expansion being accompanied by a corresponding bowing of said major faces;
- and
- a stationary seal device mounted adjacent one of said major faces of said matrix, said seal device being constructed and arranged to enclose a gas flow space through which gas under pressure can be supplied to the matrix in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said disc, said seal device comprising:
- bimetal means extending at least generally along a diameter of the matrix in close proximity to but out of contact with said one major face,
- said bimetal means being operative to warp the seal device in conformity to said one major face of said matrix as that face warps under the influence of temperature changes, whereby close proximity of the seal device to said one major face of the matrix is preserved and rubbing of the matrix against the seal device is avoided.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.