US 4,825,936 A · Rotary heat regenerator

Abstract

A rotary heat regenerator assembly comprising an enclosure, a regenerator matrix disposed in the enclosure and releasably mounted on a matrix support secured to a rotatable shaft, a first air passage and associated blower for forcing air through a portion of the regenerator wheel, and a second air passage and associated blower for forcing air to flow through another portion of the regenerator wheel. The matrix and matrix support are designed so that rotational drive is transmitted from the rotatable shaft to the matrix via the matrix support and so that the matrix can be easily and quickly inserted on and removed from the matrix support. A blower driving motor and the blowers are mounted on a common shaft. Speed reducing driving means connects the common shaft to the rotatable shaft carrying the matrix.

Claims12

Dependent claims

In a rotary heat regenerator including a rotatable regenerator matrix formed of a spiral wound strip, the improvement comprising a drive shaft mounted for rotation about a first axis, a matrix support for releasably supporting said matrix, said matrix support being disposed on the drive shaft for rotation about said axis and having a plurality of support arms, said arms being secured to and radially extending from said shaft and being angularly displaced from one another around said axis so as to rotate in a plane when said drive shaft rotates about said axis, said matrix including a like plurality of radial grooves formed in the lower surface thereof, wherein the grooves and the arms are dimensioned so that (1) said arms are respectively seated in said grooves, (2) the lower edges of the arms are substantially flush with the lower surface of the matrix when said arms support said matrix and (3) said grooves can easily be easily removed from said arms.

A rotary heat regenerator assembly comprising:

an enclosure;
a regenerator matrix formed of a spiral wound strip disposed in said enclosure, said matrix including radial groove means formed on one surface of said matrix;
a rotatable shaft disposed in said enclosure and mounted to rotated about the axis of said shaft;
matrix support means for releasably supporting said regenerator matrix, said matrix support means comprising a plurality of support arms, said arms being secured to and extending radially from said rotatable shaft and being angularly displaced from one another around said axis so as to (a) rotate in a rotation plane when said rotatable shaft rotates about said axis, and (b) engage said radial groove means of said regenerator matrix so that said matrix is supported by said arms and permit said regnerative matrix to be (i) readily positionable on and removable from said matrix support, (ii) rotatably driven about said axis by said matrix support and (iii) prevented from moving in a direction against said arms along said axis;
means for defining a first air passageway, wherein a first portion of said matrix is disposed in said first air passageway;
a first blower, associated with said first air passageway, for forcing air through said first air passageway and said first matrix portion;
means for defining a second air passageway, wherein a second portion of said matrix different from said first portion is disposed in said second air passageway;
a second blower, associated with said second air passageway, for forcing air through said second air passageway and said second matrix portion;
a blower driver motor for driving said first and second blowers;
and
speed reduction driving means for coupling said motor to said rotatable shaft so that said motor rotatably drives said matrix about said axis.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Rotary heat regenerator

Life of this patent

Rotary heat regenerator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12