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US 4,966,228 AGranted
Regenerative gas-to-gas heat exchanger
AssigneeSedum Corporation
InventorSherwood L. Fawcett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A regenerative gas-to-gas heat exchanger having a plurality of superposed spaced, parallel beds of confined metal flakes adapted for gas flow therethrough; four gas plenums surrounding the beds, each plenum communicating with one side only of all the beds; means for supplying a relatively hot gas to one plenum, means for supplying a relatively cold gas to an opposite plenum, each of the remaining plenums communicating with a separate outlet; and sliding gate valve means in each plenum adjacent one side of the beds, means for moving the gate valve means to a first position and to a second position for controlling the directions of gas flow and alternately extracting and releasing heat therefrom.
Claims16
A regenerative gas-to-gas heat exchanger comprising:
- (A) a plurality of superposed spaced, parallel, four-sided beds of confined metal particles, each of said beds having a thickness permitting gas flow therethrough without substantial pressure drop, said metal particles having a high surface area to bulk volume ratio, a capability of attaining substantially instantaneous temperature equilibrium at any point within a bed and only slight heat conductivity through a bed, an imperforate partition parallel to said beds and separating one half of said beds from another half, thereby preventing gas flow between said one half and said other half;
- (B) four gas plenums surrounding said beds, each plenum communicating with one side only of all said beds;
- (C) means for continuously supplying a relatively hot gas to one of said plenums, means for continuously supplying a relatively cold gas to another of said plenums opposite from said one plenum, each of the remaining plenums communicating with a separate outlet;
- and
- (D) sliding gate valve means in each said plenum adjacent one side of said beds and configured to communicate with spaces between said beds, means for moving said gate valve means in unison to a first position which directs gas flow through said one plenum across and through said one half of said beds and out of one of said remaining plenums into one of said outlets and which directs gas flow through said opposite plenum across and through said other half of said beds and out of the other of said remaining plenums into the other of said outlets for a predetermined period of time, and to a second position which reverses said gas flows through said beds for said predetermined period of time, whereby said one half of said beds alternately first extracts heat from said gas flow and then releases heat thereto, while said other half of said beds alternately first releases heat to said gas flow and then extracts heat therefrom, except during movement of said gate valve means between said first and second positions.
2 more elements
Apparatus for gas-to-gas heat exchange and mass transfer comprising:
- (A) a plurality of superposed spaced, parallel, four-sided beds of confined metal particles, each of said beds having a thickness permitting gas flow therethrough without substantial pressure drop, said metal particles having a high surface area to bulk volume ratio and being coated with absorbent or adsorbent material capable of removing moisture or contaminants from gases passing therethrough, an imperforate partition parallel to said beds and separating one half of said beds from another half, thereby preventing gas flow between said one half and said other half;
- (B) four gas plenums surrounding said beds, each plenum communicating with one side only of all said beds;
- (C) means for continuously supplying a relatively hot gas to one of said plenums, means for continuously supplying a relatively cold moist and/or contaminated gas to another of said plenums opposite from said one plenum, each of the remaining plenums communicating with a separate outlet;
- and
- (D) sliding gate valve means in each said plenum adjacent one side of said beds and configured to communicate with spaces between said beds, means for moving said gate valve means in unison to a first position which directs gas flow through said one plenum across and through said one half of said beds and out of one of said remaining plenums into one of said outlets and which directs gas flow through said opposite plenum across and through said other half of said beds and out of the other of said remaining plenum into the other of said outlets for a predetermined period of time, and to a second position which reverses said gas flows through said beds for said predetermined period of time, whereby said one half of said beds alternately first releases heat to said gas flow and removes moisture and/or contaminants therefrom and then extracts heat therefrom and discharges said moisture and/or contaminants, while said other half of said beds alternately first extracts heat from said gas flow and discharges said moisture and/or contaminants and then releases heat to said gas flow and removes moisture and contaminants therefrom, except during movement of said gate valve means between said first and second positions.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.