Air heater seals

A sealing arrangement, comprising:

• a movable element having a first surface;
• a fixed element having a second surface;
• said first surface of said movable element passing in proximity to said second surface so as to define a gap which varies size due to differential expansion between said fixed and said movable elements;
• at least one flexible sealing element having an elongated shape and an axis;
• at least one torsional element having an elongated shape, said torsional element having an axis and a peripheral surface, said torsional element further having a first end and a second end;
• each of said at least one sealing element being fixedly attached, to a corresponding of said peripheral surfaces, along a length of a corresponding said at least one torsional element in a manner so that said axis of each of said at least one sealing element is substantially parallel to said axis of a corresponding said at least one torsional element;
• said first end of said at least one torsional element being fixedly attached to one of said first surface of and said second surface;
• said second end of said at least one torsional element being free to rotate about said axis of said at least one torsional element;
• said at least one sealing element projecting across at least a portion of said gap so as to substantially obstruct fluid flow therebetween;
• and
• said at least one torsional element having a preselected torsional rigidity so as to allow said at least one sealing element to adequately rotate about said axis of said at least one torsional element in response to a force due to a varying size of said gap.

A radial seal arrangement for an air heater, comprising:

• an air heater housing having substantially a cylindrical shape.
• an air heater rotor contained within said housing, said rotor having substantially a cylindrical shape and rotating about a center axis with respect to said housing, said rotor having one or more planar elements extending from said center axis to a circumferential surface of said rotor, said planar elements lying in a plane that contains said center axis and having a top edge and a bottom edge.
• at least one sector plate covering a portion of at least one of a top and bottom of said housing, said at least one sector plate having an inner surface;
• said inner surface and said top and bottom edges defining a gap therebetween;
• said gap varying in size due to differential expansion within said rotor and said housing;
• at least one flexible sealing element having an elongated shape and an axis;
• at least one torsional element having an elongated shape, said at least one torsional element having an axis and a peripheral surface, said at least one torsional element further having a first end and a second end;
• said at least one sealing element each being fixedly attached, to a corresponding of said peripheral surfaces along a length of a corresponding said at least one torsional element in a manner so that said axis of each said at least one sealing element is parallel to said axis of a corresponding said at least one torsional element;
• said first end of each of said at least one torsional element being fixedly attached to a portion of one of said top edge and said bottom edge so that said axis of said at least one torsional element extends along one of the same;
• said second end of said at least one torsional element being free to rotate about said axis of said at least one torsional element;
• said at least one sealing element essentially projecting across at least a portion of said gap from at least one of said top and bottom edges to at least one of said inside surfaces of said at least one sector plate so as to substantially obstruct fluid flow therebetween;
• and
• said at least one torsional element having a preselected torsional rigidity so as to allow said at least one sealing element to adequately rotate about said axis of said torsional elements in response to a force due to a varying size of said gap.