Rotor design with double seals for horizontal air preheaters

A method for increasing the number of seals in a horizontal air preheater having first and second axial ends, a rotor housing, a plurality of sector plates disposed on said axial ends dividing said air preheater into a flue gas sector and at least one air sector, and a rotor disposed within said rotor housing, said rotor having a post, a rotor shell and a plurality of original diaphragms extending radially from the post to the rotor shell, said original diaphragms each having an outboard radial edge and first and second axial edges, said rotor shell and said original diaphragms defining a plurality of original compartments, said rotor further having a plurality of original heat exchange baskets stored in said original compartments, a plurality of original gratings and/or original stay plates mounted within said original compartments for mounting said original baskets, an original radial seal extending from each axial edge of each of said original diaphragms, an original axial seal support bar mounted to each of said outboard radial edges of said original diaphragms, and an original axial seal extending from each of said original support bars, the method including the steps of:

• removing the original baskets from the original compartments;
• removing the original radial seals and the original gratings;
• modifying or removing the original stay plates;
• mounting a diaphragm inner support plate within each original compartment;
• mounting hot and cold end plates to the post and an inboard portion of the original diaphragm;
• mounting an intermediate diaphragm to the inner support plate and the rotor shell;
• mounting new gratings and/or stay plates to the intermediate diaphragms and original diaphragms;
• mounting additional hot and cold end axial seal support bars to the rotor shell and intermediate diaphragm
• mounting axial seals on the original axial seal support bars and on the additional axial seal support bars;
• mounting radial seals on the axial edges of the original diaphragms and the intermediate diaphragms;
• and
• installing new heat transfer baskets in each of the compartments formed by the original diaphragms, the intermediate diaphragms, and the rotor shell.

A method for increasing the number of seals in a horizontal air preheater having first and second axial ends, a rotor housing, a plurality of sector plates disposed on said axial ends, and a rotor disposed within said rotor housing, said rotor having a post, a rotor shell and a plurality of original diaphragms extending radially from the post to the rotor shell, said original diaphragms each having an outboard radial edge and first and second axial edges, said rotor shell and said original diaphragms defining a plurality of original compartments, said rotor further having a plurality of original heat exchange baskets stored in said original compartments, a plurality of original gratings and original stay plates mounted within said original compartments for mounting said original baskets, an original radial seal extending from each axial edge of each of said original diaphragms, an original axial seal support bar mounted to each of said outboard radial edges of said original diaphragms, and an original axial seal extending from each of said original support bars, the method including the steps of:

• removing the original baskets from the original compartments;
• removing the original radial seals and the original gratings;
• modifying or removing the original stay plates;
• mounting a diaphragm inner support plate within each original compartment;
• mounting hot and cold end plates to the post and an inboard portion of the original diaphragm;
• mounting an intermediate diaphragm to the inner support plate and the rotor shell;
• mounting new gratings and stay plates to the intermediate diaphragms and original diaphragms;
• mounting additional hot and cold end axial seal support bars to the rotor shell and intermediate diaphragm
• mounting axial seals on the original axial seal support bars and on the additional axial seal support bars;
• mounting radial seals on the axial edges of the original diaphragms and the intermediate diaphragms;
• and
• installing new heat transfer baskets in each of the compartments formed by the original diaphragms, the intermediate diaphragms, and the rotor shell.

A method for increasing the number of seals in a horizontal air preheater having first and second axial ends, a rotor housing, a plurality of sector plates disposed on said axial ends, and a rotor disposed within said rotor housing, said rotor having a post, a rotor shell and a plurality of original diaphragms extending radially from the post to the rotor shell, said original diaphragms each having an outboard radial edge and first and second axial edges, said rotor shell and said original diaphragms defining a plurality of original compartments, said rotor further having a plurality of original heat exchange baskets stored in said original compartments, a plurality of original gratings and original stay plates mounted within said original compartments for mounting said original baskets, an original radial seal extending from each axial edge of each of said original diaphragms, an original axial seal support bar mounted to each of said outboard radial edges of said original diaphragms, and an original axial seal extending from each of said original support bars, the method including the steps of:

• removing the original baskets from the original compartments;
• removing the original radial seals and the original gratings;
• removing the original stay plates if installed;
• mounting a diaphragm inner support plate within each original compartment;
• mounting hot and cold end plates to the post and an inboard portion of the original diaphragm;
• mounting an intermediate diaphragm to the inner support plate and the rotor shell;
• mounting new gratings to the intermediate diaphragms and original diaphragms;
• mounting additional hot and cold end axial seal support bars to the rotor shell and intermediate diaphragm
• mounting axial seals on the original axial seal support bars and on the additional axial seal support bars;
• mounting radial seals on the axial edges of the original diaphragms and the intermediate diaphragms;
• and
• installing new heat transfer baskets in each of the compartments formed by the original diaphragms, the intermediate diaphragms, and the rotor shell.

A method for increasing the number of seals in a horizontal air preheater having first and second axial ends, a rotor housing, a plurality of sector plates disposed on said axial ends, and a rotor disposed within said rotor housing, said rotor having a post, a rotor shell and a plurality of original diaphragms extending radially from the post to the rotor shell, said original diaphragms each having an outboard radial edge and first and second axial edges, said rotor shell and said original diaphragms defining a plurality of original compartments, said rotor further having a plurality of original heat exchange baskets stored in said original compartments, a plurality of original gratings and original stay plates mounted within said original compartments for mounting said original baskets, an original radial seal extending from each axial edge of each of said original diaphragms, an original axial seal support bar mounted to each of said outboard radial edges of said original diaphragms, and an original axial seal extending from each of said original support bars, the method including the steps of:

• removing the original baskets from the original compartments;
• removing the original radial seals and the original gratings;
• modifying or removing the original stay plates;
• mounting a diaphragm inner support plate within each original compartment;
• mounting hot and cold end plates to the post and an inboard portion of the original diaphragm;
• mounting an intermediate diaphragm to the inner support plate and the rotor shell;
• mounting the modified of new stay plates to the intermediate diaphragms and original diaphragms;
• mounting additional hot and cold end axial seal support bars to the rotor shell and intermediate diaphragm
• mounting axial seals on the original axial seal support bars and on the additional axial seal support bars;
• mounting radial seals on the axial edges of the original diaphragms and the intermediate diaphragms;
• and
• installing new heat transfer baskets in each of the compartments formed by the original diaphragms, the intermediate diaphragms, and the rotor shell.