Thermal storage type gas treating apparatus

A thermal storage gas treating apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of thermal storage chambers containing a thermal storage medium, each of the thermal storage chambers having one end thereof communicating with a combustion chamber having a combustion device;
• a valve member disposed between a distributor and a gas chamber device to be rotatable in slidable contact with the distributor and the gas chamber device, the distributor defining a plurality of supply and exhaust ports arranged in a direction of rotation of the valve member, each of the supply and exhaust ports communicating with the other end of one of the thermal storage chambers;
• the valve member defining a supply port for a gas to be treated and an exhaust port for a treated gas arranged to oppose to and communicate with the supply and exhaust ports of the distributor, with rotation of the valve member, the supply port and the exhaust port not opposing to or communicating with the same supply and exhaust ports simultaneously;
• a gas feed passage for communicating with the supply port of the valve member through the gas chamber device, or a gas exhaust passage for communicating with the exhaust port of the valve member through the gas chamber device;
• and
• a gas chamber device-side seal element disposed between the gas chamber device and the valve member for preventing gas leakage through a gap between the gas chamber device and the valve member;
• the valve member being rotatable to supply the gas to be treated introduced from the gas feed passage into the valve member to the distributor through the supply port, and to discharge the treated gas exhausted from the distributor to the valve member through the exhaust port to the gas exhaust passage;
• wherein the thermal storage gas treating apparatus comprises a valve biasing device for supporting the valve member to be displaceable toward and away from the gas chamber device, and pressing the valve member toward the gas chamber device while being inoperative to the distributor.

A rotation selector valve comprising:

• a main valve component and an auxiliary valve component rotatable relative to each other, with mutually opposed surfaces located close to each other;
• a plurality of auxiliary valve ports serving as passage ports of a plurality of auxiliary passages, the auxiliary valve ports being formed in an auxiliary opposite surface of the auxiliary valve component opposed to the main valve component, and arranged in a direction of the relative rotation about an axis of the relative rotation;
• and
• a plurality of main valve ports serving as passage ports of a plurality of main passages, the main valve ports being formed in a main opposite surface of the main valve component opposed to the auxiliary valve component, and arranged in the direction of the relative rotation about the axis of the relative rotation, for successively opposing to the plurality of auxiliary valve ports as a result of the relative rotation, such that two of the main valve ports adjoining each other in the direction of the relative rotation do not oppose to the same one of the auxiliary valve ports;
• wherein the rotation selector valve comprises a seal element disposed between the main opposite surface and the auxiliary opposite surface, said seal element including:
• annular seal portions surrounding the axis of rotation, and located at opposite outer sides in a direction of width of a row of the main valve ports, to be slidable in contact with the auxiliary opposite surface at opposite outer sides in a direction of a width of a row of the auxiliary valve ports as a result of the relative rotation;
• dividing seal portions located adjacent and outside two edges, seen in the direction of the relative rotation, of each of the main valve ports, and having a linear shape extending between the two annular seal portions located at the opposite outer sides in the direction of the width of the row of the main valve ports, to be slidable in contact with the auxiliary opposite surface as a result of the relative rotation;
• and
• auxiliary dividing seal portions located between the dividing seal portions adjoining each other in the closed portions between the main valve ports adjoining in the direction of the relative rotation, and having a linear shape extending between the two annular seal portions located at the opposite outer sides in the direction of width of the row of the main valve ports, to be slidable in contact with the auxiliary opposite surface as a result of the relative rotation.

A rotation selector valve comprising:

• a valve member rotatable in slidable contact with a valve seat plate, the valve seat plate defining a plurality of selectable passage ports arranged in a direction of rotation of the valve member;
• the valve member defining an internal passage having a selecting side opening at one end thereof for becoming opposed to and communicating with the plurality of selectable passage ports successively with rotation of the valve member, and a common side opening at the other end movable in the direction of rotation of the valve member;
• a passage chamber in constant communication with the common side opening of the internal passage during rotation of the valve member, the passage chamber having a common passage port formed in one location in the direction of rotation of the valve member;
• wherein the rotation selector valve comprises a resistance adjusting device that becomes an operative state for applying a fluid passage resistance to a fluid passage between the selectable passage ports opposed to and communicating with the selecting side opening of the internal passage and the common passage port when the common side opening of the internal passage approaches the common passage port by movement in the direction of rotation of the valve member accompanying the rotation of the valve member, and an inoperative state for removing the resistance when the common side opening of the internal passage moves away from the common passage port by movement in the direction of rotation of the valve member accompanying the rotation of the valve member.

A thermal storage gas treating apparatus comprising:

• a permeable, thermal storage medium layer disposed in each of a plurality of gas entrance/exit sections communicating with a combustion chamber;
• at least a portion of the thermal storage medium layer having passed a hot treated gas discharged from the combustion chamber in a preceding step passing a gas to be treated to the combustion chamber in a following step;
• and
• a switching device disposed in a gas supply and exhaust passage communicating with the combustion chamber for successively switching the thermal storage medium layers for passing the gas to be treated to the combustion chamber, and the thermal storage medium layers for passing the treated gas from the combustion chamber;
• wherein the thermal storage gas treating apparatus comprises a cooling device for cooling the treated gas from the combustion chamber, in a passage portion, of the gas supply and exhaust passage, from the treated gas exit of each of the thermal storage medium layers to the switching device, or in a treated gas entrance portion of the switching device.