A rotary pre-heater for high temperature operation

Abstract

A rotary pre-heater having a cold-end rotor and a hot-end rotor including an insulation assembly including a plurality of elongate retainer elements. Each of the retainer elements has a root end adapted to be held in fixed relationship to the cold-end rotor and a distal end proximate to the hot-end rotor. Portions of each of the plurality of retainer elements are adapted for circumferential movement.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An insulation retaining assembly for a high temperature rotary pre-heater having a cold-end rotor and a hot-end rotor, the insulation retaining assembly comprising:
 a plurality of elongate retainer elements, each of the retainer elements having a root end adapted to be held in fixed relationship to the cold-end rotor and a distal end proximate to the hot-end rotor, portions of each of the plurality of retainer elements being adapted for circumferential movement.   
     
     
         2 . The insulation retaining assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of retainer elements has a first connection area at the root end and a second connection area at the distal end;
 a plurality of groups of retainer elements, each of the plurality of groups has at least two of the plurality of retainer elements, adjacent ones of the plurality of retainer elements in each of the groups are secured to one another at the first connection area and the second connection area; and   adjacent ones of the groups are secured to one another at the first connection area, thereby forming a closed loop about a central axis and adjacent ones of the groups are separate from one another outside of the first connection area so that each of the groups is moveable in a circumferential direction about the central axis.   
     
     
         3 . The insulation retaining assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of the retainer elements has an L-shaped configuration defining a first leg and a second leg, the second leg being shorter than the first leg and extending radially inward from the first leg. 
     
     
         4 . The insulation retaining assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the first connection area is positioned on a first end of the first leg and the second connection area is positioned on a second end of the second leg. 
     
     
         5 . A rotary pre-heater comprising:
 an annular housing;   a hot-end connecting plate having a first inlet and a first outlet, the hot-end connecting plate being secured to a first axial end of the annular housing;   a cold-end connecting plate having a second inlet and a second outlet, the cold-end connecting plate being secured to a second axial end of the annular housing;   a rotor disposed for rotation in the annular housing and between the hot-end connecting plate and the cold-end connecting plate, the rotor comprising:
 a cold-end rotor mounted for rotation on a spindle proximate the cold-end connecting plate, the cold-end rotor having a first plurality of flow passages extending therethrough; 
 a hot-end rotor assembly disposed on the cold-end rotor, the hot-end rotor assembly being proximate the hot-end connecting plate, the hot-end rotor assembly having a second plurality of flow passages extending therethrough; 
   an insulation assembly surrounding an exterior surface defined by the annular rim, the insulation assembly comprising a ceramic blanket engaging the exterior surface, and the insulation assembly comprising an insulation retaining assembly engaging the ceramic blanket, the insulation retaining assembly comprising:   a plurality of elongate retainer elements, each of the retainer elements having a root end adapted to be held in fixed relationship to the cold-end rotor and a distal end proximate to the hot-end rotor, portions of each of the plurality of retainer elements being adapted for circumferential movement.   
     
     
         6 . The rotary pre-heater of  claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of retainer elements, has a first connection area at the root end and a second connection area at the distal end;
 a plurality of groups of retainer elements, each of the plurality of groups has at least two of the plurality of retainer elements, adjacent ones of the plurality of retainer elements in each of the groups are secured to one another at the first connection area and the second connection area; and   adjacent ones of the groups are secured to one another at the first connection area, thereby forming a closed loop about a central axis and adjacent ones of the groups are separate from one another outside of the first connection area so that each of the groups is moveable in a circumferential direction about the central axis.