Some Essential Principles for Adjustment of Seal Clearances in Rotary Regenerators

Abstract

Abstract In the present study, attention is paid to some indispensable principles for making a useful adjustment of seal clearances in a rotary regenerator, illustrated by means of examples. First, the effect of leakages and their distribution within such a heat exchanger on the efficiency of a steam power plant is presented. In this way it is shown that not only total leakage but also the distribution of the leakages within the rotary regenerator have an important influence on the efficiency. An interesting conclusion appears here—reduction in total leakage may even bring about a drop in power plant efficiency if distribution of leakages changes unfavorably. Second, in order to show in which rotor state seal clearances should be adjusted, appropriate examples of experimental results concerning radial seal clearances in the hot and cold rotor state are compared. Next, on the basis of a leakage network and some experimental data before and after reduction in radial seal clearances, the effect of reduction ...