Regenerator strongback design

Claim 2

A regenerator for the direct transfer of heat from engine exhaust gases to air entering the engine''s combustion chamber comprising: a plate-fin type heat exchange core having generally rectangular plates extending parallel to one another with fluid passages formed therebetween; means spacing said plates including bar members extending along the edges of said plates for forming alternating air and gas passages between adjacent plates; said gas passages formed between pairs of adjacent plates and having bars extending along opposite side edges of said plates, the spaces along opposite end edges of said plates being left open for introducing gas to one end of the heater core and discharging the gas from the other end of the heater core; said air passages formed between pairs of adjacent plates alternately with said gas passages and having bars which extend along both side and end edges of said plates; air inlet means adjacent one end of said heater core being fluidly connected to said air passages for introducing air to said heater core; air outlet means adjacent the other end of said heater core being fluidly connected to said air passages for discharging air from said heater core; support means around said heat exchanger core for holding said plates together against the force of compressed air in said air passages which tends to separate the plates from one another; said support means including individual band members extending around said core which are separated from one another to permit relative movement therebetween whereby upon subjection of the core to high temperature gases, the plates may expand in a direction normal to the plane of the band members causing said members to move with respect to one another without exerting a restraining force on said core plates thus minimizing the formation of stresses which might be caused by a less rapidly expanding one piece support structure.

Claim 3

A regenerator for the direct transfer of heat from engine exhaust gases to air entering the engine''s combustion chamber comprising: a plate-fin type heat exchange core having generally rectangular plates extending parallel to one another with fluid passages formed therebetween; means spacing said plates including bar members extending along the side edges of said plates for forming alternating air and gas passages between adjacent plates; said gas passages formed between pairs of adjacent plates and having bars extending along opposite side edges of said plates, the space along opposite end edges of said plates being left open for introducing gas to one end of the heater core and for discharging the gas from the other end of the heater core; said air passages formed between pairs of adjacent plates alternately with said gas passages and having bars which extend along both side and end edges of said plates; air inlet means adjacent one end of said heater core being fluidly connected to said air passages for introducing air to said heater core; air outlet means adjacent another end of said heater core being fluidly connected to said air passages for discharging air from said heater core; support means around sAid heat exchange core for holding said plates together against the force of compressed air in said air passages which tends to separate the plates from each other; said support means including individual band members extending around said core in planes normal to the flow of fluid in said passages and which are separated from one another to permit relative movement between said individual band members without exerting a restraining force upon said core plates whereby upon subjection of the core to high temperature gases, the plates expand in a direction normal to the plane of the band members which causes said band members to move with respect to one another thus minimizing the formation of stresses which would be caused by a less rapidly expanding one piece support structure.

Claim 4

A regenerator for the direct transfer of heat from engine exhaust gases to air entering the engine''s combustion chamber comprising: a plate-fin type heat exchange core having generally rectangular plates extending parallel to one another with fluid passages formed therebetween; means spacing said plates including bar members extending along the side edges of said plates for forming alternating air and gas passages between adjacent plates; said gas passages formed between pairs of adjacent plates and having bars extending along opposite side edges of said plates, the space along opposite end edges of said plates being left open for introducing gas to one end of the heater core and for discharging the gas from the other end of the heater core; said air passages formed between pairs of adjacent plates alternately with said gas passages and having bars which extend along both side and end edges of said plates; air inlet means adjacent one end of said heater core being fluidly connected to said air passages for introducing air to said heater core; air outlet means adjacent another end of said heater core being fluidly connected to said air passages for discharging air from said heater core; support means around sAid heat exchange core for holding said plates together against the force of compressed air in said air passages which tends to separate the plates from each other; said support means including individual band members extending around said core in planes normal to the flow of fluid in said passages and which are separated from one another to permit relative movement between said individual band members without exerting a restraining force upon said core plates whereby upon subjection of the core to high temperature gases, the plates expand in a direction normal to the plane of the band members which causes said band members to move with respect to one another thus minimizing the formation of stresses which would be caused by a less rapidly expanding one piece support structure.

Claim 5

A regenerator for the direct transfer of heat from engine exhaust gases to air entering the engine''s combustion chamber comprising: two rectangular heat exchange cores extending along side one another with their adjacent side walls spaced from one another; each heat exchange core having generally rectangular plates which extend parallel to one another with fluid passages formed therebetween; means spacing said plates from each other including bar members extending along the side edges of said plates for forming alternating air and gas passages between adjacent plates; said gas passages formed between adjacent plates and having bars extending along opposite side edges of said plates; the spaces along the opposite end edges of said plates being left open to define a gas inlet in one end of the heater core and an outlet in the other end of the heater core; said air passages formed between adjacent plates alternately with said gas passages and having bars which extend along both side and end edges of said plates; air inlet means extending between said side-by-side cores near one end of said heater core and being fluidly connected to said air passages for introducing air to said heater cores; air outlet means extending between said cores near the other end of said heater cores and being fluidly connected to said air passages for receiving air from said cores; said inlet and outlet means including elongated members between said cores having spherically shaped portions which enclose the space between said cores for passing the relatively high pressure air therein; support means around said heat exchange cores for holding said plates together against the force of pressurized air in said air passages which tends to separate the plate from each other; said support means including individual band members extending around said core in planes normal to the flow of hot gases in said gas passages and which are separated from one another to permit band members to move with respect to each other in a direction parallel to the flow of hot gas through the cores whereby upon subjection of the cores to high temperature gases, the plate expands in a direction generally parallel to the flow of hot gases through the cores which causes said band members to move with respect to one another for minimizing the formation of stresses which would be caused by a less rapidly expanding one piece support member.

Claim 6

A regenerator for the direct transfer of heat from engine exhaust gases to air entering the engine''s combustion chamber comprising: two rectangular heat exchange cores extending along side one another with their adjacent side walls spaced from one another; each heat exchange core having generally rectangular plates which extend parallel to one another with fluid passages formed therebetween; means spacing said plates from each other including bar members extending along the side edges of said plates for forming alternating air and gas passages between adjacent plates; said gas passages formed between adjacent plates and having bars extending along opposite side edges of said plates; the spaces along the opposite end edges of said plates being left open to define a gas inlet in one end of the heater core and an outlet in the other end of the heater core; said air passages formed between adjacent plates alternately with said gas passages and having bars which extend along both side and end edges of said plates; air inlet means extending between said side-by-side cores near one end of said heater core and being fluidly connected to said air passages for introducing air to said heater cores; air outlet means extending between said cores near the other end of said heater cores and being fluidly connected to said air passages for receiving air from said cores; said inlet and outlet means including elongated members between said cores having spherically shaped portions which enclose the space between said cores for passing the relatively high pressure air therein; support means around said heat exchange cores for holding said plates together against the force of pressurized air in said air passages which tends to separate the plate from each other; said support means including individual band members extending around said core in planes normal to the flow of hot gases in said gas passages and which are separated from one another to permit band members to move with respect to each other in a direction parallel to the flow of hot gas through the cores whereby upon subjection of the cores to high temperature gases, the plate expands in a direction generally parallel to the flow of hot gases through the cores which causes said band members to move with respect to one another for minimizing the formation of stresses which would be caused by a less rapidly expanding one piece support member.