Adjusting means of rotary regenerative sector plate heat exchangers

Claim 1

In adjusting means for a rotary regenerative heat exchanger, the head exchanger comprising a regenerator body and ducts, said regenerator body and ducts being rotatable relative to each other, said regenerator body having sector plates, sector plate sealing members and at least one circumferential metal flange supported by said regenerator body: said adjusting means comprising adjusting linkages coupled to said sealing members for adjusting said sealing members, linkage actuating means coupled to said adjusting linkages of said sealing members and which, in response to a thermal deformation of the regenerator body to dish-like shape of the end surfaces of the regenerator body and the corresponding variation of the sealing spaces, actuates said adjusting linkages of said sealing members so as to maintain a predetermined sealing space, and at least one sensing means coupled to each sealing member, adjacent said circumferential metal flange supported by the regenerator body; the improvement wherein said sensing means comprises an electrically conducting sensing element (56) which is insulated from the respective sealing member and which is positioned close to but spaced from said circumferential metal flange, a control circuit, (19; 39; 33) electrically coupled to said sensing element (56) and to said circumferential metal flange (17', 31', 37') for generating control signals indicating variations of electrical capacity which result in response to variations of the distance between said circumferential metal flange and said sensing element (56), said control signals being supplied to said linkage actuating means for controlling the ajusting of said sealing members (9; 11).