Mechanical Development of a Rotary Regenerator for a 600 hp Gas Turbine Engine

The rotary regenerator offers a number of potential advantages over a static recuperator as a heat exchanger for the recovery of exhaust heat in the gas-turbine cycle. Realization of these advantages requires the development of solutions to major mechanical design problems relating to dynamic seals, matrix construction, and drum support. These problem areas are discussed and the design approaches that were selected and evaluated during the development of a regenerator for a 600 hp engine are presented.