Gas turbine regenerator

Claim 1

A gas turbine regenerator through which the exhaust gasses of a gas turbine are adapted to pass in heat exchange relation with combustion air of the gas turbine for injecting cooling fluid into; and heating, the combustion air enteringing said gas turbine comprising: a conduit having an inlet for receiving the combustion air and an outlet for discharging same, a tube sheet connected to and supported by said conduit, a header connected to said tube sheet, a plurality of tubes extending parallel to said conduit, one end of each of said tubes being supported by said tube sheet in communication with said header, whereby said header reverses the fluid flow from said conduit and passes said combustion air into said tubes, an additional tube sheet supporting the other ends of said tubes, a sleeve connected at one end to the conduit close to the inlet thereof and to said additional tube sheet at a free end thereof spaced from said conduit inlet and surrounding a portion of said conduit with the inner wall of said sleeve extending in a spaced relation to the outer surface of said conduit to permit relative movement therebetween, an additional header connected to said additional tube sheet and to said sleeve at the end thereof close to the conduit inlet, said additional header adapted to receive said combustion air from said other ends of said tubes and discharge same from the outlet formed therethrough, and a housing having a circular cross-section located coaxially with respect to said conduit the tubes enclosed in an annular space defined between said housing and conduit having an inlet for receiving the exhaust gases of said gas turbine and an inlet for discharging said same in a counterflow relation to said combustion air in said tubes, said exhaust gases being at a relatively high temperature than said combustion air with the resultant thermal expansion of said tubes being accommodated by movement of said sleeve and therefore said additional tube sheet and additional header relative to said conduit; at least one support unit for supporting tubes in a spaced relation within the housing, said unit comprising a plurality of interconnected strips formed into a grid pattern defining a first series of openings for respectively receiving said tubes said openings spaced uniformly about the exterior surface of the tubes forming a spaced sleeve thereabout, and a second series of openings for permitting the passage of the combustion air therethrough, said strips being interlaced with at least one side being slotted to facilitate said interconnection, and a fluid injection means for injecting of cooling fluid into the conduit near the inlet for mixing with said combustion air, the heat exchange between the combustion air gases being sufficient to vaporize the cooling fluid.