Some Aspects of the Design and Operation of Low Temperature Regenerators

Abstract

Regenerators are used extensively in low temperature plants to cool the feed gas to the operating temperature, usually the dew point of the gas, by heat exchange with the outgoing product and waste gases. This type of heat exchanger was first suggested by Frankl [1]. It is fundamentally a heat storage device and usually consists of two cylindrical vessels packed with metal ribbon (Frankl packing) or stones. The warm feed gas and cold return gas are switched alternately between the vessels, so that the heat of the feed gas, stored in the packing is used to heat the return gas to room temperature and vice-versa. At the warm end of the vessels the gas streams are switched by externally operated valves through a timing mechanism and at the cold end by check valves which open or close according to the direction and force of the gas pressure exerted on them.