Heat Recovery and Pressure Control Unit

Abstract

A system for heat recovery and pressure control including: a fresh air heat exchanger with at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit, a pre-heater heat exchanger with at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit, and a proportioning valve coupled to the conduits. The fresh air heat exchanger is adapted to warm the fresh air by transferring heat from the at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit. The pre-heater heat exchanger is adapted to pre-heat the contaminated air by transferring heat from the at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit. The conduits are adapted to receive hot air and transfer heat from the hot air. The proportioning valve is adapted to control the flow of hot air through the conduits.

1 . A system for heat recovery and pressure control, the system comprising:
 a fresh air heat exchanger comprising
 a fresh air inlet, 
 at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit, and 
 a fresh air outlet; 
   a pre-heater heat exchanger comprising
 a pre-heater inlet, 
 at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit, and 
 a pre-heater outlet; and 
   a proportioning valve coupled to the at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit and the at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit, the proportioning valve comprising:
 a valve plate, 
   wherein the fresh air heat exchanger is adapted to receive fresh air in the fresh air inlet, warm the fresh air by transferring heat from the at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit, and transmit the warmed fresh air through the fresh air outlet,   wherein the pre-heater heat exchanger is adapted to receive contaminated air in the pre-heater inlet, pre-heat the contaminated air by transferring heat from the at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit, and transmit the pre-heated contaminated air through the pre-heater outlet;   wherein the at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit and the at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit are adapted to receive hot air and transfer the heat from the hot air, and   wherein the proportioning valve is adapted to control a flow of the hot air through the at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit and the at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the fresh air heat exchanger further or the pre-heater heat exchanger comprises at least one baffle and at least two passes, wherein the baffle is adapted to increase a length of a path that the air travels through the heat exchanger by guiding the air through the at least two passes. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the fresh air heat exchanger or the pre-heater heat exchanger further comprises a gap between the at least one heat exchanger conduit and an interior wall of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising an expansion box adapted to receive hot air and transmit the hot air to the at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit and the at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit in accordance with pressures in the at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit and the at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the proportioning valve is further adapted to be controlled based upon at least one of the temperatures of the fresh air exiting the fresh air heat exchanger or the temperature of the contaminated air exiting the pre-heater heat exchanger in accordance with a measurement of a temperature of the fresh air or a measurement of a temperature of the contaminated air. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the fresh air heat exchanger and the pre-heater heat exchanger further comprises a heat exchanger conduit plate attached to an end of the at least one heat exchanger conduit and adapted to receive at least one gasket around a perimeter of the heat exchanger conduit plate so that an air-tight seal is maintained between the heat exchanger conduit plate and an interior wall of the heat exchanger as the heat exchanger conduit plate moves along the interior wall of the heat exchanger in accordance with an increase or decrease in a length of the at least one heat exchanger conduit. 
     
     
         7 . A method for heat recovery and pressure control, the method comprising:
 receiving fresh air in a fresh air inlet of a fresh air heat exchanger, warming the fresh air by transferring heat from at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit, and transmitting the warmed fresh air through a fresh air outlet;   receiving contaminated air in a pre-heater inlet of a pre-heater heat exchanger, pre-heating the contaminated air by transferring heat from at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit, and transmitting the pre-heated contaminated air through a pre-heater outlet;   receiving hot air in the at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit and the at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit and transferring the heat from the hot air; and   controlling the flow of the hot air through the at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit and the at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit by adjusting a proportioning valve.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising guiding the air around at least one baffle and through at least two passes in at least one of the fresh air heat exchanger and the pre-heater heat exchanger so that a length of a path traveled by the air is increased. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising passing the air through a gap between at least one of the at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit and an interior wall of the fresh air heat exchanger, and the at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit and an interior wall of the pre-heater heat exchanger. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising receiving the hot air in an expansion box and transmitting the hot air to the at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit and the at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit in accordance with pressures in the at least one fresh air heat exchanger conduit and the at least one pre-heater heat exchanger conduit. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising controlling the temperature of the fresh air exiting the fresh air heat exchanger and the temperature of the contaminated air exiting the pre-heater heat exchanger by adjusting the proportioning valve. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising maintaining an air-tight seal between at least one of a fresh air heat exchanger conduit plate and an interior wall of the fresh air heat exchanger, and a pre-heater heat exchanger conduit plate and an interior wall of the pre-heater heat exchanger, as the heat exchanger conduit plate moves along the interior wall of the heat exchanger in accordance with an increase or decrease in a length of the at least one heat exchanger conduit. 
     
     
         13 . A system for heat recovery and pressure control, the system comprising:
 a heat exchanger comprising
 an air inlet; 
 at least one heat exchanger conduit; 
 a heat exchanger conduit plate attached to an end of the at least one heat exchanger conduit and adapted to receive at least one gasket around a perimeter of the heat exchanger conduit plate; and 
 an air outlet, 
   wherein an air-tight seal is maintained between the heat exchanger conduit plate and an interior wall of the heat exchanger as the heat exchanger conduit plate moves along the interior wall of the heat exchanger in accordance with an increase or decrease in a length of the at least one heat exchanger conduit.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the heat exchanger further comprises at least one baffle and at least two passes, wherein the baffle is adapted to increase a length of a path that the air travels through the heat exchanger by guiding the air through the at least two passes. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the heat exchanger further comprises a gap between the at least one heat exchanger conduit and an interior wall of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13  further comprising an expansion box adapted to receive hot air and transmit the hot air to the at least one heat exchanger conduit in accordance with a pressure in the at least one air heat exchanger conduit. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a proportioning valve adapted to control the temperature of the air exiting the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         18 . A method for heat recovery and pressure control, the method comprising:
 receiving air in an air inlet of a heat exchanger, warming the air by transferring heat from at least one heat exchanger conduit, and transmitting the warmed air through the air outlet;   receiving hot air in the at least one heat exchanger conduit and transferring the heat from the hot air; and   wherein the heat exchanger comprises a heat exchanger conduit plate attached to an end of the at least one heat exchanger conduit and adapted to receive at least one gasket around a perimeter of the heat exchanger conduit plate so that an air-tight seal is maintained between the heat exchanger conduit plate and an interior wall of the heat exchanger as the heat exchanger conduit plate moves along the interior wall of the heat exchanger in accordance with an increase or decrease in a length of the at least one heat exchanger conduit.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising guiding the air around at least one baffle and through at least two passes in the heat exchanger so that a length of a path traveled by the air is increased. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising passing the air through a gap between the at least one exchanger conduit and an interior wall of the heat exchanger so that the air expands in the gap.