Recuperator/ Regenerator History Chart

Date 1980’s

Heat Exchanger Project

Rotating regenerators

1980-82 Periodic regenerators

Application

Brayton Energy’s staff experience

Automotive gas turbine engines (AGT- Measured serious leakage and seal ware while working on DoE engine integration 100 Allied Signal) projects. Developed a novel periodic (valved) switching device for stationary regenerator modules. Though very large by comparison with rotating regenerators, the system Stationary gas turbines eliminated seal leakage. Gas turbine integration, control problems, and valve galling remain problems.

1980’s Furnace brazed monolithic plate-fin (Allied Signal)

Early microturbines (LockheedSanders) and marine (WR21)

Performed detailed stress and life analysis of the Allied Signal product. Testing of the GT601 recuperator revealed serious LCF limitations.

Solar Turbine’s PSHS

Early microturbines (Lockheed Sanders and NREC)

Performed detailed stress and life analysis of the Solar’s recup.. Testing of the recuperator revealed serious creep and fatigue limitations.

Furnace brazed monolithic plate-fin (LIMCO)

Early microturbines (NREC)

In attempt to improve upon the Allied Signal design, the team worked with LIMCO, an industrial heat exchanger manufacturer, performing FEA and rigorous testing. The results were similar to that experienced with the Allied Signal recups – LCF and cracking problems persisted.

AGT1500 Recuperator

Working for Lycoming, staff engineers participated in durability improvements, US Main Battle Tank (Lycoming, and production support, and development of advanced modular variant. This recup was early NREC microturbines) installed and tested on the early NREC/IR microturbine.

1988-92

1992

1980-1992

1992-2006 MT70 Recuperator

1999-2006

MT250 Recuperator

1996-2006 WR21 ICR Recuperator 2001-2002

TM1800 Recuperator

1998-1999 KHI-700 recup 1998-2004 PBMR Recuperator 2005-2007 2005-2007

Areva IHX

2004-2008 SolarCAT & NGMT gas turbines 2008-2009 Indirect cycle HX

Our staff engineers led this advanced and successful microturbine recup development program, from early concept to full manufacturing production. The design solved numerous problems highlighted in the past programs (above), Ingersoll-Rand 70KW Microturbine creating a strain-tolerant highly durable product. This required years of analysis and testing at component and system levels. The design also represented a breakthrough in high-volume manufacturing. Our staff engineers had key rolls in this scale-up of the MT-70 recup. The product Ingersoll-Rand 250KW Microturbine development program some new stress and manufacturing issues. Our staff engineers had key rolls in this scale-up of the MT-70 recup. Analysis and Rolls-Royce 22MW Intercooled and testing for this extremely harsh thermal cycling environment provided the basis for Recuperated Gas Turbine, Royal Navy a solid understanding of the interrelated issues involving thermal fatigue, Type 45 Destroyer metallurgy, and manufacturing processes. Turbomeca 1.8MW Gas Turbine This uses the WR21 core, introducing new challenges with engine packaging and Generator - Royal Navy aerodynamics. This was an integration of the MT-70 recup with a Kawasaki gas turbine. The Industrial gas turbine (700kWe) integration into an existing engine proved to be expensive and incurred significant losses while introducing new package-related failure mechanisms. Brayton developed and performed manufacturing process characterization of this Closed-Cycle He-HE Power large multi-core recuperator. The design incorporates the best technology from our Conversion for Pebble-Bed Modular past experiences, yielding a exceptionally compact, and cost effective design. The Reactor (Civilian Nuclear Power) customer’s durability criteria were met by a wide margin. Intermediate Heat Exchanger for Gas- This exceptionally high-temperature heat exchanger (IHX), subjected to extreme Cooled Nuclear Power Plant thermal transients was analyzed and evaluated with nuclear safety codes. Solar/hybrid gas, stationary and vehicular gas turbines

Brayton’s newest recup product lowers cost, and is more compact and durable than current microturbine recuperators.

800 to 900 C gas temps from an indirect (biomass) fired has turbine

This very high temp recuperator is manufactured from ODS alloys, incorporating features to enable long life in a corrosive environment prone to fouling.