Wilson Heat Exchanger™

IR Series

An Indexed-Rotation regenerator using ceramics technology to improve dramatically the performance of gas-to-gas heat exchange and reduce system size.

The Indexed Rotation of the IR Series is best-suited for heat exchange between gas streams with absolute pressures up to a 4:1 ratio. For applications with operating flows near atmospheric pressure, consider the CR Series heat exchangers that use a continuous-rotation ceramic disk.

Instead of the regenerator core rotating at a steady speed with duct seals pressed against the core faces (which promotes rapid wear and leakage), the Wilson Heat Exchanger IR Series uses a patented indexed-rotation device to incrementally reposition the core. During rotation the seals are lifted, then resealed firmly again against the core while the disk is paused.

How It Works

The discontinuous flow of the Wilson Heat Exchanger can be configured for maximum heat-exchange effectiveness. Depending on the application, the ceramic disk stops for ten to twenty seconds at each indexed location (positioned every thirty to ninety degrees) and then moves rapidly to the next position.

(1) Hot gas is ducted through a portion of the porous ceramic disk, and cold gas passes through the remaining preheated portion in the opposite direction.

(2) Duct seals lift a few microns for clearance as the ceramic disk quickly rotates to the next indexed position in less than a half second.

(3) When the disk stops, the seals clamp back to the disk causing minimal leakage and no abrasion deterioration to the disk or the seals.

The seals lift slightly for a fraction of a second allowing the disk to rotate without contact (or wear), then clamp to reseal the ducting and the disk.

A patented mechanism uses cam and spring action to rotate the disk quickly in precise increments to maximize heat transfer and to conserve energy.

The ceramic core can accommodate a higher temperature than a metallic heat exchanger to allow undiluted higher-temperature operation.