Cartridge sealing and alignment in a pressure exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12504028-B2
Application number	US-202318125332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2023
Priority date	Mar 24, 2022
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

A pressure exchanger includes a rotor configured to exchange pressure between a first fluid and a second fluid. The pressure exchanger further includes a sleeve disposed around the rotor and a first end cover disposed at a first distal end of the rotor. The pressure exchanger further includes one or more first sealing components configured to prevent leakage between the sleeve and the first end cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A pressure exchanger comprising:
a rotor configured to exchange pressure between a first fluid and a second fluid; a sleeve disposed around the rotor; a first end cover disposed at a first distal end of the rotor; a second end cover disposed at a second distal end of the rotor; and a plurality of pins configured to align the first end cover with the second end cover; a first flange ring coupled to an end cover outer surface of the first end cover; a second flange ring coupled to a sleeve outer surface of the sleeve; a first gasket disposed between the first flange ring and the first end cover; a second gasket disposed between the second flange ring and the sleeve; and a third gasket disposed between the first flange ring and the second flange ring.

2 . The pressure exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pins comprise one or more first pins inserted into the first end cover and one or more second pins inserted into the second end cover.

3 . The pressure exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first flange ring, the second flange ring, the first gasket, the second gasket, and the third gasket are configured to prevent leakage between the sleeve and the first end cover.

4 . The pressure exchanger of claim 1 , wherein:
a first distal end of a first pin of the plurality of pins is disposed in a first sleeve recess formed by the sleeve; a second distal end of the first pin is disposed in a first end cover recess formed by the first end cover; a third distal end of a second pin of the plurality of pins is disposed in a second sleeve recess formed by the sleeve; and a fourth distal end of the second pin is disposed in a second end cover recess formed by the second end cover.

5 . A pressure exchanger comprising:
a rotor configured to exchange pressure between a first fluid and a second fluid; a sleeve disposed around the rotor; a first end cover disposed at a first distal end of the rotor; and one or more first sealing components configured to prevent leakage between the sleeve and the first end cover, wherein the one or more first sealing components comprise:
a first flange ring coupled to an end cover outer surface of the first end cover;
a second flange ring coupled to a sleeve outer surface of the sleeve;
a first gasket disposed between the first flange ring and the first end cover;
a second gasket disposed between the second flange ring and the sleeve; and
a third gasket disposed between the first flange ring and the second flange ring.

6 . The pressure exchanger of claim 5 further comprising a second end cover disposed at a second distal end of the rotor.

7 . A pressure exchanger comprising:
a rotor configured to exchange pressure between a first fluid and a second fluid; a sleeve disposed around the rotor; a first end cover disposed at a first distal end of the rotor; one or more first pins, wherein each of the one or more first pins comprises a corresponding first end disposed in a corresponding sleeve recess formed by the sleeve and a corresponding second end disposed in a corresponding end cover recess formed by the first end cover; one or more first sealing components that cover spacing between the sleeve and the first end cover and are configured to prevent leakage between the sleeve and the first end cover, wherein the one or more first sealing components comprise:
a seal ring disposed around the pressure exchanger;
a first gasket disposed between the seal ring and the first end cover; and
a second gasket disposed between the seal ring and the sleeve;
a second pin disposed in an end cover recess formed by an end cover outer surface of the first end cover, wherein the second pin engages with a seal ring upper recess formed by an upper surface of the seal ring; and a third pin disposed in a sleeve recess formed by a sleeve outer surface of the sleeve, wherein the third pin engages with a seal ring lower recess formed by a lower surface of the seal ring.

8 . The pressure exchanger of claim 7 , wherein the one or more first pins are configured to align the first end cover with the sleeve.

9 . The pressure exchanger of claim 7 further comprising:
a second end cover disposed at a second distal end of the rotor; and
one or more second sealing components configured to prevent leakage between the sleeve and the second end cover.

10 . The pressure exchanger of claim 7 , wherein the one or more first sealing components comprise a flexible component adhered to a portion of the pressure exchanger comprising an interface between the first end cover and the sleeve.

11 . The pressure exchanger of claim 7 , wherein the one or more first sealing components comprise a third gasket disposed between a lower surface of the first end cover and an upper surface of the sleeve.

12 . A pressure exchanger comprising:
a rotor configured to exchange pressure between a first fluid and a second fluid; a sleeve disposed around the rotor; a first end cover disposed at a first distal end of the rotor; a second end cover disposed at a second distal end of the rotor; and a plurality of pins configured to align the first end cover with the second end cover, wherein the plurality of pins comprise:
a first pin, wherein a first distal end of the first pin is disposed in a first sleeve recess formed by the sleeve, and wherein a second distal end of the first pin is disposed in a first end cover recess formed by the first end cover;
a second pin, wherein a third distal end of the second pin is disposed in a second sleeve recess formed by the sleeve, and wherein a fourth distal end of the second pin is disposed in a second end cover recess formed by the second end cover;
third pins that engage with a first sealing ring, the first sealing ring being disposed around a first interface between the first end cover and the sleeve; and
fourth pins that engage with a second sealing ring, the second sealing ring being disposed around a second interface between the second end cover and the sleeve.

13 . The pressure exchanger of claim 12 further comprising:
one or more first sealing components that cover spacing between the sleeve and the first end cover and are configured to prevent leakage between the sleeve and the first end cover, the one or more first sealing components comprising the first sealing ring; and
one or more second sealing components that cover spacing between the sleeve and the second end cover and are configured to prevent leakage between the sleeve and the second end cover, the one or more second sealing components comprising the second sealing ring.

14 . The pressure exchanger of claim 13 , wherein the one or more first sealing components comprise:
a first gasket disposed between the first sealing ring and the first end cover; and a second gasket disposed between the first sealing ring and the sleeve.

Assignees

• Energy Recovery Inc

Inventors

• Gudigopuram Sujan Reddy
• Samudrala Omprakash
• Besic Edvin
• Pattom Matthew Joseph
• Theodossiou Alexander Patrick

Classifications

• F05D2240/55

  Seals · CPC title

• F04F13/00 Primary

  Pressure exchangers · CPC title