Duplex™ Sealing for the Ljungström® Air Preheater

Almost all new Ljungström® Air Preheaters larger than a

size 24½ now come standard with Duplex™ sealing. The
nature of this design is to ensure that there are two seals
interfacing with the sealing surface at all times during the
cycle of the rotor. This is one of the main differences in
performance between new Ljungström® Air Preheaters
and units that have been in service for decades.

Instead of a single leaf seal sweeping each sealing plate

at any given instant, there are two, which together create
a moving plenum across the sealing surface. This is
analogous to a double orifice – there is a double
restriction to flow crossing from one side of the
Ljungström® Air Preheater to the other.

The formation of this intermediate pressure plenum

between the air and gas streams serves to reduce the air-
to-gas pressure differential by a factor of nearly two. This
decrease in pressure differential can reduce direct
leakage by as much as 30%. Duplex™ sealing is
normally applied to the radial and axial seals together but
can be applied to either one separately.

Duplex™ Field Modifications

In almost all cases, this system can be retrofitted to
existing air preheaters by the addition of rotor diaphragm
plates to carry the additional seals.

As a retrofit of this kind can require extensive rotor

modifications, we minimize on the field labor requirements
by utilizing our patented technique for implementing the
rotor conversion. However, the benefits of modifying an
existing single sealing system, to a Duplex™ sealing
system are in the continuous savings derived by the
reduction in process fan horsepower. In other cases
where the desire to get additional fan capacity, by

Copyright ©2004 ALSTOM Power Inc., Air Preheater Company

reducing leakage of an existing Ljungström® Air
Preheater, the leakage reduction translates into additional
flow to the boiler without fan modifications.

A preheater rotor being modified using our patented technique

for implementing Duplex™ sealing on existing rotors.

Power Environment
Air Preheater Company

ALSTOM Power Inc., Air Preheater Company, 3020 Truax Road, PO BOX 372, Wellsville, NY 14895, USA
Tel: 1-585-593-2700 Web : www.airpreheatercompany.com