The Effect of Seal Width on Regenerator Effectiveness

The effect of axial conduction on regenerator effectiveness has been studied in the past under the assumption of zero seal width. The effect of axial conduction coupled with finite seal width is presented in this paper. A method for calculating effectiveness assuming axial conduction and finite seal width is presented. Results of sample calculations are presented to give the designer a feel for the dependence of seal-width effects on system-parameter values. It is shown that for typical regenerator designs, reductions in effectiveness due to axial conduction coupled with finite seal width can be twice as great as those due to axial conduction under the assumption of zero seal width. Also, it is shown that the required regenerator size to achieve a given effectiveness can increase dramatically when finite seal width is considered in design procedures. It is concluded that consideration of axial conduction should include finite seal width.