Rotary pre-heater for high temperature operation

1. An insulation retaining assembly for a high temperature rotary pre-heater having a rotor including a cold-end rotor and a hot-end rotor, the insulation retaining assembly comprising:

a plurality of retainer elements radially restrained relative to the rotor, each of the plurality of retainer elements comprising:

a root end adapted to be held in fixed relationship to the cold-end rotor;

a distal end proximate to and in moveable relationship to the hot-end rotor; and

an elongate axial portion extending between the root end and the distal end, the elongate axial portion being in moveable relationship with the hot-end rotor,

wherein the distal end of each retainer element cooperate with one another to form a distal end circumferential expansion facilitating feature between adjacent distal ends for circumferential movement of adjacent distal ends relative to one another.

2. The insulation retaining assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of retainer elements has a first connection area at the root end and a second connection area at the distal end;

a plurality of groups of retainer elements, each of the plurality of groups has at least two of the plurality of retainer elements, adjacent ones of the plurality of retainer elements in each of the groups are secured to one another at the first connection area and the second connection area; and

adjacent ones of the groups are secured to one another at the first connection area, thereby forming a closed loop about a central axis and adjacent ones of the groups are separate from one another outside of the first connection area so that each the groups is moveable in a circumferential direction about the central axis.

3. The insulation retaining assembly of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of the retainer elements has an L-shaped configuration defining a first leg and a second leg, the second leg being shorter than the first leg and extending radially inward from the first leg.

4. The insulation retaining assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first connection area is positioned on a first end of the first leg and the second connection area is positioned on a second end of the second leg.

5. The insulation retaining assembly of claim 1 , wherein the distal end circumferential expansion facilitating feature is defined by a circumferential gap between the distal ends of adjacent retaining elements.

6. The insulation retaining assembly of claim 5 , wherein the circumferential gap axially extends between elongate portions of adjacent retainer elements.

7. The insulation retaining assembly of claim 6 , wherein a size of the circumferential gap between elongate portions of adjacent retainer elements changes in response to thermal expansion.

8. The insulation retaining assembly of claim 1 , wherein the distal end circumferential expansion facilitating feature prevents the plurality of retainer elements from deflecting outward from the hot-end rotor.

9. The insulation retaining assembly of claim 1 , wherein the distal end circumferential expansion facilitating feature prevents interference of the hot-end rotor with a refractory lining a housing of the rotary pre-heater.

10. The insulation retaining assembly of claim 9 , wherein interference of the hot-end rotor with the refractory is prevented at temperatures of at least 2100 degrees Fahrenheit.

11. The insulation retaining assembly of claim 1 , wherein the insulation retaining assembly encapsulates insulation surrounding the hot-end rotor.

12. The insulation retaining assembly of claim 1 , wherein the root end is directly connected to the cold-end rotor.

13. The insulation retaining assembly of claim 12 , wherein the direct connection is a weld.

14. The insulation retaining assembly of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of groups of retainer elements collectively form a structurally stable arcuate section configured to withstand mechanical effects of thermal expansion.