Regenerators checkerbrick

Storage of heat is a temporary operation since perfect thermal insulators are unknown thus, heat is absorbed in solids or liquids as sensible or latent heat to be released later at designated times and conditions. The collection and release of heat can be achieved in two modes on a batch basis, as in the checkerbrick regenerator for blast furnaces, or on a continuous basis, as in the Ljungstrom air heater. 

As a result of the larger flues and the restric ted surface area per unit of gas passed, regenerators employed with this type of furnace exhibit much lower efficiency than would be reahzed with smaller flues. In view of the large amount of iron oxide contained in open-hearth exhaust gas and the alkah fume present in glass-tank stack gases, however, smaller checkerbrick dimensions are considered imprac tical. 

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