Patent ID: 8028410

Claim:
A regenerator core for use in a gas turbine regenerator, the regenerator core being fabricated of a plurality of stacked tube plates defining fluid passages therebetween, the tube plates being interleaved respectively with gas fins and air fins in the respective fluid passages, the tube plates terminating at oppositely arranged manifold regions, the improvement comprising: a series of tube plates terminating at oppositely arranged manifold regions which are formed with a continuous manifold opening therein, the manifold openings being made up of an inner curved flange portion of the respective plate which continues circumferentially to form an outer ring region, each of the manifold regions comprising a base for joining to the base of the manifold region of the next adjacent plate to develop a juncture plane for two adjacent plates; a plurality of hoops positioned respectively between pairs of adjacent plates about the manifold regions thereof, the plates being joined together in sealing relationship, each hoop being configured to extend from one adjacent plate to the next and overlap a common juncture of said plates, said hoops being joined in structural reinforcing relationship to the adjacent surfaces of said plates; wherein each hoop has a generally U-shaped cross section which defines an outwardly facing channel opening for each hoop, and wherein each hoop extends across the juncture plane of the plates and is brazed to the adjacent plates on both sides of the juncture plane and at both the flange portion and at the ring regions of the plates; and wherein at least a portion of the channel opening of selected ones of the hoops is reinforced by an undulating strip of metal which is inserted within the channel opening of the hoops prior to brazing.