SEALING SYSTEM WITH AUTOMATIC COMPENSATION FOR THERMAL EXPANSION FOR A ROTARY CYLINDRICAL REACTOR

The present invention relates to self-compensating thermal expansion sealing systems. In this context, the present invention provides a self-compensating thermal expansion sealing system for a cylindrical rotating reactor (2) comprising (a) a first self-compensating portion (8) positioned at a first end of the cylindrical rotating reactor (2), the first self-compensating portion (8) comprising (a.1) a guide ring (80) fixed to the support structure of the cylindrical rotating reactor (2), (a.2) an axially sliding housing ring (84) adjacent to the guide ring (80), the axially sliding housing ring (84) being sliding with respect to the guide ring (80) in the axial direction, and (a.3) a first ring-shaped bearing race (22) fixed to the housing of the cylindrical rotating reactor (2) and resting on a first support roller (32), the first bearing race (22) sliding in the radial direction with respect to the axially sliding housing ring (84) and integral with it in the axial direction of the cylindrical rotating reactor (2); and (b) a second self-compensating portion (9) positioned at a second end of the cylindrical rotating reactor (2), opposite the first, the second self-compensating portion (9) comprising (b.1) a fixed housing ring (94) to the support structure of the cylindrical rotating reactor (2) and (b.2) a second bearing race (23) in the form of a ring fixed to the cylindrical rotating reactor housing (2) and resting on a second support roller (33), the second bearing race (23) being rotatably sliding with respect to the fixed housing ring (94) and sliding in axial direction with respect thereto.