A method of manufacturing a recuperator disposed in the exhaust duct of a gas turbine engine includes forming a first leading recess adjacent a leading edge of a first thermally conductive sheet and forming a second leading recess adjacent a leading edge of a second thermally conductive sheet, the first and second thermally conductive sheets forming components of a recuperator plate. The first leading recess of the first thermally conductive sheet is mated with the second leading recess of the second thermally conductive sheet, and then the first and second leading edges are joined thereby forming a recuperator plate. The first and second leading recesses form a trough extending along a leading edge of the recuperator plate in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the recuperator plate.

A gas to gas heat exchanger 110 is equipped with a heat transfer element cleaning system 160, effluent collector hopper 162 and effluent collector hopper cleaning system 164. The heat transfer element cleaning system 160 is useful to remove accumulated substances from the heat exchanger 110 heat transfer elements 134. The effluent collector hopper 162 is useful to capture a cleaning fluid used to remove accumulated substances from the heat exchanger 110 heat transfer elements 134. The effluent collector hopper cleaning system 164 is useful to remove accumulated substances captured with the cleaning fluid from the effluent collector hopper 162 to prevent clogging thereof.

A gas to gas heat exchanger 110 is equipped with a heat transfer element cleaning system 160, effluent collector hopper 162 and effluent collector hopper cleaning system 164. The heat transfer element cleaning system 160 is useful to remove accumulated substances from the heat exchanger 110 heat transfer elements 134. The effluent collector hopper 162 is useful to capture a cleaning fluid used to remove accumulated substances from the heat exchanger 110 heat transfer elements 134. The effluent collector hopper cleaning system 164 is useful to remove accumulated substances captured with the cleaning fluid from the effluent collector hopper 162 to prevent clogging thereof.

The regenerator has a central axis. The regenerator has a multitude of web layers wound around the central axis. The web layers are formed by two or more metal fiber or metal wire having webs wound around the central axis. When observed from the central axis to the outside of the regenerator, at least one web layer of a web of a first width is followed by a web layer of a web of a width larger than the web of a first width.