Abstract: A distributor of flowable medium for a heat exchanger has a housing member and at least one substantially vertically oriented tube member arranged therein. The distributor has a hollow body arranged to be supported in one end of the tube member. An upturned funnel shaped core member is formed in the hollow body, resulting in an annular flow passage between the body and the core member. The body has an upper section with an inlet, a lower section with an outlet, and a mid section between the upper and lower sections. The flow passage extends from the inlet to the outlet at the lower section, and is configured to narrow progressively from the inlet towards the mid section, and widen progressively from the mid section towards the outlet for modifying flow characteristics of the medium flowing through the passage. Intake guide elements are provided at the upper section.

Abstract: Provided is a combustion apparatus (10) for combusting one or more combustible media such as mine methane and waste coal. The apparatus has a combustion unit (24) with a fuel inlet (26,27) through which the combustible media enters the combustion unit for combustion therein, and a gas outlet (28) for gases formed during combustion to flow out of the combustion unit to provide heat energy to a downstream apparatus such as a turbine engine(14).