Abstract: A boiler-heating assembly of a power plant has a fire chamber bounded by four vertical walls each supporting two main burners and two associated ignition burners. Each ignition burner has a cylindrical open-ended chamber with a central pipe terminating in an oil nozzle, a double-walled nozzle tube whose interspace optionally carries a mixture of air with brown-coal dust or oil set in rotation by a tangential feed, and a blower driving air axially through the chamber in an inner and an outer air stream separated by the double-walled nozzle. An annular baffle on the oil nozzle has a solid frustoconical rear surface deflecting the inner air stream radially outward across the air/fuel mixture exiting from the interspace and into contact with the outer air stream, both air streams corotating with that mixture.

Abstract: Radioactive waste water containing boric acid is concentrated in an evaporator to which an alkali is added to maintain a substantially neutral pH. The boric acid is sedimented out by cooling the solution and an acid is added to the latter to increase the solids recovery by lowering the pH. The solid sediment is vacuum distilled to yield a moist powder.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for the treatment of radioactive waste water from a nuclear electricity-generating power plant. The radioactive waste water containing soluble solids, usually boric acid, is concentrated by evaporation according to the invention to a solids concentration above that which will form a saturated solution at room temperature, whereupon the resulting concentrate is introduced into a storage vessel and cooled therein to room temperature. Solids precipitate and sediment in this vessel and water is decanted from the sediment and recycled to the evaporator where the process is repeated. The process allows the amount of waste in terms of the original material treated which must be stored for a given prolonged period, say between one half and three quarters of a year, for radioactive decay prior to packaging of the waste to be significantly reduced by comparison with earlier systems.

Abstract: A waste-water concentrate containing boric acid together with chemical residues and radionuclides, especially from a nuclear power plant, is treated to recovering boric acid which can be recycled to the plant. According to the invention, the practically neutral solution is acidified with an acid selected from the group which consists of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and acetic acid to precipitate the boric acid which is separated from the concentrate and subjected to at least one recrystallization step. The boric acid thus obtained is of comparatively high purity.

Abstract: Nuclear fuel elements or slugs are removed from the nuclear reactor cores and subjected to inspection, according to the invention, by introducing a plurality of such elements into a submerged inspection vessel which is then closed, the liquid driven out by compressed air and deionized water (deionate) circulated through the inspection vessel at a constant rate. A portion of the deionized water is branched from the circulating stream at a constant rate and the activity of at least one fission-product nuclide is determined continuously to plot the activity versus temperature, thereby signaling a possible defect in the shell of a fuel element. In addition, ultrasonic vibration is applied in the inspection vessel to the fuel elements so that deposits on the exterior thereof are released into the deionate whose circulating path includes a filter and an ion-exchange column for removal of such deposits.

Abstract: A method of reducing sulfur emissions in boilers fired with brown coal (as an example of low-rank solid fossil fuels with which the invention is usable) wherein finely divided calcium oxide (or calcium-oxide-containing dry materials) as additive is mixed with the fuel before the fuel is introduced into the combustion chamber of the boiler or the burner thereof. Advantageously the additive is mixed with the fuel before the milling thereof. The quantity of finely divided additive which is mixed with the fuel is varied in accordance with the sulfur concentration of the gases at the end of the combustion chamber, e.g. in response to a sulfur dioxide and/or sulfur trioxide sensor, to minimize the sulfur content of the flue gases.

Abstract: An electrode for use in electrolytic processes, e.g. as an energy storage electrode for a lead-dioxide accumulator or storage battery, is produced by subjecting a titanium support to a cleaning operation and subsequently to a surface treatment in a medium which is constituted by a titanium (IV) salt solution. This results in the formation of a titanium (IV) adsorbed layer onto which the lead dioxide active material is anodically deposited. An important characteristic of the invention is that the surface treatment is carried out such that hydrolysis of the titanium (IV) activated surface does not occur and hence the titanium at the surface of the support and the interface between the latter and the lead dioxide active material is in the tetravalent titanium state. The titanium deposit is from a titanium (IV) salt of an inorganic oxy acid, preferably perchloric acid, a salt of an organic acid, or a complex of the titanium (IV) ions with a complex former.

Abstract: A lead-acid storage cell is operated at a temperature of about 70.degree. C and comprises a positive electrode which, in the charged state, carries an active mass consisting predominantly of lead dioxide, a negative electrode consisting predominantly of lead in the charged condition, and a sulfuric acid electrolyte. To permit the storage cell to operate at the elevated temperature without deterioration, the negative electrode is provided with a sheath permeable to the electrolyte but impermeable to particles released from the negative electrode. The sheath, which may constitute the interelectrode separator, can consist of a nonwoven or woven fabric of glass fiber or a nonwoven or woven fabric of unsubstituted or perhalogenated polyolefin or a layer of ceramic. The electrolyte in the cell is covered by a vaporization-resistant layer consisting of floating solid particles or a liquid which is unaffected by the high operating temperature.

Abstract: In making an electrode for a lead-acid accumulator or the like, a supporting body of titanium is immersed in a boiling solution of oxalic acid containing the ions of a titanium-oxalato complex. This treatment is followed by anodic coating of the titanium body with PbO.sub.2 in an electrolyte containing the ions of lead (II), in the presence of a lead (II) salt of an amido, imido, nitrido or fluoro sulfate or phosphate at least during a first anodizing stage. The coated electrode may be further immersed in a weakly medium for a prolonged period.