Abstract: A process and apparatus for indirectly heating reactants in a reaction zone controls the combustion of fuel through the metering of combustion gas from a central channel across perforated plates into outer combustion channels. Controlling the combustion of fuel in channels that supplies heat indirectly to a reaction zone simplifies the operation of the reaction zone and improves reaction zone conversion and/or selectivity. Simplified operation results from the elimination of equipment for the heating of the heat exchange fluid by the controlled combustion of fuel in situ in the reaction zone. Improved conversion and/or selectivity proceeds from reduction in temperature differences between the heating medium and the reactants. Catalyst promotion of fuel combustion may also be varied through other available mechanisms such as variations in residence time, catalyst composition, flow area, and component concentration. Particularly suitable catalysts comprise oxidation promoting catalysts.

Abstract: A heating furnace for home and industrial use, having the ability to catalyze fuel oil to produce fuel gas for external applications. The heat produced can be radiated, or can be circulated by a heated air or heated water system.

Abstract: An apparatus for synthesizing polymer chains includes a controller, a plurality of precision fit vials circularly arranged in multiple banks on a cartridge, a drain corresponding to each bank of vials, a chamber bowl, a plurality of valves for delivering reagents to selective vials, and a waste tube system for purging material from the vials. A purging operation can be selectively performed on one or more of the banks of vials. The multiple banks of valves provide an additional number of reagent choices while operating in a serial mode and faster reagent distribution while operating in a parallel mode. The plurality of vials are stored in the cartridge and are divided among individual banks wherein each bank of vials has a corresponding drain. There is at least one waste tube system for expelling the reagent solution from vials within a particular bank of vials when the waist tube system is coupled to the corresponding drain.

Abstract: A CO2 fixation system for fixing Co2 gas existing in the atmosphere or in an exhaust gas emitted from factories and other burning sites. The system includes a fermenting tank for anaerobically fermenting organic wastes, whereby methane gas is produced. The methane gas is decomposed and hydrogen gas is produced. The hydrogen gas is reacted with the CO2 gas to produce carbon powder and water, whereby the CO2 gas is fixed to become harmless to the global warming.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for the continuous manufacture of solid particles of alkali metal persalts by reaction of an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal salt and crystallization of the persalt. The persalt is formed in a crystallizer classifier, which is made up of stirred region and a growth region for the persalt crystals a non-stirred clarifying region for the solution and a classification region for the particles obtained by elutriation in a liquid stream withdrawn in the clarifying region.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved evaporator and condenser unit for use in distilling a liquid such as water. The evaporator and condenser unit includes a plurality of stacked, spaced-apart plates disposed within a housing. The plates are horizontally arranged around a common, vertical axis for rotation. Adjacent plates define spaces between their oppositely facing surfaces, which are alternating configured as evaporating and condensing chambers. An outlet tube transfers vapor generated within the housing to a compressor and an inlet tube delivers compressed vapor to the condensing chambers. A sump containing the liquid to be distilled is located at a lower portion of the housing. A rotating element extends into the sump and forces liquid to be distilled up a stationary feed pipe where it is discharged into the evaporating chambers which are open at both their inner and outer ends.

Abstract: A collimator, in combination with a source of curing radiation, for use in a process for curing a photosensitive resin disposed on a working surface and having a machine direction and a cross-machine direction perpendicular to said machine direction, is disclosed. The preferred collimator comprises a plurality of mutually parallel collimating elements spaced from one another in the machine direction between the source of radiation and the resin. Each of the collimating elements is substantially perpendicular to the working surface, and every two of the mutually adjacent collimating elements have a machine-directional clearance and a cross-machine-directional clearance therebetween. The collimating elements and the machine direction form an acute angle therebetween such that the machine-directional clearance is greater than the cross-machine directional clearance. This allows to provide a greater collimation of the curing radiation in the cross-machine direction relative to the machine direction.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon fuel reformer (200) is disclosed suitable for producing synthesis hydrogen gas from reactions with hydrocarbons fuels, oxygen, and steam. The reformer (200) comprises first and second tubes (208,218). The first tube (208) includes a first catalyst (214) and receives a first mixture of steam and a first fuel. The second tube (218) is annularly disposed about the first tube (208) and receives a second mixture of an oxygen-containing gas and a second fuel. In one embodiment, a third tube (224) is annularly disposed about the second tube (218) and receives a first reaction reformate from the first tube (208) and a second reaction reformate from the second tube (218). A catalyst reforming zone (260) annularly disposed about the third tube (224) may be provided to subject reformate constituents to a shift reaction. In another embodiment, a fractionator is provided to distill first and second fuels from a fuel supply source.

Abstract: An ethylbenzene production system comprises a reactor vessel, a vapor phase ethylene feed stream, a benzene feed stream entering the reactor vessel, and a product stream containing ethylbenzene exiting the reactor vessel. The reactor vessel has an ethylation section and a benzene stripping section, whereby fluid communication via integrated vapor and liquid traffic is maintained between the ethylation section and stripping section. The vapor phase ethylene feed stream contains 3 to 50 mol % ethylene and at least 20 mol % methane entering the reactor vessel.

Abstract: A process for generating a high-hydrogen, low-carbon monoxide gas comprises generating a product gas in a gas generating device. The product gas contains hydrogen and carbon monoxide that are generated from catalytic water vapor reforming of a water/fuel mixture and/or from partial oxidation of an oxygen/fuel mixture. In a gas purification stage, the carbon monoxide fraction in the product gas is reduced by selective CO oxidation on an oxidation catalyst. During a starting phase, oxygen is admixed to the supplied fuel and the flow direction is reversed such that the flow first takes place through the gas purification stage and only then through the gas generating device.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved evaporator and condenser unit for use in distilling a liquid such as water. The evaporator and condenser unit includes a plurality of stacked, spaced-apart plates disposed within a housing. The plates are horizontally arranged around a common, vertical axis for rotation. Adjacent plates define spaces between their oppositely facing surfaces, which are alternating configured as evaporating and condensing chambers. An outlet tube transfers vapor generated within the housing to a compressor and an inlet tube delivers compressed vapor to central receiving space within the stack of plates. A sump containing the liquid to be distilled is located at a lower portion of the housing. Each plate includes a plurality of ports for distributing liquid to be distilled and for extracting a condensate.

Abstract: For storage of natural gas at pressures over 1,000 psia, it is advantageous to add to natural gas an additive which is a C2 or C3 hydrocarbon compound, or a mixture of such hydrocarbon compounds. Above a lower limit (which varies with the additive being added and the pressure), there is a decrease in the amount of power needed to compress the mixture. For storage or pipeline transportation of natural gas at pressures over 800 psia, it is advantageous to add ammonia to the natural gas, in an amount such that the ammonia does not create a liquid phase at the temperature and pressure used. The ammonia-natural gas mixture can be compressed or pumped with a lower energy expenditure than would be needed for an equivalent volume of natural gas alone. When more than 4% by volume of ammonia is present, the pumping through pipelines is also aided by the refrigerant effect of the ammonia, which reduces the temperature of the gas being transported.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of catalytic reaction operated near the optimal temperature and an apparatus for its embodiment. The catalyst bed in the apparatus consists of two parts of catalyst located respectively in the cold tube layer and the adiabatic layer. The feed gas in the cold tubes, after having exchanged heat with the reactant gases in the catalyst layer outside of the tubes, are mixed with the feed gas from the heat exchanger. While the mixed gases flow axially, radially or convectively in the catalyst layer, the gases contact successively with the catalyst in the cold tube layer and that in the adiabatic layer, and react with each other.

Abstract: A method of operating a fluidized bed reactor system for reacting fuel. The method includes introducing solid material particles, fluidization medium and fuel into a reactor chamber to provide a fluidized bed therewithin, reacting the fuel material within the fluidized bed to produce exhaust gas and discharging the exhaust gas from a reactor chamber outlet, introducing the exhaust gas into a particle separator and separating solid particles from the gas in the particle separator, discharging from the particle separator gas through a gas outlet and a first flow of separated solid particles through a solid particle outlet, and cooling, in a gas cooler, the gas discharged from the separator. A second flow of solid particles is branched off from the first flow of solid particles, before or after discharging the first flow of solid particles from the particle separator.

Abstract: A collimator, in combination with a source of curing radiation and a working surface, for use in a process for curing a photosensitive resin disposed on the working surface having a machine direction and a cross-machine direction perpendicular to said machine direction, is disclosed. The collimator comprises a plurality of mutually parallel collimating elements spaced from one another in the cross-machine direction and disposed between the source of radiation and the resin. Each of the collimating elements is substantially perpendicular to the working surface, and every two of the mutually adjacent collimating elements have a machine-directional clearance and a cross-machine-directional clearance therebetween. The collimating elements and the machine direction form an acute angle therebetween such that the machine-directional clearance is greater than the cross-machine directional clearance.

Abstract: A fuel gas reformer assemblage for use in a fuel cell power plant is formed from a composite plate assembly which includes spaced-apart divider plates with interposed monolithic open cell sponge-like members which form gas passages. The monolithic members have a lattice of internal open cells which are both laterally and longitudinally interconnected so as to provide for a diffuse gas flow. The entire surface area of the monolithic components is wash coated with a porous alumina layer, and selected areas of the wash coat are also catalyzed. The reformer assemblage is constructed from a series of repeating sub-assemblies, each of which includes a core of separate regenerator/heat exchanger gas passages. The core in each sub-assembly is sandwiched between a pair of reformer gas passage skins, which complete the subassembly. Adjacent reformer gas/regenerator/reformer gas passage sub-assemblies in the composite plate assembly are separated from each other by burner gas passages.

Abstract: A method, and its associated equipment, for producing synthetic gas by means of an electric arc-activated, non-catalytic burner which utilizes up to three streams of product inputs. A primary spray is heated by an electric arc formed between two electrodes. A second spray is then injected and mixed with the heated primary fluid. The resulting high-temperature, high pressure mixture is combined with a tertiary spray, an oxidant. The end product thereby produced is a synthetic gas, which becomes immediately available for combustion in furnaces, reactors, and other processes in the chemical, petroleum, and metals fabrication industries. The invention overcomes the deficiencies of existing processes.

Abstract: A pressure-tight vessel subjected to severe thermal cycling through a temperature range including temperatures up to in excess of approximately 700° F. Unlike conventional pressure-tight vessels that are constructed of plates arranged horizontally, the vessel is built of plates that are greater than sixteen feet high. As a result, there are no circumferential seams in a critical area of the cylindrical section of the vessel, providing superior durability.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating wastes by gasification recovers useful resources including energy, valuables such as metals, and gases for use as synthesis gas for chemical industries or fuel. The wastes are gasified in a fluidized-bed reactor at a relatively low temperature. Gaseous material and char produced in the fluidized-bed reactor are introduced into a high-temperature combustor, and low calorific gas or medium calorific gas is produced in the high-temperature combustor at a relatively high temperature. The fluidized-bed reactor preferably is a revolving flow-type fluidized-bed reactor. The high-temperature combustor preferably is a swirling-type high-temperature combustor.

Abstract: The speed of coal gas desulfurization is improved and the total size of the apparatus can be made compact. The apparatus comprises a sulfide-ion-producing portion (54), which reacts with a sulfur compound being supplied by the coal gas and produces sulfide ion S2− in molten carbonate. A sulfur compound discharge portion (53) discharges a sulfur compound produced by a reaction with sulfur discharge gas (56).