Abstract: A monitoring module for connection to a diagnostic device having two or more light emitting sources for indicating operating fault conditions of an apparatus. The monitoring module feeds information signals to a communication link for reception at a remote location. The monitoring module is secured over a series of light emitting diodes of the diagnostic device and reproduces these for local access. The series of LED's indicate fault conditions of the apparatus which in this embodiment is a hot water heater. Accordingly, the operation of the hot water heater at its fault status can be monitored from a remote location and on site.

Abstract: A motor/damper assembly installable on the top end of a fuel-fired water heater includes a support plate structure upon which a flue collar with a pivotally supported flue damper, a drive motor, and a drive shaft interconnecting the motor damper are mounted. The assembly is installed by placing the collar over the upper end of the water heater flue, securing the support plate structure to the top end of the water heater, and positioning a top cover housing on the support plate structure. Using the assembly provides improved support rigidity and alignment for the motor and shaft relative to the damper, improved repeatable precise manufacturing placement of the motor and shaft, improved construction aesthetics, with the cover also protecting the shaft from shipping and handling damages.

Abstract: A controller is provided for a gas valve including a movable valve element, a main diaphragm chamber having a main diaphragm therein coupled to the valve element to displace the valve element relative to a valve opening, and a servo-regulator diaphragm for regulating flow of gas that acts against the main diaphragm, to adjust the valve element and vary the flow rate. A stepper motor is configured to move in a stepwise manner to displace the servo-regulator diaphragm to adjust the valve element and gas flow rate. The controller for the stepper motor includes a microprocessor that receives an input signal indicating an operating capacity level, and determines the steps the stepper motor must move to displace the servo-regulator diaphragm to establish a flow rate corresponding to the operating capacity level. The microprocessor generates a signal to move the stepper motor the number of steps to adjust the gas valve.

Abstract: Apparatus for use with multi-zonal heating sources are provided. In some embodiments, a substrate support may have a pocket disposed in a surface of the substrate support and a lip disposed about the pocket to receive an edge of a substrate and to support the substrate over the pocket such that a gap is defined between a pocket surface and a backside surface of the substrate when the substrate is disposed on the lip; a plurality of features to operate in combination with a plurality of heating zones provided by a multi-zonal heating source to provide a desired temperature profile on a frontside surface of a substrate when the substrate is disposed on the lip, and wherein the plurality of features are alternatingly disposed above and below a baseline surface profile of the pocket surface in a radial direction from a central axis of the substrate support.

Abstract: A steam generator has a heat exchange chamber with an upstream end and a downstream end. The steam generator further has a burner that injects primary reactants, including fuel and combustion air, into the chamber at the upstream end. A first branch of a once-through water line is located within the chamber downstream of the burner. A second branch of the once-through water line is connected in parallel with the first branch, and is located within the chamber downstream of the first branch. A fuel injector is arranged to inject staged fuel into the chamber at a staged location downstream of the first branch of the once-through water line.

Abstract: A radiant convection oven for baking a coating on an article which includes an oven enclosure receiving coating articles, a fan receiving fresh air and directing the fresh air to a burner or burners, a plurality of heat radiators each having an internal chamber receiving heated fresh air from the burner. The radiators are located within the oven opposite a coating article, radiating heat energy to the coated article, and a plurality of nozzles connected to the internal chamber of the radiators directing fresh heated onto the article, transferring convection heat energy to the coated article. In the disclosed embodiment, the radiators include radiating side and bottom walls having a relatively shallow depth, increasing the flow rate through the radiators, reducing the size and cost of the radiators and the fan.

Abstract: A gasification furnace is provided. The gasification furnace includes an outer shell having an outer shell inlet formed at a top of the outer shell and an outer shell outlet formed at a bottom of the outer shell; an inner shell having an inner shell inlet corresponding to the outer shell inlet, and an inner shell outlet corresponding to the outer shell outlet, and being fabricated by a membrane wall having a cooling water inlet and a cooling water outlet; a nozzle; a lower shell having a slag exhausting port and a gas discharging port; a cooler having a cooling passage formed therein, a cooler water inlet, and a cooler water outlet; a positioning member disposed between the inner shell and an inner bottom wall of the outer shell; and a gas guiding pipe defining an upper end connected with the cooler, and a lower end extended downward.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device that includes means for conveying or producing hot gases and a condensing heat exchanger including: an bundle of helical tubes serving as primary exchanger, mounted within a gas-impermeable housing and equipped with a gas discharge trunk, means for circulating a primary fluid in the primary exchanger, two deflector plates and a deflecting ring arranged so as to circulate the hot gasses through the coils of the primary exchanger. Said device is characterized in that it includes a second tube bundle serving as a secondary exchanger, means for circulating therein a secondary fluid separate from the primary fluid and in that the second deflector plate is inserted between the primary exchanger and the secondary exchanger. The invention can be used in the production of heating water and of hot water for sanitation.

Abstract: A domestic gas-fired water heater condensing flue system wherein in one embodiment a blower is secured at the outlet end of the flue pipe to direct the hot flue gases through an external heat exchange flue conduit. The external heat exchange flue conduit has a sealed water channel surrounding a narrow flue gas internal passage. Water from the bottom end of the tank is circulated in the external heat exchange flue conduit and release in the top part of the tank. In a further embodiment, an inverted U-shaped flue pipe is supported vertically in the water tank and the domestic water supply for the tank is disposed in a downward section of the flue pipe to pre-heat the water supply to the tank and cool the flue gases before being released to atmosphere. The water in the tank is heated by the upward and downward sections of the U-shaped flue pie.

Abstract: A circulating fluidized bed boiler includes a furnace for combusting solid carbonaceous fuel in a fast fluidized bed. A solids separator is adjacent to a sidewall of the furnace and separates solids entrained with exhaust gas discharged via an outlet channel. A gas seal conveys at least a portion of the separated solids to a first fluidized bed heat exchange chamber that is arranged downstream of the gas seal and has internal heat exchange surfaces. A first lift channel has a lower end connected to a bottom portion of the first fluidized bed heat exchange chamber and an upper end connected to an upper end of a first return channel for discharging solids from the first fluidized bed heat exchange chamber and taking the cooled solids to a lower portion of the furnace. A second fluidized bed heat exchange chamber is arranged adjacent to a lower sidewall of the furnace.

Abstract: In a method for utilizing phosphorus-containing alternative fuels in the cement clinker production, the alternative fuels are thermolyzed using waste heat from the cement clinker production process in a thermolysis reactor different from a rotary kiln of the cement clinker production process, the energy released thereby is supplied to the cement clinker production process, and the thermolysis residues of the phosphorus-containing alternative fuels are discharged from the thermolysis reactor, so that the thermolysis residues of the phosphorus-containing alternative fuels are mixed in the thermolysis reactor with cement kiln bypass products as halogen carriers and the heavy-metal halides produced are drawn off.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mixture supply system which is adapted for mounting in a hot water appliance and which is adapted to supply a combustible mixture to a burner of the hot water appliance, comprising a fuel feed for a fluid fuel, an oxidizer feed for a fluid oxidizer, a mixing chamber for mixing the fuel and the oxidizer in order to form the combustible mixture, a discharge for discharging the combustible mixture from the mixing chamber and a fan for urging the fuel and oxidizer from the respective feed to the mixing chamber, and urging the mixture therefrom to the discharge, wherein the fan is adapted to act directly on both the fuel and the oxidizer. The fan does not so much make use of an airflow with gas drawn in by a venturi, but gas is supplied separately to the fan.

Abstract: A method for reducing corrosion of a superheater of a steam boiler. The superheater includes a superheater piping. The superheating piping includes a steam pipe where the steam to be superheated is directed. The steam pipe is separated by a protective shell having a surface settling in the flue gas space has a temperature that rises above an upper critical temperature, above which temperature in the flue gas space the compounds from the fuel are substantially in a gaseous form. A superheater of a steam boiler and a circulating fluidized bed boiler.

Abstract: A fluidized bed heat exchange apparatus of a flue gas heat recovery type for producing high temperature water. The fluidized bed heat exchange apparatus passes a waste heat of a combustion flue gas containing a high temperature water vapor emitted from a combustion apparatus subsequently through a water fluidized bed and a heat medium fluidized bed such that a hot water at a saturation temperature of a wet air produced from a latent heat of the combustion flue gas at the water fluidized bed is again heated at the heat medium fluidized bed which does not have a vapor condensation phenomenon, thereby producing a hot water at a temperature higher than the saturation temperature of the wet air.

Abstract: Disclosed are cooling and depressurization system equipment, arrangement and methods to cool solid particles from a coal gasifier operating at high temperature and pressure. Ash needs to be continuously withdrawn from a circulating fluidized bed gasifier to maintain the solids inventory in the gasifier. The supports for the cooling surfaces are located on the lower temperature upper section of the primary cooler. The cooled solids along with the fluidizing gas exits the primary cooler to a secondary receiving vessel where the solids can be further cooled by conventional means. The fluidizing and entrained gas entering the secondary vessel is filtered and vented through a vent pressure control valve. The column of cooled solids in the secondary vessel is depressurized by a continuous depressurization system to low pressures which are sufficient for conveying the solids to silos for disposal.

Abstract: An evaporator for steam generation is presented. The evaporator includes a plurality of primary evaporator stages and a secondary evaporator stage. Each primary stage includes one or more primary arrays of heat transfer tubes, an outlet manifold coupled to the arrays, and a downcomer coupled to the manifold. Each of the primary arrays has an inlet for receiving a fluid and is arranged transverse to a flow of gas through the evaporator. The gas heats the fluid flowing through the arrays to form a two phase flow. The outlet manifold receives the two phase flow from the arrays and the downcomer distributes the flow as a component of a primary stage flow. One or more of the plurality of primary evaporator stages selectively form the primary stage flow from respective components of the two phase flow, and provide the primary stage flow to inlets of the secondary evaporator stage.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus and control method enabling the apparatus to settle down an internal temperature of a treating vessel to a target temperature accurately and quickly. The heat treatment apparatus includes a furnace body with a heater on an inner circumferential surface thereof, the treating vessel disposed inside the furnace body, a cooling medium supply blower and cooling medium release blower each connected to the furnace body, and a temperature sensor provided inside the treating vessel. A signal from the temperature sensor is sent to a heater output computing unit and blower output computing unit included in a controller. The heater output computing unit determines a heater output level based on a heater output numerical model and the signal from the temperature sensor. The blower output computing unit determines a blower output level based on a blower output numerical model and the signal from the temperature sensor.

Abstract: A fluid heat exchange system with a fluid flow circuit having a heat exchange fluid flow loop, a heat absorption component (as in a domestic hot water tank inclusive of small commercial use tanks as in tanks of 20 to 120 gallons), a heat exchanger and preferably also a pump. A controlled and automated fuel supply source based heater (as in a pellet stove) is in heat passage communication with the said heat exchanger. A control unit triggers activation of the pump upon fluid in the heat absorption component reaching or dropping below a preset temperature, and the fluid flow circuit is arranged such that, during times of non-activation of the pump, fluid is free to flow in a unidirectional flow within the fluid circuit based on thermodynamic temperature differentials alone. A retrofitting of a domestic hot water tank is also featured preferably making use of preexisting drain and safety vent porting for in-feed and out-feed porting in the exchange loop side.

Abstract: The invention concerns a fluidized bed reactor (1) made up of tubed membrane walls (2) cooled by a coolant fluid, the said walls surrounding a combustion chamber (10) and comprising tubed extension panels (3) through which flows a coolant fluid by single pass forced circulation. According to the invention the extension panels (3) are paired two by two.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for thermal processing of semiconductor substrates is disclosed. Each lamp of a lamp assembly is immersed in a thermally conductive atmosphere comprising oxygen. As the lamps are operated, the oxygen reacts with carbon containing species. Consumed oxygen is replaced over time until the thermal conductivity of the atmosphere falls below a tolerance threshold. The atmosphere is then evacuated and replaced.