Abstract: A liquid fuel combustion apparatus comprises a combustion cylinder, a fuel reservoir, a housing, a blower and an electrical ignition heater. The reservoir is disposed inside the cylinder to store a liquid fuel supplied from outside of the cylinder. The housing is disposed outside the cylinder to create a space therebetween and has an end wall opposite to an end wall of the cylinder. The blower is disposed outside, and in a spaced apart relation to, the housing and supply air to the space. The heater is supported by the end walls and ignite liquid fuel stored in the reservoir.

Abstract: A flame monitoring system for use on the furnace (10) of a vapor generator (2) employing tiltable burners (14) and particularly on a furnace equipped with tilting burners arranged in accord with the tangential firing method. Each burner is provided with its own individual scanner. Each scanner (20) is disposed to sight transversely across the base (30) of the flame (18) emanating from its associated burner (14). A plurality of at least three light transmission tubes (26) are stationarily mounted within each scanner head (24) with at least one tube (26A) mounted to sight at an upward acute angle across the flame, at least one other tube (26B) mounted to sight horizontally across the flame, and at least a third tube (26C) mounted to sight at a downward acute angle across the flame. A separate fire ball scanner (60) is mounted in the waterwall and aimed to sight at the center of the furnace (10) to monitor the fire ball (50) formed therein by the flames (18) emanating from the individual burners (14).

Abstract: A reversible, variably inclinable window with controlled convection for mounting in a window casing in a building for solar heating and cooling comprising a window frame having top and bottom portions and being adapted to pivot about a horizontal axis intermediate said portions, a first window panel mounted in said frame capable of transmitting both visible and infrared radiation, a second window panel mounted in said frame, substantially parallel and in a spaced relationship to said first window panel and being capable of transmitting visible radiation and blocking infrared radiation, and openings proximate to said top and bottom portions for providing air passageways to space between said first and second window panels such that rotation of the assembly about its horizontal axis can place either of the panels toward the outside of the building for selective reflection or absorbtion of the radiant energy to enable heating or cooling of the interior space between the panels in order to utilize the properties

Abstract: A burner head of ceramic materials through which the fuel (combustible) and the oxidizing agent (oxygen or oxygen-containing gas such as air) are passed from an inlet side to an outlet side, combustion being effected at the outlet side. According to the invention, the gas passages for the fuel and the oxidizing medium are of elongated cross section and parallel to one another, being offset in pairs so that indirect heat exchange is effected between the two mediums through the separating ceramic wall. The passages can be formed as rectangular-section channels which are closed at the top and bottom by ceramic plates.

Abstract: A blue-flame oil burner including a flame-tube, a wall extending transvery of the flame-tube and defining the upstream end thereof, the wall having therein a metering orifice through which air enters the flame-tube, the orifice being the only air inlet into the flame-tube, an oil atomizing nozzle positioned upstream of the wall and discharging an oil spray through the orifice into the flame-tube, and a mixing tube positioned within the flame-tube co-axially of the orifice and having its upstream end spaced axially from the wall by a distance such that the peripheral area of the space between the wall and the upstream end of the mixing tube and defined within an imaginary upstream extension of the peripheral wall of the mixing tube to the transverse wall is between one and three times the difference between the cross-sectional area at the upstream end of the mixing tube and that at the orifice, the mixing tube having a length, L, and a diameter, D, such that the ratio L/D is between 1.0 and 1.

Abstract: An oil burner of the type of pumping up a fuel oil is disclosed which has a first oil level setting means of an airtight type having an overflow pipe means constantly immersed at the lower end thereof in a fuel oil to be pumped up to the first oil level setting means and has a second oil level setting means disposed below the first oil level setting means and directly connected to a fuel oil supply tank. A fuel oil supplied from the second oil level setting means is drawn up to the first oil level setting means by a pumping-up means and subsequently supplied through a supply pipe to a combustion means. The level of a fuel oil in the first oil level setting means is kept constant at a position above the outlet end of the supply pipe. The overflow pipe means may be movable in the vertical direction so as to vary only the supply rate of a fuel oil.

Abstract: Unit for thermal incineration of non-explosive gases with minor amounts of organic pollutants and for production of hot air, and which can be adapted to various types of supplementary fuel. There is a combustion chamber which consists of a flame pipe inside an outer jacket. Through the space therebetween, incoming process gas is led as coolant. At its front end, the combustion chamber has a burner for supplementary fuel and a mixing-in zone for process gas. The process gas rapidly mixes with the hot combustion gases in the flame, the gas reaching its reaction temperature directly. Powerful turbulence in the mixing-in zone gas, film-layer cooling, convective cooling and even flow give highly efficient and pure combustion while keeping the flame pipe temperature low enough to prevent corrosion.

Abstract: A combustion control system which utilizes non-linear parameters for controlling a combustion process with greater efficiency than has heretofore been available is disclosed. According to the method, the quantity of carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, and/or opacity is measured and compared with a predetermined value for that parameter. Error signals for each parameter are generated and supplied to an error selector which chooses the error signal of the largest magnitude. The error signal is then compensated for the non-linear relationship between the parameter and the amount of excess air supplied to the combustion process. Other operations, including checking the proposed control signal output against one or more constraints are performed, and if satisfactory, an output signal is supplied to a servo-mechanism for controlling the air flow to the combustion process.

Abstract: A device for concentrating light to a focal region. The device includes a plurality of segments which are capable of reflecting light and which are arranged for rotation about two axes, one offset with respect to the other. The segments are mutually co-operable to pivot in unison about the two axes in order to direct light to the focal region. A light energy receiving medium is generally positioned in the focal region.

Abstract: When a call for heat is established, a flame relay is actuated for a predetermined time by means of a cycling timer. Upon this initial actuation, the flame relay inhibits a checking relay and initializes a trial-for-ignition (or simply "ignition") timer. After the cycling timer times out and the flame relay has been completely cycled, which establishes operativeness of the flame relay and flame sensing circuitry, the checking relay is enabled and actuated for the ignition period. The checking relay then actuates the pilot valve and a spark generator to start a pilot flame. If a flame is sensed, before the ignition timer times out, the flame relay actuates the main valve and establishes a holding current for the ignition timer so that the checking relay continues to be energized. If a flame is not sensed during the trial period, the ignition timer disables the checking relay, thereby de-energizing the pilot valve before the main valve is opened.

Abstract: There is provided a combustion appliance with a safety device. An oxygen partial pressure sensor made up of a transition metal oxide or rare earth metal oxide is normally disposed in a position in which the excess air ratio downstream of a flame formed by a burner can be detected and, at times of abnormality, within the flame. The resistance change of said oxygen partial pressure is detected and the combustion is stopped when incomplete combustion occurs due to oxygen depression, clogging of the primary air orifice of the burner or clogging of the combustion chamber with the products of combustion.

Abstract: An efficient heating unit for ready installation in any standard fireplace includes a refractory lined fire box contained within an outer shell to form a heat exchanger between hot gaseous fuel combustion products and living space air entering the jacket space between the walls of the fire box and the outer shell in a continuous convection cycle. Heated air re-enters the living space through a grill above the fire box and fire box flue maze. The flue maze or manifold forms a radiator of great surface area which projects into the living space immediately below the heated air grill and the maze is vented into the chimney by two non-adjustable and one adjustable vents which are sealed from the air passages of the heat exchanger. Lockable and adjustably vented doors at the front of the fire box are provided. A three piece face plate formed of thin metal having thermal contact with both the fire box and heat exchanger shell maximizes heat radiation into the living space.

Abstract: The subject invention involves equipment for tracking the sun by utilizing its energy. Otherwise expressed, the invention is directed to what may be termed a solar collector assembly which is operated by the rays of the sun for automatically maintaining the assembly correctly positioned on the sun in order to substantially obtain the maximum amount of energy therefrom when it is available.

Abstract: An improved engine comprises a primary piston and primary cylinder in which air and fuel is precombusted. The piston is reciprocated in the cylinder by an external prime mover. The exhaust of the precombusted air/fuel mixture is controlled by a floating exhaust valve piston which seats against the exhaust port and has its other end pressurized at a set pressure preferably by an inert gas. The precombusted air/fuel mixtures are exhausted to secondary combustion chambers where additional air, fuel and prime mover exhaust gases are added to increase the velocity and pressure of the gas and provide for more complete combustion of the fuel.

Abstract: A swirl burner of the two-stage combustion type with suppressed NO.sub.x generation which is so arranged that combustion air supplied into the burner is divided into primary and secondary combustion air, and the primary combustion air subjected to a powerful swirling motion by a primary combustion air nozzle having a frusto-conical shape and swirling vanes is supplied into a primary combustion chamber for drawing only primary combustion gas thereinto, while the secondary air is directed, in the form of a rectilinear flow, into a furnace through secondary combustion air nozzles provided around the primary combustion chamber, with oil and gas for fuel being supplied into the primary combustion chamber through a fuel injector nozzle. Part of the fuel is burned in the primary combustion chamber, while the remainder of the fuel is sequentially mixed with the secondary combustion air for combustion in the furnace.

Abstract: An outdoor cooking apparatus having a collapsible support which is pivotally mounted in the recess of an automotive spare tire rim. The pan of the cooking apparatus is pivotally attached to the end of the support and the pan and the recess form an enclosure for containing the collapsible cantilevered support when the support is collapsed and pivoted about its pivotal mounting and the pan is pivoted about its pivotal attachment to the support. When the support is collapsed and the pan pivoted, the pan's peripheral edge abuts the spare tire rim flange enclosing the support and any attachments on the support between the pan and the spare tire rim. The spare tire rim could, in one embodiment, be replaced by a portable housing having a carrying handle attached to it.

Abstract: A portable gas hand torch igniter and burner assembly of the piezoelectric-type to be assembled onto a portable pressurized gas fuel cylinder which includes a handgrip housing body having an internal cavity gas conduit network, and an elongated burn tube having a venturi portion at its inlet end and an end-tapered orifice cylinder removably mounted in the venturi portion. A gas pressure regulator valve mechanism maintains a substantially constant predetermined gas supply pressure level at the inlet portion of said gas conduit network and a control valve associated with a push button normally closes the conduit network against passage of gas to the burn tube. A piezoelectric igniter in said housing body is actuated by inward depression of the push button to open the control valve to admit gas to the burn tube and generate a spark-producing voltage a predetermined short interval after opening of the control valve to produce a spark within the burn tube.

Abstract: The invention is a solar energy apparatus based on the concept of large area solar radiation reception, comprising a plurality of individual solar receptors, each solar radiation receptor being a flat plate collector adapted to hold relatively shallow layer of water extending over the upper surface thereof. The individual receptors are each comprised of an upper radiation receiving surface adapted to absorb solar radiation. These receptor surfaces are adapted so that the solar heat absorbed is immediately transferred by convection and other means upwardly to the water layer reposed above this receptor surface. The supporting member for each receptor is a rigid member of horizontal disposition surrounded by a vertically extending perimeter which serves as a wall to contain the water upon the upper receptor surface.

Abstract: Entire or partial end wall or side wall sections of a corrugated metal building can be constructed economically with an integrated solar heating panel which can supply forty to sixty percent of winter heating during daylight hours. The solar heating panel or wall section matches and supplements the appearance of adjacent standard wall surfaces and a virtually unnoticeable transition from standard to solar heating wall surfaces is achieved. Heated air can flow by natural convection or with blower assistance through a plenum in the solar heating wall panel to and from connected ducting. A uniquely formed clip provides the proper stand-off spacing between superposed sheets which make up the solar heating panel and the clips also serve to securely join the several corrugated sheets in proper interfitting relationship with the use of strategically placed self-tapping screws and intervening closure strips which maintain solar plenum integrity.

Abstract: A subminiature photoflash lamp which includes a pyrotechnic charge centrally disposed within the lamp's plastic, light-transmitting envelope. The charge is supported on the ends of the lamp's ignition means and is of a disklike, planar configuration to provide maximum light output. Ignition of the lamp can be achieved by application of a firing pulse from a piezoelectric element.