Abstract: An automatic tube circumference scanning apparatus automatically performs inspections, repairs and other operation on a group of tubes arrayed in a narrow space and extending in horizontal directions. The apparatus includes an upper support/traverse section mounted on an upper tube in the group of tubes so as to be able to travel along a tube axis and to stop and grip the upper tube, a lower support/traverse section mounted on a lower tube so as to be able to travel, stop and grip the lower tube, a flexible rail extending vertically between the upper and lower support/traverse sections and fixed thereto, and a probe scanning section mounted on the flexible rail so as to be able to move up and down and which grips any arbitrary tube between the aforementioned upper and lower tubes for making a probe scan around such tube.

Abstract: As the apparatus consumes liquid nitrogen and discharges cold gaseous nitrogen under low pressure, an additional nitrogen stream is liquified under high pressure by heat exchange with the gaseous nitrogen discharged by the apparatus 1, the liquid thus obtained is expanded to the pressure of utilization and the expanded liquid is added to the principal supply of liquid nitrogen to the apparatus. Application in the supply of nitrogen to large cryogenic crushing apparatus.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises wedging members (12, 13) consisting of elastic metal strips folded into crenellations, and a wedging member cooperating with said members and consisting of a flat strip (14) provided with openings (20) having the same spacing as the crenellations of the wedging members (12, 13). The wedging members (12, 13) have outer support surfaces (16) and inner support surfaces (17) cooperating with the flat strip (14). In the unlocked position of the apparatus the surfaces (17) coincide with the openings (20). In the locked position the members (12, 13) are moved apart by the flat strip (14), which comes into contact with the support surfaces (17). Passage from one position to the other is achieved by longitudinal displacement of the flat strip (14). The apparatus can be used in particular as an antivibratory bar in a steam generator of a pressurized water nuclear reactor.

Abstract: An ash pan assembly for a wood burning or coal burning stove includes an ash pan door permanently attached to the stove and mounted for movement between a closed ash collection position and an open position. An ash pan is mounted to the movable ash pan door. A detachable ash pan cover is easily attached to the ash pan in the open position. The ash pan cover prevents accidental spillage of ashes and hot coals from the ash pan and includes a carrying handle by which the ash pan is lifted from the assembly and taken for disposal. The ash pan door is preferably hinged to the front wall of the stove for swinging to the open position.

Abstract: A fluidized bed combustor for burning solid fuel or dirty liquid fuels comprised of a bubbling fluid bed with tubes in the bed, an isothermal, non-heat extractive freeboard/recycle cyclone flow path, a hot recycle cyclone, a connective heat exchanger and a particle filter. The bubbling fluid bed is operated at low superficial velocities of 0.5 to 7 ft/sec and is composed of fine particulates 45 to 2000 microns in diameter with up to 40% less than 200 microns. Fines elutriated from the bed are isothermally recycled back to the bed resulting in high combustion efficiency and good sulfur oxide suppression from sorbents contained in the bed. The material recycled in one hour is equivalent to twice the weight of the bed. Ammonia injected upstream of the recycle cyclone suppresses nitrogen oxides with high efficiency because of the excellent mixing in the cyclone. The heat transfer coefficient on the tubes in the bed is increased at least 2 to 4 times because of the fine particulate in the bed.

Abstract: A boiler control system includes a first device for measuring or computing a rate of change in steam temperature and a generated thermal stress in a pressure part of a boiler, and a second device for controlling steam temperature or a rate of change in the steam temperature at the pressure part of the boiler in accordance with a desired value, and a third device which has functions for storing in a memory combinations of the steam temperature and the thermal stress at each moment as obtained by the first device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improvement to a conventional cryogenic air separation process having an argon sidearm column. The improvement to the process comprises reducing the pressure of the feed gas to the argon sidearm column across a control valve and operating the argon sidearm column at the lowest possible pressure consistent with a minimum temperature difference across the overhead condenser and the unrestricted return of crude oxygen vapor from the overhead condenser to the low pressure column.

Abstract: A vapor dryer system in which products to be dried are positioned in a tank and immersed in a hot vapor cloud and saturated with hot vapor, which removes water from the surface of the product as the vapor condenses on the surface. The condensate is collected and diverted to preserve the purity of the solvent reservoir. The vapor is formed from a liquid reservoir which is heated by heat transducer means disposed remotely from the tank to minimize the risk of igniting the vapor.

Abstract: A dryer having a drying chamber and an inlet housing structure wherein a heating device is located in the inlet housing structure. An outlet structure is provided with a main chamber and a secondary chamber wherein the flow of gas exiting the drying chamber is divided into a main flow of gas passing from the main chamber to the inlet housing structure and a secondary flow of gas passing from the secondary chamber past a condenser which is located in the secondary chamber to the inlet housing structure. Side chambers located in the housing have side walls which are formed from a perforated sheet of metal. The dryer will function in a recycled-air operation as well as a fresh-air operation.

Abstract: A tube assembly for superheater unit of a steam generating system comprising a bank of superheater tubes rigidly secured together and a screen tube adapted to be connected to a source of coolant disposed adjacent the length of and attached to an end tube of the bank of superheater tubes.

Abstract: In a process for the formation and removal of moisture from porous filter cake comprising individual solid particles on a filter medium by means of a fluid acting on the filter cake and which has a pressure difference compared with the filtrate behind the filter medium, the filter cake is economically freed from the suspension liquid by means of a differential pressure without or with only an insignificant fluid flow through the filter medium, in that a filter medium with a higher capillary intake pressure for the fluid than that of the filter cake is used and that a filtration pressure is applied to the fluid which is higher than the capillary intake pressure of the filter cake and equal to or smaller than the capillary intake pressure of the filter medium.

Abstract: A saran carbon matrix is employed to conduct heat through the heat storing volume of a cryogenic regenerator. When helium is adsorbed into the saran carbon matrix, the combination exhibits a volumetric specific heat much higher than previously used lead balls. A helium adsorbed saran regenerator should allow much lower refrigerator temperatures than those practically obtainable with lead based regenerators for regenerator type refrigeration systems.

Abstract: A drying unit flow separator includes an inlet having a curvature, and an exhaust duct and recirculation duct connected to the inlet at a junction. A recirculation damper is provided adjacent to the junction and projects into the inlet to divide the air flow between the exhaust duct on the outside of the curvature and the recirculation duct. A method of recirculating air to a drying unit includes the steps of blowing air into a curved duct causing larger and heavier lint particles to gravitate to the outside wall of the duct, and conducting the air past a recirculation damper such that the flow is divided into a recirculation flow and an exhaust flow that includes the larger and heavier lint particles.

Abstract: The removal of impurities from exhaust gases takes place by cooling the exhaust gas by means of a circulation gas and condensing out of the impurities in two groups of reversible heat exchangers. Each group consists of two precoolers and one low temperature cooler. While the impurities condense out in one group, they are thawed in the other group. In order to simplify the control, only one precooler is used in each group, which is charged with two inside gases, namely, the exhaust gas and the circulation gas. Only two simple control systems which can be easily program-controlled are then required for the purification process. In addition, the temperature increase of the circulation gas in the circulation gas blower can be utilized for heating up purposes in the group to be thawed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improvements to a process and apparatus for the cryogenic distillation of mixtures, which comprise oxygen, nitrogen and argon, e.g. air. The improvement comprises effectuating intimate contact of the liquid and vapor phase streams utilizing a structured packing to effectuate the intimate contact in at least those regions of the distillation column system where argon concentration is within the range from about 0.6 to about 75 volume percent, and operating the process such that the densimetric superficial gas velocity in those regions is at least 0.06 feet per second. The present invention also relates to a method for improving a cryogenic distillation apparatus having at least one distillation column for the separation of mixtures containing oxygen and argon, comprising the step of replacing the distillation trays with a structured packing in at least those regions of the distillation column system where the concentration of argon is in the range from about 0.

Abstract: The present invention is an improvement to a conventional, single column, cryogenic, nitrogen generator which is able to produce nitrogen at near atmospheric pressure. In the improvement, the product nitrogen from the rectifier column is expanded through an expansion turbine to produce refrigeration for the process. Expanding the nitrogen makes it possible for the main air compressor to operate at a much lower pressure and achieve a significant reduction in compression power as compared to conventional waste expander and air expander cycles.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying resinous material includes a reaction vessel and a pair of counter-rotating hollow shafts disposed in the vessel. Each of the shafts supports a plurality of blades for stirring the resinous material to be dried in the vessel. A flow of hot gas is continuously supplied through hollow shafts into the blades and released into a reaction vessel through a plurality of apertures in the blades when the blades are in contact with the resinous material.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the extraction of heat and smoke from a fuel burn in a firebox. The design is for the firebox exhaust area to be wrapped with its own hot exhaust gases, for smoke extraction, and then, for heat extraction, have all of the outer surface of a stove, fireplace or furnace exposed to said hot exhaust gases. Such a wrap-aroung design burns smoke from said exhaust gases, holds a high temperature in the firebox area, for good combustion, and increases the efficiency of heat extraction by using all of the outer surface of the stove, fireplace or furnace as a high temperature heat exchanger.

Abstract: A continuous process is disclosed for separating components of a hydrocarbon gas stream which are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, nitrogen, methane, ethylene, ethane, higher saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, and mixtures thereof by countercurrently contacting the hydrocarbon gas stream with a physical solvent selected from the group consisting of: (1) paraffinic solvents having molecular weights ranging from 75 to 140 and UOP characterization factors ranging from 12.0 to 13.5, these factors being independent of the aromatic content of the paraffinic solvents, (2) naphthenic solvents having molecular weights ranging from 75 to 130 and UOP characterization factors ranging from 10.5 to 12.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for heating fibrous mineral insulation material comprises an oven divided into zones, a conveyor for carrying the insulation material through the oven, means for directing hot gases into contact with the insulation material in the first oven zone, first heating means for heating the hot gases, and second heating means, distinct from the first heating means and positioned upstream from the first oven zone for heating the conveyor.