Abstract: Thermal energy, especially solar heat, is converted into chemical energy by being used for the endothermic dissociation of a compound which is exothermically recombinable to release at least a substantial part of that energy at a time and/or location at which the original heat source is not readily available. One or more of the dissociation products are transported to the point of utilization, preferably after interim storage, and are there recombined with one another and/or with locally available reactants to restore the original compound which is then returned, again preferably after interim storage, to the dissociation site for a repetition of the process. The exothermic reaction at the recombination site may be used to decompose a locally available compound, e.g. water, for the purpose of liberating one of its constituents, e.g. hydrogen.

Abstract: A burner for combustible fluids has a distribution opening adapted to feed a combustion chamber and supplied by a source of a comburant (combustion-sustaining gas such as air or a mixture of air and combustion products), a swirl generator between this source and the opening, an injection nozzle for the combustible fluid extending coaxially through this opening, and a constriction located immediately ahead of the discharge end of the nozzle and adjacent an outwardly diverging passage adapted to generate a toroidal vortex in the region of the end of the nozzle.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for mixing two fluids by generating a pressure drop across a pair of surfaces each forming a wall of a mixing chamber and confronting one another while separating a respective source of fluid from the mixing chamber. The surfaces being provided with mutually aligned and opposing apertures thereby accelerating the respective gases through the apertures in opposing jets. The resulting mixture of the fluids is conducted away from the chamber in a direction substantially parallel to the surfaces.

Abstract: Formation of nitrogen oxides and/or soot is obviated by mixing recycled combustion gas with incoming comburant supplied to a burner via a distribution opening and controlling the mass flow rate of combustion gas being recycled with respect to the mass flow rate necessary for the gaseous comburant, the mixture being passed to the burner as a turbulent flow in which the ratio between the kinetic momentum flux of the mixture and the product of the radius of the said distribution opening times the axial movement quantity flux of the mixture has a value at least sufficient so that the said turbulent flow produces a recirculation of the said mixture within the combustion chamber in the form of a toroidal vortex.

Abstract: A fluid fuel boiler having a combustion chamber having an opening for introducing a combustion supporting gaseous fluid. A burner introduces a liquid fuel into the combustion chamber mixed with the gaseous fluid for combustion thereof. Water-heating flow paths are disposed circumferentially and axially of the combustion chamber. Axial hot gas flow paths deliver hot gases from a downstream portion of the combustion chamber to a plurality of nozzles for diverting some of the hot gases along axially spaced paths in a direction circumferentially of the combustion chamber. These latter hot gas flow paths are immersed in the flow paths of the water to improve heat transfer.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to boilers and more particularly to a new and improved modular boiler.

Abstract: A liquid or gaseous (fluid) combustible is mixed with a combustion-sustaining gas and fed under pressure into a chamber where the mixture is burned. The mass flow of the combustible (fuel) is normally maintained constant for a combustion chamber of given thermal power output. The pressure in the chamber is continuously detected and the ratio of the mass flow of recirculated exhaust gas to the mass flow of the oxygen-containing gas (air or oxygen), which together constitute the combustion-sustaining gas, is increased when this pressure increases above a predetermined limit and the ratio is decreased when the pressure decreases below a predetermined limit. The ratio is varied by increasing or decreasing the proportion of exhaust gases and thereby decreasing or increasing, respectively, the partial pressure of oxygen in this combustion-sustaining gas.