Abstract: A gas stream with a reduced oxygen concentration relative to ambient air is used to vaporize a liquid fuel or liquefied higher hydrocarbon gas, or is mixed with a vaporized gas, and the reduced oxygen vaporized fuel gas is fed to a combustion device such as a premixed or diffusion combustor. Preferably, the oxygen content of the gas stream is less than the limiting oxygen index. By mixing the fuel with a gas stream that has an appropriately reduced oxygen content, auto-ignition prior to the desired flame location in the combustor can be avoided. In some embodiments, the reduced oxygen stream is generated from an air separator or taken from the exhaust of the combustion device.

Abstract: A system and method for waking a person includes the provision of tactile stimulation in a repeating interrupted pattern upon the detection of an alarm signal indicative of an event for which the person should be awakened. In one embodiment, a device for waking a person comprises a circuit for generating a driver signal in response to an alarm signal, the driver signal having a repeating interrupted pattern; an electrically controlled switching device having a control input, a power input and a power output, the power input being connectable to a power source, the control input being connected to receive the driver signal from the circuit; and a tactile stimulation device connected to the power output of the electrically controlled switching device, the tactile stimulation device being configured to produce a tactile stimulation.

Abstract: In one embodiment of a method for vaporizing liquids such as fuels, the liquid is sprayed into a chamber such that the spray does not impinge on any surface. The energy for vaporization is supplied through the injection of a hot diluent such as nitrogen or oxygen depleted air. Additional heat is added through the surface. In another embodiment, the liquid is sprayed onto a hot surface using a geometry such that the entire spray is intercepted by the surface. Heat is added through the surface to maintain an internal surface temperature above the boiling point of the least volatile component of the liquid. The liquid droplets impinging on the surface are thus flash vaporized. A carrier gas may also be flowed through the vaporizer to control the dew point of the resultant vapor phase mixture.

Abstract: A system and method for providing continuous measurement and control of a combustion device by altering the fuel composition delivered thereto. The system includes devices for sensing related information, such as fuel characteristics, combustion characteristics, or other device characteristics, and controlling the performance of the combustion device based on the sensed information. Performance control occurs via addition of one or more additives to the fuel to adjust combustion characteristics. Via such sensing and performance control, consistent combustion device performance may be maintained, despite varying fuel characteristics. In one variation, sensing occurs for the fuel delivered to the combustion device, and one or more additives are added to the fuel, based on the composition and flow rate for the fuel.