Abstract: A system for providing thermal power to an electrical power plant wherein substantially whole trees are supplied as fuel without being processed into small woodchips or chunks. A stacked cooling grate suspends the substantially whole trees within the combustion chamber. The cooling grate is formed by stacking an upper tube and at least one lower tube vertically beneath the upper tube. The tubes of the cooling grate are supplied with water to cool the grate.

Abstract: An inclined grate construction or apparatus in the combustion chamber of a combustion furnace, comprising a plurality of adjacent grate tubes in the longitudinal direction of the grate, said tubes being welded together through flat bars. Below the grate is disposed a grate bar carriage, which, in use, reciprocates horizontally respective to the grate. The grate bar carriage supports at least one grate bar, which is pushed through the grate via an opening in the flat bar between two adjacent grate tubes when the grate bar carriage moves towards the grate. The grate bar carriage is also vertically displaceable.

Abstract: A wood burning stove includes a water circulating grate within the stove fire chamber which includes horizontally extending, vertically spaced, first and second tubular manifolds. Fuel supporting pipes, including bottom portions which define a "V", physically and fluidly interconnect the manifolds. An inlet pipe extends throughout the majority of the length of the bottom manifold, and the top manifold is connected--through a container having a larger cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of the manifold--to an outlet. The inlet to and outlet from the manifold are connected up to a hydronic space heating system. The container supports a heat exchanger comprising a finned copper tube, so that the heat exchanger extends generally horizontally and within the first manifold. The heat exchanger is connected up to a domestic hot water supply. The container also supports one or more electric resistance heating coils, which heat liquid within the container in emergency situations.

Abstract: A boiler comprising a long tank lying on its side and having a fire box at one end which is adjacent to a recessed bulkhead that is spaced from a partition in the end of the tank. The top of the tank and two sides thereof extend beyond the bulkhead around the fire box to provide water filled side and top portions for the fire box. The other end of the tank has a rear bulkhead which lies adjacent to a hot gas manifold that extends beyond the rear bulkheads to form a hot gas chamber below a smoke stack. The tank has a number of large diameter tubes extending horizontally between and through the two tank bulkheads to conduct hot gases from the fire box to the manifold chamber and smoke stack.

Abstract: A device constituting an improved boiler design. The heat exchanger, known in the art as a pancake, is composed of an asymmetrical grid of interconnected hollow eliptical conduits through which flow the heat transfer fluid. In one embodiment of the invention, two pancakes are connected in series in such a way that their asymmetry is complementary. Such an arrangement is claimed to increase the efficiency of heat transfer and reduce the frequency of cleaning of the boiler when compared to boilers in the known art.