Abstract: A thermodynamic apparatus, such as a Stirling engine or a Vuilleumier heat pump, has a heat exchanger in which energy is exchanged between a working fluid and an exhaust gas stream. On top of the cylinder of the thermodynamic apparatus is a dome-shaped section. By incorporating the heat exchanger within the dome, the flow paths can be simplified, the number of separate components reduced, and overall weight reduced. Flow passages for the working fluid are embedded in the dome. Channels for the exhaust gases are formed in an outer surface. The passages and the channels are helically arranged, one clockwise and one counter clockwise. The dome can be cast with a core for the casting fabricated via three-dimensional printing. In some embodiments, the dome is made of fiber-reinforced material.

Abstract: A nitrogen oxide reduction baffle for a heat exchanger of a furnace and a gas furnace incorporating at least one such baffle. In one embodiment, the baffle includes: (1) a body having a predetermined length, cross-sectional configuration and longitudinal slot, the longitudinal slot having a predetermined width and position and (2) a locating structure coupled to the body and configured to place the body in a predetermined longitudinal location within a heat exchanger and orient the slot relative to the heat exchanger, the body laterally constrained within the heat exchanger when the body is located at the predetermined longitudinal location.

Abstract: An electrical adapter with a replaceable plug structure includes an adapter housing and a plug mounting/dismounting structure mounted to the adapter housing. The plug mounting/dismounting structure includes a carrier, at least one set of contact plates, and at least one releasable fastening structure. The contact plates are in electrical connection with a circuit assembly accommodated in the adapter housing and are exposed on the carrier. The releasable fastening structure is mounted to the adapter housing and includes at least one pair of pushbuttons and at least one pawl section, which is set at a locked position when the pushbuttons are not depressed and is set at a released position when the pushbuttons are depressed in a predetermined operation direction. A plug structure is coupled to the carrier of the plug mounting/dismounting structure with a coupling surface thereof and the plug structure is selectively locked/released by operation of the pawl section.

Abstract: A heater for a liquid has a combustion chamber, a jacket for the liquid extending about the combustion chamber and a burner head assembly connected to the combustion chamber. The burner head assembly includes a housing having a burner mounted thereon and a hollow interior. A control module and a fan are mounted in the hollow interior, the fan being connected to an electric motor. A compressor and a fuel pump are mounted on the housing and are operatively connected to the electric motor. The control module may include controls for exercising components of the heater prior to combustion, thereby verifying operation of these components. Preferably there is a speed control for the motor, such as a closed loop speed control which regulates motor speed and accordingly output of the heater. Preferably there is a backup system using a lookup table in the event that the closed loop speed control fails.

Abstract: Apparatus (10) for recovering fumes from a roofing kettle (12) includes a fan (72) for drawing air from the hollow interior of a housing (20). A conduit (34) extends through the housing front wall (22) and terminates in the hollow interior. A burner assembly (44) is disposed within the conduit (34) for providing a flame within the conduit (34). The housing side wall (30) includes a fresh air intake (78). A flexible metal hose (80) extends between the outer free end of the conduit (34) and the roofing kettle (12). Rotation of the fan (72) causes air to be drawn from the interior of the housing (20) and in turn through the fresh air intake (78), through the conduit (34) and the hose (80) from the interior of the kettle (12), and through the duct (46) and tube (58) of the burner assembly (44).

Abstract: Apparatus (10) for recovering fumes from a roofing kettle (12) includes a fan (72) for drawing air from the hollow interior of a housing (20). A conduit (34) extends through the housing front wall (22) and terminates in the hollow interior. A burner assembly (44) is disposed within the conduit (34) for providing a flame within the conduit (34). The housing side wall (30) includes a fresh air intake (78). A flexible metal hose (80) extends between the outer free end of the conduit (34) and the roofing kettle (12). Rotation of the fan (72) causes air to be drawn from the interior of the housing (20) and in turn through the fresh air intake (78), through the conduit (34) and the hose (80) from the interior of the kettle (12), and through the duct (46) and tube (58) of the burner assembly (44).

Abstract: A gas burner adapted to discharge said fuel at its the periphery for combustion, includes upper and lower concave plates secured together to define a chamber and an outer periphery having a plurality of burner ports. The upper plate preferably has a periphery extending radially at least as far as the lower plate. The periphery of the upper plate is downwardly angled, preferably more steeply than the periphery of the lower plate. The peripheral edge of at least one or the other of the top or bottom burner plates extends radially outwardly from the central axis a distance beyond the location of the burner ports and into the path of burning gases issuing from the ports whereby the temperature of said burning gases is reduced. Preferably, the periphery of the upper plate extends downwardly to an elevation below the upper edges of the burner ports, so that gases emerging from the ports are caused to impinge against the periphery, thus cooling the gases and thereby reducing the NO.sub.

Abstract: A gas burner adapted to discharge said fuel at its the periphery for combustion, includes upper and lower concave plates secured together to define a chamber and an outer periphery having a plurality of burner ports. The upper plate preferably has a periphery extending radially at least as far as the lower plate. The periphery of the upper plate is downwardly angled, preferably more steeply than the periphery of the lower plate. The peripheral edge of at least one or the other of the top or bottom burner plates extends radially outwardly from the central axis a distance beyond the location of the burner ports and into the path of burning gases issuing from the ports whereby the temperature of said burning gases is reduced. Preferably, the periphery of the upper plate extends downwardly to an elevation below the upper edges of the burner ports, so that gases emerging from the ports are caused to impinge against the periphery, thus cooling the gases and thereby reducing the NO.sub.

Abstract: A wedge shaped form is mounted on the splash plate of a black liquor nozzle with the sharp edge of the wedge located at the exhaust of the nozzle to split the black liquor from the nozzle into two flat sheets on each side of the wedge with no droplet formation at the center of the nozzle exhaust.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for safely combusting a fuel in such manner that very low levels of NO.sub.x and CO are produced. The apparatus comprises an inlet line (12) containing a fuel and an inlet line (18) containing an oxidant. Coupled to the fuel line (12) and to the oxidant line (18) is a mixing means (11,29,33,40) for thoroughly mixing the fuel and the oxidant without combusting them. Coupled to the mixing means (11,29,33,40) is a means for injecting the mixed fuel and oxidant, in the form of a large-scale fluid dynamic structure (8), into a combustion region (2). Coupled to the combustion region (2) is a means (1,29,33) for producing a periodic flow field within the combustion region (2) to mix the fuel and the oxidant with ambient gases in order to lower the temperature of combustion. The means for producing a periodic flow field can be a pulse combustor (1), a rotating band (29), or a rotating cylinder (33) within an acoustic chamber (32) positioned upstream or downstream of the region (2) of combustion.

Abstract: Combustion apparatus comprising a combustion chamber, a forced draft mixer and burner assembly extending into the combustion chamber, the assembly including a mixing tube having an open end, an opposed closed end, and a generally cylindrical, foraminous side wall extending between the ends, and a plurality of generally circular disks supported in the tube in spaced-apart relation over the length of the tube, the diameters of the disks increasing in the direction from the open end to the closed end, a blower for supplying air to the to the open end of the mixing tube, and a heat exchanger located in the combustion chamber adjacent the mixer and burner assembly.

Abstract: A fuel burner apparatus for converting fossil fuel such as gas into heat. A cylindrical burner body is provided having an air inlet and a flame opening wherethrough flames, combustion gases and any unburned particles of fuel exit. A flame spreader apparatus is connected to the flame opening for evenly distributing the flames, combustion gases and unburned fuel particles coming out of the fuel burner. The fuel spreader apparatus includes a fuel spreader, a stem connected substantially perpendicular thereto and three leg portions connected at one end thereof to each other and at the other end thereof to the flame burner opening. The stem is connected to the meeting point of the three leg portions. A two-stage gas valve or a slow opening gas valve is provided for controlling the rate at which the fuel valve opens and allows fuel to enter the fuel burner. The fuel burner is connected to a heat exchanger which has a flue line and a blower connected to the flue line.

Abstract: A burner for cleaning accumulated soot from a soot filter associated with the exhaust of internal combustion engines, the burner is simple from a constructional viewpoint and especially effective with respect to initiation and maintenance of a soot-burning process in the soot filter. The burner includes a fuel nozzle, air nozzle, and glow plug arranged in a predetermined succession in the flow direction of the air introduced into the burner chamber. An especially intensive intermingling of the fuel-air mixture for the burner and/or for the soot filter is obtained by producing a turbulent flow by means of the air nozzle.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a liquid hydrocarbon fuel combustor which includes a fresh air blast pipe disposed in a hole formed in the circumferential wall of a can-type body. The leading end of the blast pipe is opened toward a combustion chamber which is formed in the can-type body. A fuel atomizing nozzle is disposed in the blast pipe for atomizing a liquid hydrocarbon fuel from the leading end opening of the blast pipe into the combustion chamber. An electrode rod is disposed in the blast pipe for igniting and burning the mixture of the liquid fuel droplets, which are injected from the atomizing nozzle, and the fresh air which is blown from the blast pipe. A mixing tube is disposed in front of the leading end opening of the blast pipe in the atomizing direction such that it is coaxially connected to the blast pipe. The mixing tube has at least its front half counter-tapered in a diverging form.

Abstract: This process enables the recovery of mercury from waste containing plastic material, e.g. batteries. The waste is slowly heated while an inert gas is being introduced in a vacuum for fractionating extraction of the products of the decomposition of the plastic. The waste gases must pass through an afterburner chamber incorporating a specially shaped burner where the plastic vapors are fully combusted. The waste gases are conducted from the afterburner chamber through a cooling trap and then through a cold trap in which the mercury is condensed and can be drained off. The final stage of the process is carried out in a pulsating vacuum by the inert gas.The device in which the process takes place consists of a heated heat isolated treatment chamber (2), an afterburner chamber (6), a cooling trap (7), a cold trap (18) and a vacuum pump (23, 24) connected with pipelines (5, 12, 21).

Abstract: A gaseous fuel combustor for a Stirling engine includes a shell mounted on the engine, and air inlet and exhaust ports formed in the shell. An annular cylindrical recuperator communicates with the inlet and exhaust ports for preheating the combustion air with the heat from the exhaust. An annular burner surrounds the dome shaped engine heater head for mixing gaseous fuel with the air and burning it at the outer peripheral edge of the heater head. The combustion products converge upwardly in a narrow space between a ceramic partition and the heater head dome so that the heat flux is constant. The combustion products exhaust through a axial hole in the center of the ceramic partition and travel back outward over the top of the partition to the annular recuperator.

Abstract: A cooking system includes a frypot comprising heat transfer walls which are spaced to facilitate cleaning of the frypot. Each heat transfer wall comprises a lower vertically extending portion and an upper outwardly curved portion shaped to cause wastes to flow to the bottom of the frypot. A plurality of burners are provided for maintaining combustion in zones adjacent to the vertically extending portions of the heat transfer walls. This causes heated products of combustion to flow upwardly along the vertically extending and outwardly extending portions of the heat transfer walls, whereby heat transfer is effected through the walls to cooking oil in the frypot. Each burner comprises two or more orifices for discharging mutually interacting gas jets and a target for deflecting the gas jets and entrained air toward the heat transfer walls and for reflecting heat into the combustion zone and through the heat transfer walls.