Abstract: In combintion, a vertical gas pass (12) through which hot gases flow, a heat exchanger including a first tube panel (24, 26) having serpentine tube means, each tube means having a plurality of first (24, 26) horizontal tube portions, said heat exchanger having a second tube panel (32, 34) having serpentine tube means, each tube means having a plurality of second (32, 34) horizontal tube portions which lie adjacent to and in the same horizontal planes as the first (24, 26) horizontal tube portions, the upper terminal ends of the serpentine tube means having first vertical runs (24, 26) extending downwardly to a point beneath the bottom of the serpentine tube means, and having U-bends (28, 30) at the bottom, and having second vertical runs, which bend at the top and are integral with the uppermost horizontal tube portions, lug means (40) attached to opposite sides of some of the vertical runs (24, 26), a plurality of band means (42) encircling adjacent first and second horizontal tube portions (24, 32) the ends

Abstract: A pulverized coal-fired burner having a longitudinally elongated coal delivery pipe through which a stream of pulverized coal entrained in air is passed into the furnace and at least two air plenum chambers, one along the top and one along the bottom of the coal delivery pipe, connected in fluid communication with the interior of the coal delivery pipe at the discharge end thereof. A high pressure working fluid, such as air or flue gas, is passed through the plenum chambers into the coal delivery pipe so as to impinge against the coal-air stream passing therethrough thereby causing the coal-air stream to be deflected away from the longitudinal axis of the coal delivery pipe.

Abstract: A direct-fired, pulverized coal-fired furnace 2, wherein the fuel supply system is modified so that a load carrying pulverizer 10 supplying pulverized coal to the furnace through a plurality of burners 4 may simultaneously also supply pulverized coal to a storage bin 16 for storage therein until needed to start-up, warm-up and stabilize the low load firing of the furnace 2 at a later time.

Abstract: The metal shell of a furnace or cupola is cooled by means of water flowing down over the exterior surface of the metal shell. In order to reduce heat loss and thus decrease the energy consumption, the interior surface of the metal shell is lined with a fired refractory shape. The thermal conductivity of the refractory material and its thickness are selected such that the amount of refractory material remaining upon reaching equilibrium conditions will be sufficient to maintain the mechanical and structural integrity of the lining. Refractory materials of different conductivities may be selected for various locations in the furnace depending upon the temperatures to be encountered.

Abstract: The electrodes between which AC and DC electrostatic fields are sustained in a liquid mixture are connected to ground potential through rectifiers arranged to maintain the strength of the DC electrostatic field as the dielectric strength of the liquid mixture decreases.

Abstract: A flexible cover for a carbon bake pit has a flexible, expanded metal backing to which is attached a blanket of insulating ceramic fibers. This construction allows the cover to flex in order to conform to the surface of the material in the pit. Lifting means are attached to the expanded metal backing in a manner so as to permit this flexibility.

Abstract: A method of effecting an examination by eddy current means (24) of the surface of a coated component (58) for cracks having at least a preset minimal dimension. The subject method can be used to detect such cracks in the surface of metal components (58) that are coated or covered with a nonmetallic material. Further, through the use of the subject method such cracks are detectable without necessitating the removal of the nonmetallic coating or covering from the surface of the metal component (58). The subject method encompasses the steps of establishing calibration readings for cracks of the desired dimension utilizing the eddy current means (24) with which the desired surface examination of the given component (58) is to be effected, performing a preexamination validation of the operativeness of the eddy current means (24), and conducting with the eddy current means (24) the surface examination of the given metal component (58) that is coated or covered with a nonmetallic material.

Abstract: A dry, lightweight refractory mixture which can be shipped and stored in a dry form, but which becomes plasticized upon the addition of water to yield a moldable, air-setting, insulating refractory composition, the dry refractory mixture including from about 35 to about 70% by weight ceramic fiber; from about 10.5 to about 40% by weight setting agent, preferably a mixture of aluminum phosphate powder and calcined magnesia powder; from about 5 to about 20% by weight of dry, water-soluble, powdered resin binder prepared from urea formaldehyde or melamine formaldehyde, and from about 0.3 to about 2% by weight of dry, water-soluble, non-ionic, powdered organic polymer gelling and cohesion enhancing agent. The dry mixture also preferably includes from about 0.5 to about 2.0% by weight of a dry, water-soluble acidifying agent for catalyzing the air-setting of the plasticized composition.

Abstract: A chalcogenide cathode is made by applying a slurry of a mixture containing at least one intercalatable layered transition metal chalcogenide cathode active material, a conductivity enhancing agent and a binding agent in a vehicle therefor to a high porosity current collector substrate which has been previously treated by applying and drying an adhesion promoting agent thereon and then heating the substrate in an inert atmosphere to drive off the vehicle and coalesce the binding agent.

Abstract: Sheathed electrical heating elements containing MgO heat conductive, electrical insulating material having an additive of fine particles of spherically shaped fused ZrO.sub.2 to increase the electrical resistivity and maintain favorable tap density and flow properties. The spherically shaped ZrO.sub.2 particles are formed by gravitationally separating the ZrO.sub.2 particles from ground fused zircon (ZrO.sub.2.SiO.sub.2).

Abstract: A programmable controller (41) based logic system places two electronic output converters (14,18) in series for redundant protection against the inadvertent energization, due to the failure of an image register (66,68) or due to the shorted failure of a triac (10,12) on the output converters (14,18), of an energize-to-start, deenergize-to-stop field device (28). A control and monitor circuit monitors the image registers (66,68) and the output converter (14,18) triacs (10,12) that switch power on and off to the field device (28) to assure that the triacs (10,12) have not failed in an unsafe mode or that the image registers (66,68) have not failed. The monitor circuit continuously monitors both image registers (66,68), the first triac (10) and the series combination of the two triacs (10,12). The monitor circuit intermittently monitors the second image register (66) and the second triac (12). A failure of either or both triacs (10,12) or either or both image registers (66,68) energizes an alarm.

Abstract: A flow splitter for dividing a single stream of pulverulent material entrained in air into a multiplicity of substantially equal substreams for delivery to a multiplicity of receiving stations.

Abstract: A force-balance pressure measuring instrument incorporates a fluid pressure couple. The couple constructively includes a fulcrumed beam. The primary element is connected to the force-balance beam through a proportional band adjustment having a leaf spring which is changed in effective length. At certain settings of the leaf spring in the proportional band adjustment, oscillations, or pulsations, of the fulcrumed beam are generated. A compensation beam is pivoted on the fulcrumed beam to respond to the pulsations or oscillations of the fulcrumed beam and absorb energy to reduce pulsations or oscillations.

Abstract: A sonic atomizing spray nozzle (40) wherein a slurry (30) of finely-divided sulfur oxide absorbent particles in a carrier liquid is sprayed into a flue gas stream (12) entering a drying chamber (20) for effecting the removal of sulfur oxides therefrom as a dry salt. The slurry is sprayed through a continuous circumferential slit (70) as a radially outwardly directed thin sheet which traverses an axially-downwardly directed curtain of atomizing gas passing from an annular channel (66) circumscribing and bordering upon the continuous slit (70).

Abstract: Tie means employable for purposes of accomplishing the tying together of tubes of a superheater platen assembly. The subject tie means is particularly suited for use in those applications wherein a need exists to effect the tying together of tubes, which bear a tangential relationship to each other. The subject tie means comprises a multiplicity of cooperating tie members that are suitably affixed such as by being welded thereto, to the pair of tubes that the tie means is intended to tie together. More specifically, the multiplicity of tie members includes a first pair of tie members that is affixed to a first one of the pair of tubes and a second pair of tie members that is affixed to the second one of the pair of tubes.

Abstract: A method of firing a pulverized fuel-fired steam generator furnace wherein a mixture of recirculated cleaned flue gas and air is supplied to the mill for drying the pulverized fuel in the mill and transporting the pulverized fuel to the furnace. The volume flow rate of the gaseous mixture of recirculated flue gas and air is controlled in response to the feed rate of fuel to the mill to maintain a mixture to fuel ratio in the transport stream of about but not less than 1.5. The volume flow rate of recirculated flue gas with respect to the volume flow rate of air is controlled to maintain the oxygen content of the gaseous mixture at a level of at least 12% by volume and preferably in the range of 12 to 15% by volume.

Abstract: A process for producing pressurized pipeline gas wherein coal is gasified in oxygen at a relatively low pressure, typically less than 5 atmospheres, to produce a raw gas containing carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, gaseous sulfur compounds and particulates. A major portion of the raw gas is cooled, cleaned and methanated to produce a pipeline quality product gas consisting essentially of methane. The remaining portion of the raw gas is cleaned, compressed and combusted to produce a high temperature, high pressure flue gas which is used to power a gas turbine and generate steam to power a steam turbine. The gas turbine and steam turbine each drive compressors for compressing the low pressure product gas to pipeline pressure.

Abstract: A core shroud including flexible panels sealingly attached to the inner surface of the shroud at an elevation opposite the fuel assembly grids nearest the core midplane. Each panel forms the outer wall of a deformable chamber which is pressurized through a conduit carried by the shroud. One end of the conduit is in fluid communication with the reactor coolant at a high pressure location remote from the panels, producing a pressure differential across the panel which urges the panel against the adjacent grid to prevent core bowing.

Abstract: A long, thin strip of spring steel functions as the support base for one or more capillary tubes. The strip and its attached capillary tubes are thrust through a handhole in the side of a vessel containing a tube bundle and diverted by a guide into predetermined open lanes formed by the tubes of the bundle. The forward ends of the capillary tubes are directed downward for the jetting of fluid under high pressure into a body of sludge collected between the tubes and on the upper side of the tubes and their tube sheet. The source of the fluid is connected to the rear ends of the capillary tubes as the supply of fluid under high pressure.

Abstract: A fixture has an expandable section which is positioned opposite the junction of the two pipe ends. Actuation of the expandable section to the walls of the pipes. internally clamps the pipes into rigid axial alignment for welding the pipe ends together.