Abstract: Exhaust system especially for motor vehicles of the type having a monolith of ceramic material serving as a catalyst support disposed in a metallic housing, said monolith being supported only radially in a double walled mantle having an inner wall of thin foil-like material closely encompassing the monolith and an outer wall defining the sole support connected at the ends in seal-like fashion and the inner space of which is filled with gas under pressure.

Abstract: A flow-through thermal detector for determining the temperature change resulting from a reaction in a fluid stream includes a pair of parallel fluid paths one of which carries the fluid stream in which the reaction occurs while the other carries a similar fluid without the occurrence of a reaction. The detector includes a temperature sensor for each path. The first of the sensors is mounted to sense the temperature of the reacting stream after said reaction has occurred while the second of the sensors is mounted to sense the temperature of the non-reacting stream at a point in its flow path comparable to that at which the first sensor is mounted. A heat shield is provided surrounding the parallel paths and the heat shield is controllable to a predetermined temperature. Preheating of the streams is carried out by a preheating means positioned within the heat shield to receive the fluid stream entering the shield.

Abstract: Apparatus for cleaning ascension pipe lids and lid seats comprises a pivotable tool holder mounted to a larry car and the tool holder carries two sets of cleaning tools. One set is rotatable for cleaning the lid seat in the ascension pipe opening and the other set is rotatable for cleaning the ascension pipe lid. The other set of cleaning tools is retractable when not in use. The tool holder is manually or mechanically operable.

Abstract: A system for preventing effluents containing coal dust from being emitted from a coke oven upon charging the coke oven with coal. A U-tube mounted on a larry car interconnects the charging oven with a coking oven and an air valve mixes air with the effluents being transferred from the charging oven to the coking oven. A venturi tube is in communication with the coking oven on the side thereof away from the U-tube and has a steam jet therein to provide sufficient draft across the coking oven to draw the effluents. The restriction in the venturi tube accelerates the effluents through the venturi tube to accommodate all of the effluents produced during the charging of the coke oven.

Abstract: Steam and entrapped air are bled from a steam sterilizing chamber and into a water displacement tube. The steam component of the bleed is condensed in the tube while any air entrapped in the steam displaces water from the tube. As the water level in the tube drops to a predetermined level, the tube is vented and the sterilizing chamber is pulse vented to introduce additional steam into the chamber. The method contemplates delaying the start of the sterilization period until a sufficiently low amount of air remains in the sterilizing chamber as determined by the intervals between repeated venting of the tube exceeding a predetermined timed interval.

Abstract: In the calcination of petroleum coke in a rotary kiln, procedure wherein air is controllably supplied internally of the kiln to burn the removed volatiles, as by selection or adjustment of the amount of such air and of the speed of coke travel down the kiln, so that all or nearly all of the heat for calcining the coke is provided by such combustion, and so that a suitably high temperature is reached for effective calcination at an efficiently large feed rate of coke, a special feature being to maintain a significantly long travel time of the coke from a region of intense calcining activity to the product discharge end of the kiln. High production rates, of coke calcined well and uniformly, are economically attained, with ease of control and with unusual stability of kiln operation.

Abstract: Spacers formed from mica are disposed in a catalytic converter between a monolithic ceramic catalyst element and a metal converter housing. As the converter warms, the spacers increase the compressive loading on the catalyst element to support and immobilize it within the housing.

Abstract: Carbonization of coal in travelling grate furnace with hot gas inlets below the grate. A refractory screen is provided above the grate to provide a flame propagation base for the volatile gases withdrawn from the coal on the grate. The combustion zone above the refractory screen provides radiant heat to vaporize volatiles present in the coal on the grate.The coal to be treated may be in the form of briquettes or an extruded slab. When an extruded slab of slurried coal is used the thermal shock on first entering the carbonization chamber results in the formation of carbon granules.

Abstract: The temperature of light straight run gasoline from a depropanizer tower is controlled as the function of the Reid Vapor Pressure change of a crude oil feeding a flash tower which provides an overhead product to the depropanizer tower and flashed crude oil to an atmospheric tower. The Reid Vapor Pressure is determined from the overhead product, the flashed crude, the pressure of the vapor in the flash tower and the temperature of liquid in the flash tower. A control unit includes a network which determines a change in the Reid Vapor Pressure as the quality of the feed crude oil to the flash tower changes. The network determines the change in the Reid Vapor Pressure and when the change exceeds a limit, provides a feed forward signal corresponding to a desired temperature associated with the new Reid Vapor Pressure. The desired temperature signal is determined in accordance with the equations hereinafter disclosed.

Abstract: A heater tube for use in a fluid heating device, which is used, for example, as a thermal decomposing device of hydrocarbons. The heater tube has a dumbbell shape in cross section.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for removing carbon deposits from the inner surfaces of a coke oven gas offtake by introducing steam into the gas offtake in an amount and under conditions sufficient to remove at least a portion of said carbon. The steam may be introduced either countercurrent to, or in the direction of, the flow of the gases exiting through the gas offtake.

Abstract: A catalytic reactor for converting sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide, suitable for high throughput rates of up to about 500,000 standard cubic meters per hour. The reactor includes a plurality of separate reaction chambers each containing catalyst trays connected in parallel in the gas flow path. The catalyst trays define gas spaces and alternate gas spaces are provided with inlets for supplying a partial stream of the sulfur dioxide containing gases which are divided in the gas spaces. The gas spaces adjacent to the gas spaces provided with inlets are provided with outlets for withdrawing partial streams of the gases which have passed through the catalyst trays.

Abstract: A tall stack construction which may be used for the discharge of products of combustion or may be used as a flare stack with a burner at the top end for combustion of waste products from oil refineries or other chemical processes, the stack pipe being supported by a derrick in the form of a tripod with lateral support guy wires each extending over a pulley carried by one of the tripod legs and with their ends connected to a plate on the stack pipe. Additional stability is obtained by diagonal guy wires in tension extending from the bottom of the stack to the foundation in one embodiment. The stack pipe may be fixed to the derrick at the top or the bottom, may have a disentrainment drum at the bottom and may be supported in slidable engagement at the top of the derrick for expansion and for separation of the disentrainment drum.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for catalytic treatment of a material containing solid contaminants (in particular residue from hydrodesulfurization), the catalytic reactor being provided upstream of the catalyst bed with filter units small enough to be replaced via the reactor inlet, said filter units containing parallel void chambers alternately closed at top and bottom, respectively, (possibly by means of rupture discs), so that material to be filtered flows into a void chamber, through its wall which has filtering (and possibly also catalytic, e.g., demetallizing) properties, and then out of the next void chamber and onto the catalyst bed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for disinfecting rooms and articles in the rooms. The apparatus comprises a housing having an interior disinfecting chamber which is connected through a valve to a scavenging chamber containing a scavenging fan, which has a discharge to atmosphere. An inlet chamber has an inlet valve which may be opened for the inflow of air through a filter into the inlet chamber and the disinfectant chamber. In addition, the housing contains a circulating fan chamber which is connected through an inlet passage having a plurality of circulating socket connections which extend from the circulating fan passage into the disinfectant chamber, and which may be advantageously connected selectively to articles which are to be disinfected.

Abstract: An appliance for sterilizing and melting plastic items such as found in hospitals or the like, for example, which appliance includes a chamber containing a foil casing within which the items are placed, and means for heating the chamber for a temperature and time cycle sufficient to soften or melt the plastic items which when cooled will form a solid body of plastic material containing within it other non-melted disposable items such as might have been included with the plastic items.

Abstract: In a coking oven, in which gas is withdrawn from a chamber through a conduit, a draft control is interposed in this conduit to regulate the pressure therein. The draft control comprises a first and a second throttle flap which are mounted in the conduit and which together cover part of the interior cross-section thereof, the remainder of the cross-section being blocked by a fixedly mounted element, and arrangements being provided for moving each of the throttle flaps individually between an open and a closed position.

Abstract: Exothermic reacting chemical oxygen generators are heat insulated with a hydrate to protect the user. The hydrate, when heated by the generator releases water which is vaporized and allowed to escape to a zone which will not be grasped by the user or is absorbed in a surrounding inert insulation layer where it can condense and revaporize as the heat wave passes through the surrounding inert insulation. The generator is preferably in the form of a disposable canister such as a tin can containing an oxygen generating chlorate candle and means for igniting the candle. A mask or cannula carrying cap is snapped on the can and has mechanism for piercing the can and activating the ignition means to flow oxygen to the mask or cannula.The preferred insulation includes a hydrate salt layer sandwiched between metal foil-backed refractory fiber blankets and covered with a sleeve.

Abstract: A catalytic converter for the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine has an internal by-pass structure in which the position of a bed temperature responsive valve determines whether inlet gas will flow through or around the catalyst bed.

Abstract: A coke oven and method of heating a coke oven are provided in which the coke oven has coking chambers with a low burner heating wall on one side of the coking chamber and a high burner heating wall on the other side of the coking chamber. Heating takes place by only low burners in one heating wall and only high burners in the other heating wall.