Abstract: The hydrogen-powered desalination plant is a multi-stage flash desalination system using hydrogen fuel to power the top brine heater of the plant. The hydrogen-powered desalination plant includes a plurality of flash distillation stages, which each include a flash chamber and a condenser. The top brine heater in the hydrogen-powered desalination plant is powered by the carbon-free combustion of hydrogen gas with oxygen gas. The combustion of the hydrogen gas with the oxygen gas creates a flame, which is used directly to generate steam from atomized seawater, any seawater not converted to steam being collected as preheated brine and passed to the multi-stage flash desalination system for successive stages of flash distillation. Preferably, the flame is generated as a vortex.

Abstract: A pressure vessel has a restraint structure for accommodating thermal cycling thereof, including: a body with a cylindrical section; a skirt connected to the body and having a foot; and a plurality of blocks disposed around the skirt adjacent to the foot. Each block is anchored to a support frame or foundation, and has a base and a flange. Each flange overlaps the foot, thereby vertically linking the blocks and the skirt. A radial clearance is formed between an outer surface of the foot and an inner surface of each base. A vertical clearance is formed between an upper surface of the foot and a lower surface of each flange.