Abstract: A method of building refractory protection walls of furnaces, ovens or combustion chambers, notably but not exclusively for boilers for incinerating garbage and refuse, is proposed for protecting the hearth walls by means of a refractory wall (4) consisting of a plurality of shaped fire-bricks (5) each provided with at least one blind recess (6, 11) disposed at the level of the fixing means of the panel (1) to be protected which consist of fixing studs (7) projecting from the panel surface and adapted to engage the corresponding blind recesses (6, 11) so that each fire-brick (5) is suspended from these studs (7) and self-locked in position by at least the next overlying fire-brick.

Abstract: In a coal combustion system suitable for a gas turbine engine, pulverized coal is transported to a rich zone combustor and burned at an equivalence ratio exceeding 1 at a temperature above the slagging temperature of the coal so that combustible hot gas and molten slag issue from the rich zone combustor. A coolant screen of water stretches across a throat of a quench stage and cools the combustible gas and molten slag to below the slagging temperature of the coal so that the slag freezes and shatters into small pellets. The pelletized slag is separated from the combustible gas in a first inertia separator. Residual ash is separated from the combustible gas in a second inertia separator. The combustible gas is mixed with secondary air in a lean zone combustor and burned at an equivalence ratio of less than 1 to produce hot gas motive at temperature above the coal slagging temperature.

Abstract: A combustion chamber with a fluidized bed furnace having a nozzle plate, a fuel feed above the nozzle plate, a primary air feed below the nozzle plate, an exhaust gas channel at an upper end of the combustion chamber, and heat-exchanging heating surfaces includes a cylindrical combustion chamber wall disposed vertically upright and having, in an upper region thereof, a plurality of secondary air nozzles disposed tangentially as well as downwardly inclined to the cylindrical wall for separating and returning unspent solid particles into a lower region of the fluidized bed, a device for directing a flow of gas and particles vertically upwardly in a central region of the combustion chamber and spirally downwardly along the cylindrical wall, and a device for impressing an upwardly increasing rotary flow about an axis of symmetry of the combustion chamber upon the gas flow.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for retarding the formation of a slag ring on the inner wall of a rotary lime kiln where coal combustion gases are used to provide heat in the calcining chamber of a rotary lime kiln. The inner wall of the kiln, at a predetermined location where a slag ring would tend to form, is cooled so as to cool the dispersed slag prior to contact with the inner wall of the calcining chamber sufficiently to prevent adherence of the slag to the inner wall. Cooling chambers or a cooling channel may be provided in the refractory lining forming the inner wall, or transpiration devices may be provided to inject coolant into the calcining chamber, at the predetermined location, to cool the slag and prevent adherence thereof to the inner wall.

Abstract: A vertical apparatus for heat treating a semiconductor apparatus which is provided with an opening at one end, wherein the opening of a reactor provided with a reaction gas inlet and outlet is fitted with a cap which is designed to be tightly fitted to or removed from the reactor opening, a boat rest is mounted on the cap, when the cap shuts the reactor opening, the reaction gas drawn off from the inlet is carried to the outside through the outlet, when the cap is removed from the reactor opening, a gas is carried from the inlet provided in the boat rest to the outlet at the predetermined rate, and the gas passing through the gas introducing passage and gas-discharging passage provided in the boat rest prevents the open air from flowing backward into the reactor opening.

Abstract: A direct-contact type hot water heater includes a perforated plate having a slope allowing water to flow down from its top apex toward its lower surroundings along both or all sides of the slope in the form of a water film. The perforated plate is provided with a number of apertures capable of forming the water film by surface tension. An endothermic material is arranged in a state where it does not project from the lower surface of the perforated plate.

Abstract: The present invention is a process for the liquefaction of hydrogen which utilizes a dense fluid expander and neon as a precoolant refrigerant. In the process, a two phase mixture containing about 85-90% liquid of greater than 95% para-hydrogen is produced in a dense fluid expander. Most of the refrigeration for liquefaction is supplied by a neon refrigeration system, consisting of a centrifugal compressor, heat exchangers and one or more stages of neon expansion. As an option, further refrigeration may be supplied utilizing liquid nitrogen as another precoolant.

Abstract: The present arrangement is a hot zone structure for a vacuum furnace which includes an endlessly shaped outside wall (e.g. shaped substantially into a circle) preferably made of stainless steel. Disposed next to the inside surface of the outside wall is a layer or layers of heat insulating material means such as graphite felt. Further disposed next to the inside surface of the insulating material means is an inside wall preferably made of graphite. The inside wall defines the chamber of the hot zone structure into which items to be heat treated are placed. Passing through the outside wall, through the layer of heat insulating material, and through the inside wall are many continuous apertures. At the end of each continuous aperture there is located a threaded terminal piece and threaded into each terminal piece is a graphite nozzle. Accordingly there is a plurality of graphite nozzles passing from outside the outside wall of the hot zone structure through into the inside chamber of the hot zone structure.

Abstract: In a process proposed for purification of a gas stream at elevated pressure by nitrogen scrubbing, the gas stream to be purified and the nitrogen scrubbing stream are initially cooled to low temperatures. The gas stream is then scrubbed with liquid nitrogen and the purified gas stream is mixed with cooled, high-pressure nitrogen to form a mixture in which nitrogen accumulates partly as a liquid phase. The mixture thus formed is then heated and the liquid nitrogen contained therein is evaporated. Prior to scrubbing, either the nitrogen scrubbing stream itself or a partial stream of the nitrogen scrubbing stream or another process stream under a pressure lower than the working pressure of the nitrogen scrubbing step is at least partly condensed and then pumped to a higher pressure.

Abstract: A furnace water cooled tube wall portion (10) is separated from heated gasses by cast refractory material (12). A metal isolation plate (14) against the tubes (18) separates the tubes from the refractory material (12) and has projecting elongated anchors (30) with shanks (32) attached at spaced locations to mechanically join the refractory material to isolation plate (14). Anchors (30) have conical chamber washers welded to shanks (32) to shield the locations from cast refractory material at the spaced locations. This permits bending of shanks (32) to accommodate thermal expansion force created movement between isolation plate (14) and the refractory material (12).

Abstract: A method is disclosed for removing essentially all of the water from fine metal powders. The method involves contacting the powder particles which have water on at least some of the particle surfaces with a solution of a fluorocarbon solvent and a hydrophobic surfactant, with the amount of the surfactant being sufficient to form at least a monolayer adsorbed onto the particle surfaces, and with the amount of the solution being sufficient to at least fill the void volume of the particles, to displace essentially all of the water which is in contact with the water. The displaced water and the major portion of the solution which is not in direct contact with the powder is physically removed from the resulting treated powder. The powder is then dried at a temperature above the vaporization temperature of the fluorocarbon at the operating pressure of the drying equipment to remove the remainder of the fluorocarbon from the treated powder without removing significant amounts of surfactant therefrom.

Abstract: A metering feeder for delivering solid fuels, such as municipal or industrial refuse, for combustion includes a pair of generally vertically arranged hoppers. An upper hopper containing relatively compacted or intertangled fuel discharges metered amounts of fuel into a lower hopper through the action of a ram-type pusher. Fuel discharged from the upper hopper is dropped into the lower hopper to develop sufficient kinetic energy to decompact the fuel. An upwardly inclined conveyor removes fuel from the lower hopper at an independently metered rate under optional control of a combustion control system. The action of the inclined conveyor further decompacts the fuel by underraking and mixing, thereby providing a well controlled, uniform, loose density fuel for combustion. The conveyor has a closed course of cleats which cyclically moves to remove fuel. The cleats extend in acute angular relation to the direction of movement for improved performance.

Abstract: A process and plant for improving the incineration of fuels, in order to reduce the production of noxious gases, particularly nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.X) and also to reduce the emission of dioxines and furans when incinerating solid or liquid wastes containing precursors of dioxines and furans. Air containing an excess of oxygen is used for incinerating the combustible materials. The amount of oxygen contained in the enriched air is preferably of about 30 to 35% with respect to the normal content of oxygen (23.19%). The plant comprises essentially at least one combustion chamber and an equipment for supplying air enriched with oxygen to said combustion chamber.

Abstract: There is disclosed an improved process for recovering argon from a tail gas stream, preferably a tail gas obtained from a hydrogen recovery unit processing a purge gas obtained in the synthesis of ammonia and comprised of argon, methane, nitrogen, and residual quantities of hydrogen, wherein the tail gas is partially liquefied prior to introduction into a first fractionation column to form a bottoms liquid stream comprised of argon and methane wherein such liquid stream is thereupon introduced into a second fractionation column to separate argon as an overhead gaseous stream which is condensed to form liquid argon or as product.

Abstract: A novel gas processing method is disclosed which is useful in separating and recovering carbon dioxide from gas streams having a high carbon dioxide content (e.g., 85-95 mol percent) and a low hydrocarbon/nitrogen content. The method is particularly useful in processing gas streams produced during carbon dioxide flooding operations for enhanced oil recovery.

Abstract: High purity methane is recovered from a fuel gas stream containing the same in admixture with mainly nitrogen and carbon dioxide, by first removing the carbon dioxide by selective adsorption in a PSA system and separating the remaining nitrogen from the methane by cryogenic distillation, the rejected nitrogen being employed for purging the CO.sub.2 -laden adsorbent beds of the PSA system. Cyclic regeneration of the sorbent-laden bed may entail nitrogen purge with or without including a carbon dioxide rinse, or the nitrogen purge of the sorbent-laden bed may be used in combination with pressure let-down by gas withdrawal into one or more companion beds.

Abstract: A tray stack for a boiler feedwater deaerator is provided with a plurality of horizontally spaced troughs arranged in vertically spaced and staggered tiers. Each of the troughs has a generally V-shaped bottom and a pair of outwardly-extending, inclined wall members having notched lower edges. The vertical projected dimension of the inclined wall members is less than the overall depth of the trough such that the distance of travel encountered by the feedwater dropping from the lower edge of the wall members to the next adjacent, underlying trough is maximized, thereby increasing the interactive area of contact between the cascading water and uprising flow of steam. The lower edge of each wall member is preferably notched to enhance dispersion of the falling water, and the wall members also are disposed to positively guide the falling water into the adjacent underlying trough without bypassing the same.

Abstract: An improved process for cryogenically separating a helium-bearing natural gas stream comprising subjecting the natural gas stream to a sequence of alternating cooling and separating steps wherein one or more process-derived streams are utilized to effect cooling of the natural gas streams to temperatures in the cryogenic range. The process provides for the separation and recovery of a natural gas liquids product stream consisting substantially of condensed C.sub.2 and higher hydrocarbons and a gaseous product stream consisting of at least 50 volume percent of helium with the balance being substantially nitrogen.

Abstract: A lance assembly designed to clean sludge from the portion of the OTSG tube bundle which is inaccessible from the open tube lane. A track assembled between the OTSG outer shell and circular shroud around the tube bundle substantially opposite the open tube lane has a motorized carriage driven on the track which directs high pressure fluid through a plurality of nozzles toward the tube bundle through windows in the circular shroud. The nozzles are attached to a nozzle block which is capable of being moved vertically on the carriage to vary the flow impact area on the tube bundle.

Abstract: An electrophotographic hot roll fuser is manually movable from an operative position within an electrophotographic reproduction device, to an inoperative position where the fuser is available for cleaning, inspection or sheet jam clearance. When the fuser is in its inoperative position, a manually operable handle is accessible for operation. Operation of this handle moves various operating components, such as sheet guides, apart, thereby facilitating manual sheet jam clearance. Subsequently, when the handle is manually returned to its original position, all sheet guides and like components are accurately relocated to their original operative positions.