Abstract: A particle suspension furnace having an upper injector section, an intermediate combustion section and a lower separation section. The injector section comprises a central fuel conduit for supplying a rich fuel/air mixture to a burner at the base of the injector section, and a concentric annular mixing chamber for supplying a mixture of reactive or meltable batch particles and oxygen to the burner. The fuel-rich burner flame diffuses radially-outwardly to consume the peripherally-supplied oxygen and form an oxygen/fuel combustion mixture having a predetermined selected stoichiometry which is variable above and below 1:1 stoichiometry depending upon whether a reducing or oxidizing atmosphere is desired. The suspended particles absorb heat to quench the burner temperature and reduce the NO.sub.x pollutant formation.

Abstract: Heat transfer and thus temperature control of an environment is achieved by a method and apparatus which comprises withdrawing hydrogen from a first hydride reaction system in a two phase equilibrium at a certain temperature and pressure thereby causing a decomposition of a portion of the hydride, adding heat to the reaction system to compensate for the loss of heat caused by the endothermic hydride decomposition reaction, transferring the withdrawn hydrogen to a second hydride reaction system in a two phase equilibrium at a higher temperature and pressure thereby causing a formation of hydride and release of heat, and removing the heat created by the exothermic hydride formation reaction.