Abstract: An apparatus for the dehydrogenation of liquid hydrides consisting of a chemical reactor (18) to dehydrogenate the heated vaporous hydrides, a pre-heating stage (12a, 12b) to pre-heat the hydride, a vaporization stage (14a, 14b), to vaporize the hydride, a superheating stage (16a, 16b) to superheat the vaporous hydrides and a condensation stage (10a, 10b) to cool the dehydrogenation products. All stages, including the reactor, are designed as plate-shaped hybrid heat exchangers stacked side by side. Two cylindrical storage containers (6a, 6b) for the dehydrogenation products are located at both front ends of the heat exchanger stack. Side plates (30, 32) linked to the storage containers (6a, 6b) function as tie rods, providing the apparatus, in conjunction with the storage containers with the required stability. The spaces (36, 38) between the side plates and the heat exchanger stack hold guide channels for the flow media.

Abstract: An electric power generating system includes a substantially conically tapering tower adapted to provide for the condensation of a vaporized fluid which has risen to the top of the tower. The condensate falls back to ground level, in a stream which actuates an electrical current generating turbine. The system can provide for the vaporization of the fluid to occur as a result of proximal association with a flowing water source, and a subsequent super heating of the vaporized fluid by proximal association with a source of waste heat such as a neighboring power plant.

Abstract: In the distillation of fresh water from sea water, the sea water is passed ownwardly in a falling film evaporator through a multiplicity of vertical tube evaporator (VTE) stages and multiple stage flash (MSF) evaporators. After the sea water passes through the first VTE stage where it forms a liquid component and a steam component, the liquid component is distributed evenly into the next VTE stage while the steam component enters an adjoining MSF stage. Condensed fresh water flows downwardly from one MSF stage to the next and experiences flash evaporation. The sea water or brine component and the fresh water distillate flow downwardly through the VTE and MSF stages so that the brine component can be removed from the final VTE stage and the fresh water distillate from the final MSF stage.

Abstract: A plate-type heat exchanger consisting of pairs of plates having longitudinal and transverse corrugations and forming a sinusoidal cross section with each pair of plates defining between them flow channels through the corrugations thereof. The corrugations in the longitudinal direction of the two plates of a plate pair register with one another whereas the corrugations in the transverse direction of a first plate are offset from the transverse corrugations of a second plate by half a wavelength (spacing of corresponding points of successive corrugations) while between the plate pairs bars are disposed which run along longitudinal corrugations of successive plate pairs and thus form longitudinal channels of an undulating flow pattern. Each plate of one of the plate pairs is mirror-symmetrical to or a mirror image of the closest plate of the next plate pair.