Abstract: In a gas mixing apparatus for the generation of a continuous stream of a gas mixture a carrier gas line is in communication with a collector to which a carrier gas supply line and component gas supply lines are connected of which each includes a mass flow regulator and a three-way valve with an output in communication with the collector and a first inlet connected to the respective mass flow regulator and a second input in communication with the carrier gas supply line. The second inputs to the three-way valves are always open so that carrier gas is always permitted to flow through the valves for rapid response to flow changes through the valves first inlet.

Abstract: A cooling tower is provided with a crown inwardly tapered towards the upper discharge opening defined by the upper rim of the crown to create a pressure differential greater on the inside than on the outside of the crown to inhibit cold air break-ins in still air or winds of low velocity. The cooling tower shell is tapered inwardly in the crown region and the angle between the tangent to the internal contour and the vertical in said crown region of the shell is preferably chosen to be not smaller than results from the following equation: ##EQU1## in which .alpha. is the angle in question, g is the acceleration due to gravity, .rho..sub.a and .rho..sub.i are the gas densities inside (i) and outside (a) of the cooling tower, z is the vertical coordinate, d.sub.o and d(z) are the diameters of the internal shell contour at the level z=o and z, respectively, and w.sub.o is the gas velocity at the level z=o.

Abstract: A cooling tower is provided with a crown inwardly tapered towards the upper discharge opening defined by the upper rim of the crown to create a pressure differential greater on the inside than on the outside of the crown to inhibit cold air break-ins in still air or winds of low velocity. To reduce the effect of side winds of high velocity, the crown may carry a wind-deflector ring with an upwardly-inclined deflecting surface to inhibit the creation of a vortex over the tower. The tower may be suspended by cables from a central mast, and the wind-deflector ring may be suspended by separate cables from the mast, these latter cables being tensioned between the masthead and the lower part of the crown by means of a support ring arranged at the base of the wind-deflector ring.

Abstract: Apparatus for separating the gaseous hydrogen isotopes protium, deuterium and tritium from a gas stream containing one or a plurality of the hydrogen isotopes. A membrane is provided which is permeable to the hydrogen isotopes and impermeable to the gas stream. The membrane has a side facing away from the gas stream and a side exposed to the gas stream. On the side of the membrane facing away from the gas stream, there is disposed a getter which takes up the hydrogen isotopes by absorption at a predetermined absorption temperature and releases the absorbed hydrogen isotopes again by desorption at a desorption temperature above the absorption temperature. The membrane permeable to the hydrogen isotopes covers a surface of the getter so that the getter, at the absorption temperature, absorbs hydrogen isotopes exclusively through the membrane. The membrane and getter constitute an absorption element and are permanently connected to one another.

Abstract: A cryosorption pump comprises a pump housing; a supply conduit merging into the pump housing for introducing sorption material thereinto; an outlet conduit opening into the pump housing at a location below and spaced from the supply conduit; a plurality of heat conducting wall surfaces disposed in the pump housing; a refrigerator operatively connected to the wall surfaces for cooling them to a cryogenic temperature to which the sorption material situated between the wall surfaces is exposed; a regenerator connected to the outlet and supply conduits for regenerating sorbent-laden sorption material received from the pump housing by means of the outlet conduit and for admitting sorbent-free sorption material into the supply conduit; a first conveyor arranged in the outlet conduit for advancing sorbent-laden sorption material from the pump housing into the regenerator; and a second conveyor arranged in the supply conduit for advancing sorbent-free sorption material from the regenerator into the pump housing.