Abstract: Exhaust gas from internal combustion engines is treated with catalyst comprising an inorganic oxide supporter which supports at least one of noble metals selected from Rh, Pt, and Pd, alkali rare earth metals, rare earth metals, and magnesium in order to remove NOx effectively with superior durability of the catalyst notwithstanding the internal combustion engine is under a stoichiometric operation condition or a lean burning operation condition.

Abstract: Exhaust gas from internal combustion engines is treated with catalyst comprising an inorganic oxide supporter which supports at least one of noble metals selected from Rh, Pt, and Pd, alkali rare earth metals, rare earth metals, and magnesium in order to remove NOx effectively with superior durability of the catalyst notwithstanding the internal combustion engine is under a stoichiometric operation condition or a lean burning operation condition.

Abstract: An apparatus for purifying an exhaust gas emitted from an internal combustion engine, particularly, immediately after starting of the engine, includes a mechanism for reducing the time required to heat a catalyst converter to the activation temperature. The exhaust gas is passed through a preliminary catalyst close to the engine and then through a main catalyst downstream of the catalyst. The engine is operated with an air-fuel mixture which is richer than the amount indicated by the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio for a period of time from when engine is started until the main catalyst is heated to a temperature at which the catalyst can sufficiently perform its purifying capability. The preliminary catalyst is enabled to function at lower temperatures by combusting the exhaust gas which is generated during a rich air-fuel mixture condition. The main catalyst can be heated with the generated combustion heat, resulting in an enhancement in exhaust gas purifying capability.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a synthetic diamond thin film which comprises decomposing with microwave a raw material gas containing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and a hydrocarbon and hydrogen or hydrogen and oxygen to produce a plasma and contacting the plasma with the surface of a substrate held outside the area irradiated with the microwave to form a diamond thin film on the substrate.The present invention further provides an apparatus for producing a synthetic diamond thin film and a synthetic diamond thin film and devices in which the synthetic diamond thin film is used.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for purifying an exhaust gas discharged from an internal combustion engine, which comprises a first exhaust gas passage including a nitrogen oxide removing catalyst and a three way catalyst, a second exhaust gas passage including the three way catalyst, a gas flow regulator for selectively directing the exhaust gas to the first and second exhaust gas passages, and a control unit which directs the exhaust gas to the first exhaust gas passage (thereby passing exhaust gas first through the nitrogen oxide removing catalyst and thereafter through the three way catalyst) when the temperature of the nitrogen oxide removing catalyst is within a hydrocarbon adsorbing range of temperature thereof while the engine is warming up, and to the second exhaust gas passage (thereby passing the exhaust gas only through the three way catalyst) when the temperature of the nitrogen oxide removing catalyst exceeds the hydrocarbon adsorbing range of temperature thereof.

Abstract: An energy supply system operates to supply heat energies, such as cooling water, steam, heating water, etc. to a community, and the system has a function for predicting a future energy demand of the community and to correct it. In a system having an energy plant to store energy and an energy supply pipeline network for connecting the energy plant to the community, the system includes an energy demand plan making section for predicting an energy demand of the community on the basis of past cases of energy supply and for formulating an energy demand plan with respect to time, and an energy demand variation detecting section for determining a variation of the energy demand from the energy demand plan by using a personnel flow measured value measured by personnel flow measuring apparatuses provided at paths to or positions of the community as a parameter. The variation of the future energy demand of the community is predicted and energy which accomodates the determined variation can be prepared.

Abstract: An exhaust gas cleaning system has a catalyzer provided in the exhaust passage of the engine and an adsorbent provided upstream from the catalyzer. The adsorbent temporarily adsorbs unburned hydrocarbons emitted in large amounts immediately after the engine is started. The system provides an amount of air required to substantially eliminate unburned hydrocarbons, based on the temperature of the adsorbent and the oxygen concentration in exhaust gas upstream from the catalyzer. An air supplying unit is provided upstream from the adsorbent. A temperature sensor is provided for the adsorbent. An oxygen sensor is provided at the inlet of the catalyzer. A control unit calculates the amount of air (oxygen) necessary for the catalyzer to convert the unburned hydrocarbons released from the adsorbent, based on signals from the temperature sensor and the oxygen sensor and the exhaust flow rate. The control unit accordingly controls the air supplying unit.

Abstract: A burner for pulverized coal has a coal duct for pulverized coal and primary combustion air and a secondary combustion air duct such that the coal and primary air and secondary air mix outside the outlet nozzles of the duct in a mixing zone at which combustion occurs. Coal distribution means in the coal duct create, adjacent the outlet nozzle, at least one outer zone of flow spaced from the coal duct axis and at least one inner zone of flow nearer the coal duct axis. These are means for slowing flow in the outer zone relative to the flow in the inner zone, prior to the mixing zone. To achieve good mixing, and promote NO.sub.x reduction, the coal concentration in the outer zone is higher than in the inner zone. The slowing means may be radially inwardly projecting baffles.

Abstract: A method for growing a thin film on a substrate of metal or ceramics by beam deposition comprising the steps of:(I) producing from starting gases ions of elements or compounds thereof to be deposited on the substrate;(II) irradiating the ions produced in step (I) with electromagneti waves to electronically excite at least one sort of said ions; and(III) impacting an ion beam comprising the ions excited in step (II) onto said substrate to deposit thereon, thereby growing a film, and an apparatus for practicing the method. The method enables the formation of thin films having a higher crystallinity by electronically exciting ions or neutral species to increase the internal energy thereof and then impacting a beam comprising the excited ions or neutral species onto the substrate.

Abstract: A low-NOx boiler comprises a burner for burning gaseous fuel, heat transfer pipes heating water by combustion heat of the burner to generate steam and having a passage through which water flows, a steam drum communicating with the heat transfer pipe and accumulating the steam from the heat transfer pipe, and an exhaust gas duct located in the furnace to exhaust combustion gas generated by combustion of gaseous fuel outside of the boiler. The boiler further comprises unburnt gas burner in the exhaust gas duct for burning unburnt content in the combustion gas flowing in the duct. The unburnt gas burner includes a nozzle for injecting premixture flow of fuel and combustion air and flame holding plate located near the downstream side of the outlet of the nozzle to interrupt the premixture flow to form a circulating flow on downstream side of the flame holding plate. As gaseous fuel and air are mixed in advance and a flame is formed, the flame length can be shortened.

Abstract: A spectroscope apparatus includes a device for separating light from an object to be measured into spectral components, a device for mixing spectral components which exists in a desired wavelength range, and a device for forming an image of the to-be-measured body of mixed light. The image obtained is very useful for observing the state of a combustion flame, the progress a photochemical reaction, the progress of a biochemical reaction, tissue in a cell, and the state of a flame for analyzing a solution which contains a metal ion by flame spectrophotometry. The apparatus provides accurate analytical information and makes possible precise control operations.

Abstract: A low NOx burner comprises a pulverized coal nozzle for injecting a flow of a mixture of pulverized coal with primary air, a secondary air nozzle arranged externally of and coaxially with the pulverized coal nozzle, a tertiary air nozzle arranged externally of the secondary air nozzle and disposed coaxially with the pulverized coal nozzle, and a swirl flow generator for injecting secondary air and tertiary air as a respective swirl flow. Between the secondary air nozzle and the tertiary air nozzle, there is provided a spacer having such a thickness as to delay the mixing of the secondary air and the tertiary air and to form a swirl flow between the secondary air and the tertiary air.

Abstract: A spectroscope apparatus includes means for separating light from an object to be measured into spectral components, means for mixing that part of the spectral components which exists in a desired wavelength range, and means for forming an image of the to-be-measured body of mixed light. The image thus obtained is very useful for observing the state of a combustion flame, the progress of photochemical reaction, the progress of biochemical reaction, a desired tissue in a cell, and the state of a flame for analyzing a solution which contains a metal ion, by flame spectrophotometery, that is, provides accurate information and makes possible a precise control operation.

Abstract: An atomizer including a fuel supply passage for supplying a fuel, an atomizing medium supply passage for supplying an atomizing medium which is to be mixed with the fuel, a mixing chamber in communication with the fuel supply passage and the atomizing medium supply passage, and spray ports for spraying the fluid mixture consisting of the fuel and the atomizing medium from the mixing chamber. The fuel supply passage and the atomizing medium supply passages are communicated with the mixing chamber through a pre-mixing chamber having an annular cross-section defined by a large-diameter cylindrical surface and a small-diameter cylindrical surface. The fuel and the atomizing medium supplied from the fuel supply passage and the atomizing medium supply passage are pre-mixed the pre-mixing chamber. With this arrangement, it is possible to efficiently mix a slurry fuel and an atomizing medium, thus reducing the particle size of the atomized fuel particles and shortening the flame length.

Abstract: An entrained bed coal gasifier constructed so as to conduct two-stage reactions in a single gasification zone can be operated with high gasification efficiency by feeding coal and a gasifying agent through upper burners located at an upper portion from the half of the gasification section along the vertical direction and lower burners located at a lower portion from the half of the gasification section so as to make rotational flow respectively, the ratio of the amount of gasifying agent to the amount of coal at lower burners being larger than that of at the upper burners, the rotating circle diameter formed by the coal and gasifying agent injected from the upper burner being larger than that formed by the lower burner.

Abstract: A method for the gasification of coal in a fluidized bed gasifier to improve gasification efficiency comprising the steps of introducing coal into the thermal cracking zone of a fluidized bed gasifier, thermally cracking and partially combusting the coal in said gasifier, recovering a fluid product gas containing fine particles therein from the fluidized bed gasifier, separating the fine particles as char from the first product gas, gasifying said recovered fine char particles at a temperature higher than its melting point in a high temperature gasifier to produce ash and a second product gas having H.sub.2 and CO as its main components, recovering the ash as a slag and feeding the second product gas containing H.sub.2 and CO to the coal feeding position of the fluidized bed gasifier in the thermal cracking zone.

Abstract: A part of the driving liquid discharged from an outlet pipe for driving liquid is supplied, under the control of a first flow control means, to a slurry tank in accordance with the amount of the solid matter supplied thereto, so that the concentration of slurry may be kept at all times to be constant. Further, a clean liquid is supplied, under the control of a second flow control means, in accordance with the amount of driving liquid supplied to the slurry tank.

Abstract: The present invention is done on the basis of knowledge obtained from experimental results shown in FIG. 1 with respect to a heat recovery method from gasified products of hydrocarbon. The heat recovery method from gasified products of hydrocarbon of the invention is to introduce the gas containing oily matters produced by gasification of hydrocarbon into the fluidizied bed where heat is recovered by indirect heat exchange between said product gas and the cooling agent passing through the heat transfer tube arranged in the fluidized bed, in which said product gas is passed through high temperature fluidized bed kept at about 450.degree.-500.degree. C. and then through the low temperature fluidized bed kept at about 250.degree.-300.degree. C. successively and that the heat of said product gas is recovered by heat exchange in said high temperature fluidized bed and low temperature fluidized bed respectively.