Abstract: This disclosure describes a distributed automated mobile vehicle (“automated mobile vehicle”) system for autonomously delivering orders of items to various delivery locations and/or autonomously returning items to a return location. In some implementations, each user may own or be assigned their own automated mobile vehicle that is associated with the user and an automated mobile vehicle control system maintained by the user. When the user orders an item, the user owned or controlled automated mobile vehicle navigates to a materials handling facility, retrieves the ordered item and delivers it to the user.

Abstract: A water treatment system that a pair of series connected reactor vessels, each of which provides for flow of water to be treated through an annular treatment region that surrounds a longitudinally-extending source of ultraviolet radiation, has porous wall surrounding the annular treatment region, and an annular air/oxygen chamber between the porous wall and the exterior of the vessel. In one reactor, the ultraviolet source produces radiation having a wavelength in the range of about 185 nanometers, oxygen permeates through the porous wall as a fine bubble mist, the tangential aqueous stream shears the mist from the wall, the oxygen bubbles encounter UV light, and the oxygen is converted to ozone which in turn reacts with water in the water to produce hydrogen peroxide.

Abstract: A fluid bed combustor comprising a plurality of fluidized bed stages interconnected by downcomers providing controlled solids transfer from stage to stage. Each stage is formed from a number of heat transfer tubes carried by a multiapertured web which passes fluidizing air to upper stages. The combustor cross section is tapered inwardly from the middle towards the top and bottom ends. Sorbent materials, as well as non-volatile solid fuels, are added to the top stages of the combustor, and volatile solid fuels are added at an intermediate stage.

Abstract: A fluidized-bed system for feeding coal or a coal-limestone mixture into a fluidized bed combustor, a perforated horizontal distributor plate dividing the chamber into upper and lower chamber sections, means for feeding solid fuel particles into the upper chamber section, a source of high velocity gas connected to the lower chamber section and passing through the plate into the upper chamber section for entraining the particles, means for heating the high velocity gas before it is introduced into the upper chamber, an entrainment section defined by converging upper sides of said fuel feeding chamber, and a stream splitting section disposed above said entrainment section and connected to a plurality of pneumatic transport lines each penetrating the distributor plate of a fluidized bed combustor and terminating in an outlet feedport.

Abstract: A coal-dolomite mixture is ground into particle-sized bits and fed into a downward sloping duct beneath the distributor plate in a fluidized-bed combustor. High velocity air is introduced through ports spaced at intervals along the bottom of the duct, thereby entraining the mixture in an air stream. The air and entrained solid is guided upward into a slot-like chamber which passes through the distributor plate and opens into the fluidized bed a distance above the plate. Vanes in the duct and chamber and baffles above the chamber exit control the flow of the air and entrained solids so that the coal-dolomite mixture is evenly distributed throughout the fluidized bed. The distributor plate is covered with a layer of high temperature alumina stones graded in size, with the coarse stones in closest contact with the plate and the fine stones on top, thereby shielding the plate from the high temperatures of the combustion zone and preventing the weeping of hot and ash burning coal particles onto the plate.