Abstract: A submerged combustion apparatus for heating a liquid including a liquid vessel that contains the liquid, a combustion chamber including a combustion chamber body, an inlet and a plurality of discharge ports, the combustion chamber body being positioned in the vessel so that at least the discharge ports are submerged in liquid in use, a burner that allows an air/fuel mixture to be burned at least partially within the combustion chamber thereby causing bubbles of heated gaseous combustion products to be emitted from the discharge ports so as to heat the liquid and a guide surface spaced apart from and extending along at least part of a length of a combustion chamber body outer surface so as to guide bubbles emitted from the discharge ports so that the bubbles are at least partially constrained to flow between the combustion chamber body outer surface and the guide surface.

Abstract: A submerged combustion apparatus for heating a liquid including a liquid vessel that contains the liquid, a combustion chamber including a combustion chamber body, an inlet and a plurality of discharge ports, the combustion chamber body being positioned in the vessel so that at least the discharge ports are submerged in liquid in use, a burner that allows an air/fuel mixture to be burned at least partially within the combustion chamber thereby causing bubbles of heated gaseous combustion products to be emitted from the discharge ports so as to heat the liquid and a guide surface spaced apart from and extending along at least part of a length of a combustion chamber body outer surface so as to guide bubbles emitted from the discharge ports so that the bubbles are at least partially constrained to flow between the combustion chamber body outer surface and the guide surface.

Abstract: A system is provided for heating or cooling discrete, linearly conveyed substrates having a gap between a trailing edge of a first substrate and a leading edge of a following substrate in a conveyance direction. The system includes a chamber, and a conveyor operably configured within the chamber to move the substrates through at a conveyance rate. A plurality of individually controlled temperature control units, for example heating or cooling units, are disposed linearly within the chamber along the conveyance direction. A controller is in communication with the temperature control units and is configured to cycle output of the temperature control units from a steady-state temperature output as a function of the spatial position of the conveyed substrates within the chamber relative to the temperature control units so as to decrease temperature variances in the substrates caused by movement of the substrates through the chamber.

Abstract: A system is provided for heating or cooling discrete, linearly conveyed substrates having a gap between a trailing edge of a first substrate and a leading edge of a following substrate in a conveyance direction. The system includes a chamber, and a conveyor operably configured within the chamber to move the substrates through at a conveyance rate. A plurality of individually controlled temperature control units, for example heating or cooling units, are disposed linearly within the chamber along the conveyance direction. A controller is in communication with the temperature control units and is configured to cycle output of the temperature control units from a steady-state temperature output as a function of the spatial position of the conveyed substrates within the chamber relative to the temperature control units so as to decrease temperature variances in the substrates caused by movement of the substrates through the chamber.