Abstract: A versatile oven for converting carbon based natural resources and waste material to hydrocarbon vapor and carbon char utilizing rapid thermal processing and having the capability of utilizing a portion of the relatively inexpensive carbon based material being processed as the fuel to provide at least some of the process heat and also including a means for reducing NOx emissions in the gases exhausted from a furnace used to burn the converted hydrocarbon vapor for application of the heat energy and also a means for delivering the converted hydrocarbon vapor to a condensing system if it is desired to liquefy at least some portion of the thermally converted hydrocarbon vapor.

Abstract: An energy efficient and compact oil and water separator through which the oil and water flow for the purpose of extracting water from the oil and oil from the water made more efficient and compact by incorporating a precise control of the hydrodynamics through the application of permeable barriers on which the permeability is adjustable to compensate for variations in flow rate, density and viscosity of the oil and water, a downward flow of the oil through an electric field to mitigate the problem of high water content causing an electrical short circuiting of the electric field and a heating means with enhanced heat exchange capability.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for establishing a plug flow of fluid through a process vessel utilizing a permeable barrier placed in the flow path of the fluid being processed within the vessel causing the fluid to spread out over the surface of the leading edge of the permeable barrier and can include a means for adjusting the permeability of the barrier in discrete areas of the barrier to compensate for variations in feed rate, density and viscosity of the fluid being processed and further the permeable barrier may be of a louvered shutter type construction with the louvers being adjustable from wide open to closed and if desired can include a mechanism on the exterior of the vessel for adjusting the internal louvers.