Abstract: Waste material is incinerated to heat water to produce low-temperature steam (12). The steam is mixed with oxygen (14) to produce synthetic air. Methane (22) (first fuel) is burnt in the synthetic air to produce ultra-superheated steam at about 1600° C. Coal particles (24) are gasified in the ultra-superheated steam producing a second fuel, which is combusted in hot air. The products of combustion are expanded isothermally in a turbine (T1) to produce electricity (50). The hot waste gas from the turbine is used to heat air (52) isothermally compressed in a compressor (C1) in the presence of a water spray (56). The heated air supports the combustion of the gasified coal and the cooled waste product is employed for district heating purposes.

Abstract: A heat and/or mass transfer process and apparatus for treating various types of materials. A heat and/or mass transfer process includes causing a gas to impinge upon a flowing material, wherein the gas velocity having a component tangential to the flow direction of the material can be characterized such that a fluctuating velocity is superimposed upon the mean velocity of the material in the flow direction. The process further includes effecting velocity fluctuations by means of a traveling tangential acoustic wave while a steady overall gas flow is maintained, and controlling the gas velocity by means of a vernier valve. By using fluctuating velocity superimposed upon the mean velocity, an effective thermal and mass transfer resistance of the boundary layer can be reduced, as well as reducing the pressure fluctuations.

Abstract: A rotatable fluidised bed incinerator comprises a rotatable combustion chamber, a means for rotating the combustion chamber, a means for introducing combustible material into the combustion chamber, and a means for introducing a gas into the combustion chamber to create a fluidised bed within the chamber. A flow area of the combustion chamber remains substantially constant or increases with decreasing chamber radius.

Abstract: A process for treating toxic fly ash from an incinerator which comprises heating the fly ash held in suspension in a combustible or combusted gas at least to a temperature at which sintering of the fly ash takes place.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for burning the combustible components of a gas stream. The apparatus comprising a a stack pipe having one end in communication with a gas supply pipe for receiving a gas stream and an air supply pipe. Gas and air are introduced into a stack pipe having a mixing zone, stabilization means, an igniter and means to prevent downwash of gaseous products resulting from combustion within the stack pipe.

Abstract: A meter for measuring the rate of flow of a fluid comprises an inlet and outlet for the fluid, a surface intermediate of said inlet and outlet over which the fluid will flow in passing from inlet to outlet, a second surface maintained at a different temperature to the first surface and being connected thereto by means of a thermal bridge and means for measuring the temperature of fluid flowing over the first surface, the second surface and at an intermediate point on the thermal bridge, so as to provide a measure of the thermal insulative effect of the boundary layer formed by the flow of fluid over the first surface and hence of the rate of flow of the fluid.

Abstract: The invention relates to the control of burners, e.g., for boilers or furnaces and has for its objective to provide means whereby the combustion conditions existing at a burner are initially governed by pre-determined conditions which conditions can be automatically maintained or improved during the operation of the burner.

Abstract: A fluidic flow control device comprising at least two generally aligned members having tapering bores therethrough, the members being so arranged as to constitute a convergence followed by a gradual divergence, separated by a gap, the gap communicating with an inlet/outlet or feed port. A cage connects the adjacent ends of the members and forms said port. A system for pumping may incorporate the device between a cylinder charged with pressure gas and an out-feed pipe. In operation, fluid is alternatively drawn in through the gap and into the cylinder and then pumped out by the gas across the gap and into and through the out-feed pipe. A level detector in the cylinder controls the oscillation of the system and an accumulator may be provided to smooth the outflow. Substantially continuous flow may be provided by coupling two systems to a common out-feed pipe.