Abstract: An ice preventing device for use with an outside gas pressure regulator that has a pressure vent and a downwardly opening vent tube. The device includes a skirt connected to and surrounding the vent tube. The upper end of the skirt has an opening that communicates with the passage in the vent tube. The skirt also has an enlarged, flared-out lower end with an opening substantially greater than the area of the opening at the upper end. Located within the skirt is a baffle positioned in a generally horizontal plane. The baffle is positioned below the vent tube opening of the pressure regulator to prevent rain or freezing rain from splashing back upwardly into the passage.

Abstract: A heat exchanger unit comprising a particulate heat exchanging mass or pack consisting of mechanically immobilized particles having no more than 750 microns mean diameter and having a thermal diffusivity constant of at least 0.5 cm.sup.2 /sec at 20.degree. C., and compressively retained in an enclosure in heat transfer relationship to each other and to a fluid directed therethrough. Preferred materials for the particles are crystalline carbon, copper and aluminum. The pack may be in cylindrical form or planar form and may be contained within metal conduits or, for solar radiation, within a transparent or translucent enclosure. Interconnected units may be disposed in an array or bank to provide the desired quantitive degree of thermal transfer.

Abstract: A single effect solar distillation apparatus of the tilted or inclined floor type is disclosed which absorbs solar energy to evaporate a liquid distilland more efficiently. The present distillation apparatus is especially useful for desalination of sea water and includes a number of structural improvements to utilize the absorbed solar energy in a basically more efficient manner than previous still designs of this type. The distilland is evaporated in the present solar distillation apparatus substantially without turbulence especially at the evaporating surfaces to avoid certain heat transfer losses previously encountered during distillation. This basically novel mode of solar distillation is achieved with a particular relationship between the evaporating and the condensing surfaces in the apparatus which further cooperate with an improved structure where said evaporation takes place.