Abstract: A vessel (1) for heating the contents thereof by means of an external heat source (8) comprises a non-horizontal side wall (2) and a heat transfer structure (6) attached to and in good thermal contact with, or formed integrally on, an outer surface of said side wall.

Abstract: A device (1; 101) for controlling the flow of a fluid through a conduit (2; 102; 402; 602; 702) from an upstream side (3; 103; 703) to a downstream side (5; 105; 405; 605; 705), the device (1; 101) comprising: a valve having a valve member (14; 114; 414; 514; 614) arranged to move reciprocally selectively to open and close one or more valve apertures (10; 110; 412; 512; 611, 612), thereby controlling flow of the fluid from the upstream side (3; 103; 703) to the downstream side (5; 105; 405; 605; 705); and means for introducing a reference pressure (24; 124; 324; 424; 524; 624); wherein said valve member (14; 114; 414; 514; 614) is acted on by the pressure of the downstream side (5; 105; 405; 605; 705) and the reference pressure so as to be moved by the difference between said pressures.

Abstract: A vane assembly (21) for an axial flow turbine engine provides a plurality of nozzles (22) arranged symmetrically around a turbine axis formed by an inner hub (26), an outer casing (27) and vanes (23) intermediate pairs of adjacent nozzles. The nozzles have a cross-section normal to the turbine axis that changes smoothly with the position of the cross-section along the turbine axis from a first shape having a minimum radius of curvature of a first value that is no less than a limit L, providing the cross-section with no highly curved corners, to a second shape having a minimum radius of curvature of a second value less than the first value, providing corners. This allows the secondary flow structure to be designed to improve aerodynamic loss and cooling performance.