Abstract: Sulfur oxides (SO.sub.x) are scrubbed from combustion effluents with greater system reliability when an improved mist eliminator of the invention is employed. The mist eliminator has at least one section, preferably two sections, with two passes followed by an extended trailing edge. This design is shown in tests to be as effective as four pass designs, while being easier to clean. Encrustation and plugging are greatly reduced.

Abstract: A heat recovery steam generator has a housing defining a horizontally oriented exhaust gas stream path from a gas turbine. The housing has a diffuser portion and a full cross-section portion containing heat recovery assemblies. The diffuser portion expands the exhaust gas stream from the duct at the gas turbine exhaust to the full cross-section portion. Positioned in the diffuser is a diffuser heat recovery assembly for heat recovery and control of the flow distribution of the exhaust gas flow stream.

Abstract: A duct for joining a higher velocity application to a lower velocity application such as a heat recovery vapor generator inlet duct apparatus for installation intermediate the exhaust of an associated gas turbine and an associated heat recovery vapor generation apparatus which includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet. The housing has the inlet and the outlet axially offset with respect to each other; and apparatus for directing fluid flow from the inlet to the outlet, the apparatus for directing fluid flow including at least one array of mutually parallel flat plates in stair step relationship extending substantially across the path of gases entering the inlet. In some forms of the invention the apparatus also includes a second array of mutually parallel flat plates in stair step relationship extending substantially across the path of gases exiting through the outlet.

Abstract: A furnace (10) for burning cellulosic fuel has walls (64) which taper upwardly and outwardly, such that a given level or height (66) the cross-sectional flow area is 11/2 to 2 times the cross-sectional flow area near the bottom of the furnace. Thus the gas velocity continuously decreases, as the cross-sectional area increases. Any partially burned char particles initially entrained in the gases near the furnace bottom reach a height in the furnace where the gas velocity equals the particle terminal velocity, so that the particles remains suspended at this height until combustion as reduced their size enough so they can be carried on out of the furnace by the reduced gas velocity.

Abstract: A sonic atomizing spray nozzle (40) wherein a slurry (30) of finely-divided sulfur oxide absorbent particles in a carrier liquid is sprayed into a flue gas stream (12) entering a drying chamber (20) through a continuous circumferential slit (70) as a radially outwardly directed thin continuous sheet (28). The thickness of the sheet can be varied to optimize atomization over a range of slurry flow rates by varying the width of slit (70).