Abstract: A pressure vessel, including: a body portion; and an inclined nozzle projecting from the body portion along an axis inclined relative to an inner surface of the body portion, wherein: a through hole of a circular section is formed through both the body portion and the inclined nozzle. At an intersecting portion between the inner surface of the body portion and a surface surrounding the through hole, there are formed round portions. The radius of each of the round portions at two positions in a major axis direction is smaller than the radius of each of round portions.

Abstract: A heater for heating a process fluid in which a cylindrical main chamber has a number of high intensity burners mounted therein to project products of combustion into the main chamber in a direction transverse to the axis of the main chamber. An annular secondary chamber surrounds the longitudinal walls of the main chamber, a first set of heat exchanger tubes being provided in the main chamber and a second set in the secondary chamber. Gases flowing from the burners pass over the first set of heat exchanger tubes, and then through at least one inlet to the secondary chamber, where they pass over the second set of heat exchanger tubes and out through a flue outlet at the top. A refractory shield may be provided adjacent the burners to guide the gases from the main chamber into the secondary chamber, and a further heat shield may be provided between the main chamber and the secondary chamber.

Abstract: A fluid bed heater or vaporizer unit has a generally cylindrical configuration with its major axis horizontally disposed. A mixture of coal and limestone is fed into the elongated fluidized bed within the unit for combustion; the limestone being present to minimize sulfur emissions due to the sulfur present in the coal. The wall of the unit in the region of the freeboard is lined with horizontally disposed heat exchange tubing. The delivery of air to the fluidized bed is regulated so as to establish a combustion zone of high turbulence and one or more heat transfer zones of lower turbulence. A plurality of heat exchange tubes are located in the heat transfer zone or zones and within the expanded bed level of the fluidized bed but above the region occupied by the slumped bed. Economizer heat exchange coils may be located in the passageway for exhaust gases.