Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for waste heat recovery and reduction in industrial furnaces and heating equipment. The method of heat recovery comprises directing the exhaust gases through a system of channels inside the refractory wall where heat from the flue gases is transferred to the refractory lining and also to the combustion air traveling inside of a heat exchanger also located inside said channels. The high temperature exhaust flue gases traveling along said channels increase the hot face temperature of the refractory wall and reduce the heat flux from the working chamber through the refractory wall. An apparatus for the realization of the heat recovery method includes a flue duct, a recuperator, hot air piping and a hot air burner, all located inside the furnace wall refractory lining.

Abstract: A gas-permeable thermal insulator comprising a porous ceramic body of a three-dimensional reticulate structure having interconnected open cells is adapted to be installed in a heating oven or radiant tube so that exhaust gas passes through the insulator to exit the oven or tube while the waste heat of the gas is effectively recovered for reuse. The porous ceramic body is characterized by a bulk specific gravity of 0.25-0.6, an average pore diameter of 0.2-10 mm, a porosity of 75-95%, and an air pressure drop of 0.1-40 mm in water column when air passes through the body over a thickness of 1 cm at a velocity of 1 m/sec.

Abstract: A processor apparatus is provided in which a blackbody radiator having a constant planar energy flux characteristic is placed in opposition to semiconductor material. The blackbody source produces a constant planar energy flux to uniformly heat the material. The source is heated to a sufficiently high temperature for a sufficient time to anneal or activate a semiconductor wafer or to epitaxially regrow a thin epitaxial film. The processor is operated by accomplishing the steps of presenting a blackbody radiator in opposition to semiconductor material to be thermally treated, radiatively heating the material to a sufficiently high temperature for a sufficient time to accomplish the desired process result, and cooling and removing the material. In the interval between presentation of successive samples of the material to the source, the source may be shuttered or idled to reduce energy consumption.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a method and an apparatus to heat certain particles. These certain particles are heated to make them more desirable. In the heating of these particles, it is often desirable to expand the particles to make a light-weight aggregate. The light-weight aggregate may be used in making a building material or the like. In carrying out the process of heating these particles, there is used air for combustion of the combustible fuel and only a minimum of air for carrying of the particles or expansion of the particles.

Abstract: Infra-red heating of moving webs using re-radiator surfaces adjacent to or opposed to infra-red generating surface. Scoop can be provided to remove boundary gas layer on web before it is irradiated, and hot combustion products drawn off and applied to web to assist in heat treatment. These hot combustion products can also be permitted to build up in depth below a downwardly facing infra-red generator.

Abstract: Heat-treating apparatus which includes an insulated furnace compartment through which stock to be heat-treated is passed. Perforated tubes are arranged in the furnace and they are heated to radiance by burners which also generate products of combustion which are ejected through the perforations at high velocity to impinge upon a surface or surfaces of the stock being heat-treated. The combination of radiation and convection enhanced by the impingement of the jets upon a surface of the stock provides highly efficient primary heat transfer. The burners are designed to insure that rapid combustion takes place at a point removed from the perforations to avoid flame issuing from the perforations. The tubes are sized and spaced to enhance secondary heat transfer from gases in the furnace compartment and from the walls of the compartment to the stock.

Abstract: An improved conveyor assembly is provided for transporting a transparent vitreous substrate along a group of controlled radiative heaters. A plurality of control groups are formed from the radiative heaters and the illumination for the various control groups is isolated so that areas of the conveyor or substrate are illuminated by only a single control group at any one time. Heater control thermocouples are affixed to the radiative heater elements and the output signals from the control thermocouples are calibrated from a calibration thermocouple extending to a position between the control thermocouple and the substrate surface. A wire mesh belt assembly permits illumination of the substrate through the conveyor assembly while supporting the substrate in a manner effective to obtain uniform heating of the substrate.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for the heat treatment of a float glass ribbon in which a tunnel lehr is provided with arrays of parallel heat-exchange tubes above and below the path of the ribbon and for each of the longitudinally divided zones of these arrays, the tubes are grouped and provided with respective heaters at the upstream end of the zone while all of the tubes at the zone are connected to a flow at the downstream end for drawing the heated air through the tubes. The temperature of the glass ribbon is measured at the upstream end and the throughflow of the individual groups is controlled selectively to ensure a homogeneous temperature distribution in the glass ribbon.

Abstract: Abrasion-proof coke forms are produced from bituminous coal, brown coal, or peat in the form of briquets, by preheating the briquets, dehydrating or predrying them, carbonizing them and then cooling them in at least three separate stages in which the briquets are dehydrated indirectly by subjecting them to indirect temperature conditions, producing a temperature gradient in the briquets. The briquets are automatically fed into a shaft tower which includes an upper drying shaft portion made up of a plurality of stacked radiators which include tube elements for the passing of a heating fluid, such as steam, therethrough and which define vertical shaft passages through which the briquet forms are passed downwardly and into a carbonizing shaft which has separate gas channels for directing heating gases therethrough and to a heating flue and which subsequently includes a lower cooling zone through which the briquets pass and then into a discharge channel where they are delivered for classification.

Abstract: A radiant burndown tube for furnaces which have a chamber sealable from the ambient atmosphere and in which there is a combustible gas. The burndown tube is divided into three functional areas; the burner leg, the exhaust leg and a tube portion. The tube portion is located within the furnace chamber. There is an inlet where the combustible gas from the furnace chamber is drawn into the burndown tube. The combustible gas is mixed with air and ignited in the tube and the combustion products are exhausted via the exhaust leg. Thus, the heat energy normally lost in the burndown of combustible furnace exhaust gases outside of the furnace is captured and used to provide additional heat to the furnace.

Abstract: An oven with temperature-independent sections permits objects placed within t to experience the uneven heating and temperature gradient problems associated with real life conditions. The number of sections can vary depending on the gradients desired.

Abstract: The air flow in one zone of a gypsum wallboard dryer involves removal of the air from the wallboard drying section at one end of the elongate wallboard drying section, followed by directing a major portion of this air through fans to accelerate the air flow, next heating the air in an elongate plenum, through which the air passes, by directing high intensity flame angularly into the air flow from the periphery of the elongate section, thus creating agitation within the air flow to create uniformity of temperature therethroughout prior to directing the heated, thoroughly mixed air back into the wallboard drying section, at an end of the section opposite to the end from which it was originally removed.

Abstract: The air flow in one zone of a gypsum wallboard dryer involves removal of the air from the wallboard drying section at one end of the elongate wallboard drying section, followed by directing a major portion of this air through fans to accelerate the air flow, next heating the air in an elongate plenum, through which the air passes, by directing high intensity flame angularly into the air flow from the periphery of the elongate section, thus creating agitation within the air flow to create uniformity of temperature therethroughout prior to directing the heated, thoroughly mixed air back into the wallboard drying section, at an end of the section opposite to the end from which it was originally removed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for warming thermoplastic articles such as eyeglass frames quickly up to the softening temperature of the thermoplastic, but not exceeding the temperature at which degradation of the thermoplastic would take place by means of temperature controlled infrared radiators and also preferably using a body of heated air to blanket the thermoplastic article from ambient air.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for the heat treatment of a float glass ribbon in which a tunnel lehr is provided with arrays of parallel heat-exchange tubes above and below the path of the ribbon and for each of the longitudinally divided zones of these arrays, the tubes are grouped and provided with respective heaters at the upstream end of the zone while all of the tubes at the zone are connected to a flow at the downstream end for drawing the heated air through the tubes. The temperature of the glass ribbon is measured at the upstream end and the throughflow of the individual groups is controlled selectively to ensure a homogeneous temperature distribution in the glass ribbon.