Fmc Corporation

Other

John A Abbott

Thomas E Roberts

Bruce M Wright

Clyde D Watson

An engine powered by radiant thermal energy wherein elongated thermally expandable members are tensioned radially out from a centrally located floating bearing to which the converging ends of the tension members are secured. The floating bearing encloses an eccentric section of a crankshaft with axis parallel to rays from the energy source and perpendicular to the plane of the tension members. The crankshaft has mounted thereto means for shading at any one time some but not all of said tension members from the energy source. The arrangement is such that when the engine is first exposed to the energy source with crankshaft axis pointing at the source expansion of the unshaded tension members results in an imbalance of the forces on the floating bearing and hence the crankshaft, causing the crankshaft and shade mounted thereto to begin to rotate. As the tension members are thus sequentially shaded from and exposed to the energy source by rotation of the shade means the floating bearing is subjected to a continuing imbalance of forces, causing the crankshaft and shade to rotate as long as the engine is exposed to an energy source of sufficient intensity.

Radiant heat engine

An absorber for increasing the concentration of oxygen in a solution has a pressure chamber therein which receives oxygen under pressure as well as a liquid to be oxygenated within an upper portion thereof. A shaft on which a turbine blade agitator is mounted is located in the upper portion of the chamber. The shaft is driven rotationally by a motor through a rotary seal in the pressure chamber cover. A baffle plate is mounted within the pressure chamber to define a lower portion therebeneath, which is in communication with the upper portion, but isolated from the agitation in the upper portion. The oxygen-liquid solution which drains into the lower portion is subsaturated and relatively quiescent, so that large oxygen bubbles therein disengage and rise into the upper portion, and entrained small bubbles therein dissolve in the subsaturated oxygen-liquid solution. Consequently, substantially all of the oxygen contained in the oxygen-liquid mixture is in solution when the oxygen-liquid solution is removed from the lower chamber.

Gas absorber

An activated sludge sewage treatment process which includes a mixed liquor tank and a pressure vessel much smaller in size than said mixed liquor tank. At least a portion of the influent to said tank is directed to the pressure vessel where oxygen is dissolved therein under superatmospheric pressures. The pressure is then released and said portion of the influent gently transferred into said mixed liquor tank so that substantially all of the dissolved oxygen remains in solution until said influent portion is mixed with the sewage in the mixed liquor tank to thereby raise the dissolved oxygen concentration in the tank.

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Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

John A Abbott