Gas Research Institute

Surface Combustion, Inc.

Midland-ross Corporation

Textron Defense Systems, Division of Avco Corporation

Systech Environmental Corp.

Thomas J Schultz

Jaime A Woodroffe

Petros A Kotidis

Peter S Rostler

Klaus H Hemsath

Timothy J Kuhn

Jay K Shah

Franklin G Rinker

Deane Avent Horne

Valdis R Daiga

Robert A Schmall

William J Bernard

James W Bender

Alvin L Gaunce

Ned J Kleinhenz

Stephen J Sikirica

A hot walled, industrial, batch-type vacuum furnace constructed with a cylindrical furnace casing having a closed spherical end and an open end adapted to be closed by a sealable door. Furnace insulation is applied to the outside of the door and furnace casing so that the inside of the furnace is impervious to the furnace gases. Special mounting arrangements are used to seal furnace components extending into the casing as well as the door by elastomer seals which are air cooled.

Inside/out, industrial vacuum furnace

A system for non-destructively measuring an object and controlling industrial processes in response to the measurement is disclosed in which an impulse laser generates a plurality of sound waves over timed increments in an object. A polarizing interferometer is used to measure surface movement of the object caused by the sound waves and sensed by phase shifts in the signal beam. A photon multiplier senses the phase shift and develops an electrical signal. A signal conditioning arrangement modifies the electrical signals to generate an average signal correlated to the sound waves which in turn is correlated to a physical or metallurgical property of the object, such as temperature, which property may then be used to control the process. External, random vibrations of the workpiece are utilized to develop discernible signals which can be sensed in the interferometer by only one photon multiplier. In addition the interferometer includes an arrangement for optimizing its sensitivity so that movement attributed to various waves can be detected in opaque objects. The interferometer also includes a mechanism for sensing objects with rough surfaces which produce speckle light patterns. Finally the interferometer per se, with the addition of a second photon multiplier is capable of accurately recording beam length distance differences with only one reading.

Method and apparatus for measuring surface movement of an object using a

Method and apparatus for measuring surface movement of a solid object

Furnace control apparatus using polarizing interferometer

A control arrangement is disclosed for a conventional, atmosphere heat treating furnace which is operated at high temperature and fitted with a vacuum pump to draw rough or soft vacuum levels when heating the work to heat treat temperatures. The control arrangement utilizes a hydrogen--inert gas furnace atmosphere continuously metered into the furnace to produce a reducing gas mixture to prevent oxidation of the work. If oxidation conditions are sensed, the mass flow is automatically increased while vacuum levels are maintained constant. A unique oxygen probe mounting arrangement is disclosed which enables a conventional oxygen probe to give fairly accurate and consistent readings for fast, automatic process control.

Control system for a soft vacuum furnace

Process control system using polarizing interferometer

A standard atmosphere furnace constructed of a steel casing formed as a cylinder with fibrous insulation attached is operated as a vacuum furnace. A plurality of radiant, fuel-fired ceramic heat tubes positioned in a centered but circumferentially spaced arrangement provides heat input to the furnace to permit it to operate at high, vacuum associated temperatures. The ceramic tubes are vacuum sealed to the furnace case by an elastomer seal/water jacket arrangement which uses an outboard clamp arrangement to establish a ceramic-to-metal contact to permit thermal cooling and prevent tube-flange movement so that the integrity of the elastomer seal can be maintained. In addition, an articulated joint connector is provided so that the tube can be supported in a pivotable manner permitting thermal movement while reducing tube stress to prolonged tube life.

Radiant tube arrangement for high temperature, industrial heat treat

A pyrolyzer-kiln system for generating combustible fume from waste material and supplementing the fuel used to provide heat energy to a clinker kiln. The system includes a pyrolyzer for generating a combustible pyrolytic fume, a kiln for burning the fume as part of a cement-forming process, a conduit for conveying the fume from the pyrolyzer to the kiln, and a closed-loop feedback component for monitoring the heating value of the fume and varying the operational parameters of the pyrolyzer to maintain the heating value of the fume generated within a predetermined range. The closed-loop feedback component includes a calorimeter which continuously samples and burns fume from the conduit. The heating value of the fume is determined by measuring the amount of auxiliary fuel and air required to be mixed with the fume to maintain a predetermined temperature when the combustion is burned within the calorimeter. Controllers monitor the amount of auxiliary fuel and air supplied to the calorimeter and vary the temperature within the pyrolyzer to effect an increase or decrease in the heating value of the fume. The system also includes a burner pipe for injecting the fume into the kiln which has a variable orifice to maintain a constant pressure differential across the orifice and thereby maintain a predetermined flame shape as the fume is burned in the kiln.

Pyrolyzer-kiln system

A semi-continuous pyrolysis arrangement is disclosed which is particularly useful in the reclamation of a base material in a substantially pure form from a composite material which has organic compounds. The furnace base barrier free zones wherein the waste material is continuously pyrolyzed as it is indexed through the furnace and each zone is controlled in a preset manner established from pyrolyzing a sample waste specimen under controlled conditions. Preferably, the waste is containerized as a particulate solid in discrete static beds permitting a fan exhaust arrangement to establish convective heat transfer with the bed while also establishing the furnace zones. An exothermic zone is provided at the end of the furnace to remove fixed carbon from the pyrolyzed waste by bleeding substoichiometric amounts of air in an oxygen temperature controlled manner to permit recovery of the waste in a substantially pure form.

Thermal cleaning system

Method and apparatus is disclosed for thermally decomposing waste material from several batch furnaces plumbed into one afterburner. The afterburner is modified to mix and combust in a controlled manner an otherwise explosive mixture of fumes from several furnaces. The entire system is regulated only by the temperature of incinerated gases from the afterburner. The furnaces are operated in a sequenced, overlapping staged manner to produce a generally constant fume loading permitting significant cost savings in equipment and operation.

Batch pyrolysis system

An internal gas generator in combination with a standard heat treat furnace is provided for producing either an endothermic product gas or a purge gas. The generator includes a reaction tube containing alternating packed beds of a highly active catalyst and inert heat transfer particulates. The reaction tube is surrounded by an elongated tubular heating element which heats the reaction tube, the combination producing an acceptable product gas in a small arrangement suitable for retrofit applications to existing furnaces. A flanged mounting permits the reaction tube to be easily removed for standard replacement in the event of catalyst poisoning and the like.

Internal gas generator for heat treating furnace

The present invention is a method of generating Class 302 type carrier gas for use in carburizing processes. The gas has a composition of approximately 40% nitrogen, 40% hydrogen and 20% carbon monoxide. The nitrogen is mixed with the methanol in a vaporizer where the methanol is vaporized. The vaporized methanol and nitrogen mixture is heated in a catalyst filled retort where methanol reacts to yield hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The relative volume percents of the nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide is substantially the same as in the Class 302 type carrier gas.

Method of generating carrier gas

An improved process and apparatus for upgrading coal gas to methane is provided by a simple and efficient methanator comprising an open-ended enclosure submersed within a liquid bath and carrying a catalytic insert having increasing degrees of controlled reactivity which the said gas contacts as the gas travels through the enclosure. In the presence of the catalyst, heat is generated from the methanation reaction at a controlled rate and substantially dissipated by the liquid bath so that substantially all the gaseous reductants, CO and H.sub.2, are reacted to methane at a relatively low controlled temperature.

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Maumee, OH, United States of America

Thomas J Schultz