A furnace for performing an endothermic process, comprising tubes containing a catalyst for converting a gaseous feed, wherein tubes are positioned in rows inside the furnace, wherein burners are mounted between the tubes and between the tubes and the furnace walls parallel to the tubes rows, and wherein the burners rows and the tubes rows are ended by end walls and are divided into sections with, on each row of tubes, the distance from a wall end tube to the end wall being T2W, the distance between two adjacent inner tubes in a section being T2T, and the distance between two symmetry end tubes of two adjacent sections being T2S, wherein the tubes in the rows are arranged in such a way that the ratios T2T/T2W and T2T/T2S are greater than 0.5 and smaller than 2 thus limiting the differences in the heat transfer to the outer tubes (wall end tubes and symmetry end tubes) with respect to the inner tubes and reducing the temperature difference between outer tubes and inner tubes.

A portable catalytic combustion heater, wherein fuel vapor (11) and air (10) are supplied to a catalyst (6) which promotes the flameless combustion of fuel and releases that. The fuel is supplied as a liquid, passes through a selectively permeable membrane (8) such that fuel vapor exits the membrane and is fed to the catalyst (6). Additional features include porous supports and means of enhancing and diminishing the catalytic rate of combustion and controlling the heat output.

A portable catalytic combustion heater, wherein fuel vapor (11) and air (10) are supplied to a catalyst (6) which promotes the flameless combustion of fuel and releases that. The fuel is supplied as a liquid, passes through a selectively permeable membrane (8) such that fuel vapor exits the membrane and is fed to the catalyst (6). Additional features include porous supports and means of enhancing and diminishing the catalytic rate of combustion and controlling the heat output.

A catalytic flameless combustion apparatus has a fuel inlet, a combustion-supporting gas inlet, a gas premixer, a combustion plate, an igniter, a gas deflector, a flameless combustion cavity, a catalyst filled in the flameless combustion cavity, a gas collection chamber and an exhaust port. The method for starting the catalytic flameless combustion apparatus includes initially combusting and heating the flameless combustion cavity and the catalyst filled therein with low power flame; and then increasing flow velocity and switching to high power flame for conducting catalytic flameless combustion. The catalytic flameless combustion apparatus can be used for various non-solid fuel combustion and heat extraction processes.

A heat exchanger plate for a plate heat exchanger (12) includes a first side, a second side and a center point (P) through which an imaginary center axis (A) extends in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the plate. The plate comprises a first port for a first medium, and at least a second port and a third port for a second medium. The plate further comprises a first sealing arranged on the second side around the first port, a second sealing arranged on the second side at a circumference of the plate, and a closed third sealing arranged between the first and second sealings to form a first heat transfer area and a second heat transfer area separated from the first heat transfer area. The second port is arranged in the first heat transfer area and the third port is arranged in the second heat transfer area.

A heat exchanger plate for a plate heat exchanger (12) includes a first side, a second side and a center point (P) through which an imaginary center axis (A) extends in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the plate. The plate comprises a first port for a first medium, and at least a second port and a third port for a second medium. The plate further comprises a first sealing arranged on the second side around the first port, a second sealing arranged on the second side at a circumference of the plate, and a closed third sealing arranged between the first and second sealings to form a first heat transfer area and a second heat transfer area separated from the first heat transfer area. The second port is arranged in the first heat transfer area and the third port is arranged in the second heat transfer area.

The present disclosure provides a nozzle structure for a hydrogen gas burner apparatus capable of reducing an amount of generated NOx. A nozzle structure for a hydrogen gas burner apparatus includes an outer tube and an inner tube concentrically disposed inside the outer tube. The inner tube is disposed so that an oxygen-containing gas is discharged from an opened end of the inner tube in an axial direction of the inner tube. The outer tube extends beyond the opened end of the inner tube in the axial direction of the inner tube so that a hydrogen gas passes through a space between an inner circumferential surface of the outer tube and an outer circumferential surface of the inner tube.

The present invention provides an infrared hydrogen/oxygen combustor. The structure of the combustor includes a sinus ring (1). A surrounding foot (12) of the angle-shaped sinus ring (1) wraps a material-containing basin (14). A first small tube (16) and a second small tube (7) are connected the material-containing basin (14) and the angle-shaped sinus ring (1). Water solution (3) is contained in the material-containing basin (14). A straight-hole ceramic water-absorbing board (5) is provided on the upper part of the water solution (3), a spacing ring (6) is provided above the side of the material-containing basin (14) and in the upward ring of the angle-shaped sinus ring (1), a two-stage material-containing box (9) with a separated brake is provide on one side of the angle-shaped sinus ring (1). The technical scheme of the invention reduces the production cost, the pollution and protects the environment.

An afterburner system and method for reducing the CO.sub.2 and other pollutants produced by the combustion of a fuel in a combustion chamber while maintaining or increasing the efficiency of said combustion includes feeding a catalyst, preferably lithium and/or boron to the afterburner, or a preconditioning afterburner, along with the exhaust from the combustion chamber. The presence of the catalyst in the after burner results in further reduction of pollutants generated by the combustion in the combustion chamber.

An afterburner system and method for reducing the CO.sub.2 and other pollutants produced by the combustion of a fuel in a combustion chamber while maintaining or increasing the efficiency of said combustion includes feeding a catalyst, preferably lithium and/or boron to the afterburner, or a preconditioning afterburner, along with the exhaust from the combustion chamber. The presence of the catalyst in the after burner results in further reduction of pollutants generated by the combustion in the combustion chamber.