A pressurized cavity is provided around at least a portion or all of a regenerator, within which gas such as flue gas is maintained at a pressure in excess of the pressure within the regenerator, to protect against leakage of gas through the walls of the regenerator.

The present invention discloses a high-temperature fluid transporting pipeline integrating a heat exchange apparatus, wherein heat contained in a high-temperature fluid can be recovered during the transportation thereof. The heat exchange apparatus comprises a hermetic heat exchange cavity, and a heat-receiving fluid coil installed therein. The method of heat exchange is that the high-temperature fluid heats an auxiliary fluid in the cavity via a heat exchange base plate of the heat exchange cavity in contact therewith, and the heated auxiliary fluid then conducts the heat to a heat-receiving fluid in the heat-receiving fluid coil. As an example, the high-temperature fluid is flue gas generated by combustion, an upper part of a flue gas transporting pipeline is replaced by the heat exchange apparatus of the present invention, the auxiliary fluid is an inert gas such as air, and the air heated indirectly by the high-temperature flue gas conducts heat to fuel and/or oxygen-enriched gas flowing in the heat-receiving fluid coil (as an oxidant/combustion aid).

A smelting vessel includes a plurality of heat pipes (21) positioned in a refractory lining of at least a part of the hearth (9) for cooling at least a part of the refractory lining. At least one of the heat pipes includes (a) a liquid phase of a heat transfer fluid, typically water, in a lower section of the heat pipe and (b) a vapor phase of the heat transfer fluid, typically steam, in an upper section of the heat pipe. The heat pipe also includes a vent to allow vapour phase to escape from the heat pipe to reduce the pressure or the temperature within the heat pipe when the vapour pressure or the temperature in the heat pipe exceeds a predetermined threshold pressure or temperature.

A pressurized cavity is provided around at least a portion or all of a regenerator, within which gas such as flue gas is maintained at a pressure in excess of the pressure within the regenerator, to protect against leakage of gas through the walls of the regenerator.

A system and method of providing power to at least one component within a gas furnace, the method including operating a gas furnace to produce thermal energy; operating a waste heat assembly to extract the thermal energy from the gas furnace; operating the waste heat assembly to convert the extracted thermal energy to electrical energy; operating the waste heat assembly to transmit the electrical energy to at least one component of the gas furnace.

A pressurized cavity is provided around at least a portion or all of a regenerator, within which gas such as flue gas is maintained at a pressure in excess of the pressure within the regenerator, to protect against leakage of gas through the walls of the regenerator.

A pressurized cavity is provided around at least a portion or all of a regenerator, within which gas such as flue gas is maintained at a pressure in excess of the pressure within the regenerator, to protect against leakage of gas through the walls of the regenerator.

A smelting vessel includes a plurality of heat pipes (21) positioned in a refractory lining of at least a part of the hearth (9) for cooling at least a part of the refractory lining. At least one of the heat pipes includes (a) a liquid phase of a heat transfer fluid, typically water, in a lower section of the heat pipe and (b) a vapor phase of the heat transfer fluid, typically steam, in an upper section of the heat pipe. The heat pipe also includes a vent to allow vapour phase to escape from the heat pipe to reduce the pressure or the temperature within the heat pipe when the vapour pressure or the temperature in the heat pipe exceeds a predetermined threshold pressure or temperature.

A system and method of providing power to at least one component within a gas furnace, the method including operating a gas furnace to produce thermal energy; operating a waste heat assembly to extract the thermal energy from the gas furnace; operating the waste heat assembly to convert the extracted thermal energy to electrical energy; operating the waste heat assembly to transmit the electrical energy to at least one component of the gas furnace.

A pressurized cavity is provided around at least a portion or all of a regenerator, within which gas such as flue gas is maintained at a pressure in excess of the pressure within the regenerator, to protect against leakage of gas through the walls of the regenerator.