Vaporizing apparatus and method

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING A LOW TEMPERATURE LIQUIFIED GAS BY HOT GASEOUS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS COMPRISING: A GAS-CONTAINING SYSTEM INCLUDING CONDUIT MEANS COMPRISING A HEAT-TRANSFER WALL ADAPTED TO HAVE ONE SIDE THEREOF EXPOSED TO LIQUIFIED GAS AND THE OTHER SIDE THEREOF EXPOSED TO HOT GASEOUS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS, PROJECTIONS ON THE SIDE OF SAID WALL ADAPTED TO BE EXPOSED TO SAID HOT GASEOUS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS PROVIDING SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED HEAT-TRANSFER AREA, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING LIQUIFIED GAS TO SAID CONDUIT MEANS, AND MEANS FOR REMOVING GASEOUS GAS FROM SAID CONDUIT MEANS; A HEATING SYSTEM COMPRISING A SOURCE OF HOT GASEOUS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS, A PASSAGE EXTENDING ALONG THE SIDE OF SAID HEATTRANSFER WALL HAVING SAID PROJECTIONS, MEANS CAUSING HOT GASEOUS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS TO FLOW FROM SAID SOURCE THROUGH SAID PASSAGE, SAID PASSAGE BEING SHAPED TO CAUSE SAID HOT GASEOUS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS FLOWING THROUGH SAID PASSAGE TO PASS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID SURFACE OF SAID HEAT-TRANSFER WALL AND SAID PROJECTIONS THEREON; AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESSURE OF GASEOUS GAS PRODUCED IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS TO CONTROL SAID SOURCE SO THE HEAT SUPPLIED BY SAID HOT GASEOUS COMBINATION PRODUCTS TO SAID HEAT-TRANSFER WALL AND SAID PROJECTIONS THEREON IS SUFFICIENT TO VAPORIZE LIQUIFIED GAS IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS AND INHIBIT FORMATION ON SAID HEAT-TRANSFER WALL OF ICE THAT COULD SUBSTANTIALLY IMPEDE FLOW OF GASEOUS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS.