Radiation shielding and gas diffusion apparatus

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 including indentations in said interior surface to form recessed pockets therein; said indentations having a width which is sufficiently small to impede the entrance of heated gases into said pockets, whereby the available heat transfer area on said interior surface is reduced in relation to the area removed from the interior surface by said indentations.

Claim 4

The device of claim 2 wherein said indentations are slots in said interior surface.

Claim 5

The device of claim 2 wherein said indentations are convolutions in said interior surface.

Claim 6

The device of claim 2 wherein said indentations are serrations in said interior surface.

Claim 7

The device of claim 1 wherein said gas conducting member has an elbow configuration.

Claim 8

The device of claim 1 wherein said gas conducting member is formed of a metal which has high heat conductivity.

Claim 9

The device of claim 1 including an annular opening in said member for introducing an annulus of cool air as a boundary layer adjacent the inner surface of said member.

Claim 10

The device of claim 1 including means on said exterior surface to increase heat rejection from the exterior surface.

Claim 11

The device of claim 9 including fins on said exterior surface.

Claim 12

The device of claim 10 wherein said fins have an undulating configuration.

Claim 13

The device of claim 11 including openings formed through said fins.

Claim 14

The device of claim 9 including a reticulated metal foam on said exterior surface.

Claim 15

The device of claim 13 wherein said metal form has a thickness of about 1/8 to about one inch.

Claim 16

The device of claim 13 wherein said metal foam has from about 5 to about 80 pores per inch.

Claim 17

The device of claim 13 wherein said foam is formed from stainless steel.

Claim 18

The device of claim 9 including a honeycomb structure on said exterior surface.

Claim 19

The device of claim 17 wherein said honeycomb structure is slotted.

Claim 20

The device of claim 18 wherein the slots in said honeycomb structure are positioned longitudinally with respect to said gas conducting member.

Claim 21

The device of claim 18 wherein the slots in said honeycomb structure are positioned both longitudinally and transversely with respect to said gas conducting member.

Claim 22

The device of claim 1 including diffusion means positioned to break up the stream of exhaust gas into a plurality of smaller streams.

Claim 23

The device of claim 1 including means on said exhaust gas conducting member to change the shape of the exhaust gas stream to a shape having a reduced emissivity.

Claim 24

The device of claim 22 including means to change the cross sectional configuration of the exhaust gas stream to an elongated elliptical or rectangular configuration.

Claim 25

The device of claim 1 including diffusion means positioned to break up the stream of exhaust gas into a plurality of smaller streams and to provide the smaller streams with a shape having a reduced emissivity.

Claim 26

The device of claim 24 wherein said smaller streams are randomly positioned with respect to each other such that one stream blocks another from view and a region of higher temperature in one smaller stream does not tend to reinforce the infrared signal provided by a region of higher temperature in another smaller stream.

Claim 27

The device of claim 1 including means to introduce a boundary layer of a cooling gas adjacent the interior surface of said member.

Claim 28

The device of claim 2 wherein said indentations are formed by a thread in said interior surface.

Claim 29

The device of claim 26 including means to vary the quantity of cooling gas introduced into said member.

Claim 30

The device of claim 28 wherein the quantity of cooling gas is varied by varying the velocity of the heated gas within the gas conducting member.

Claim 31

The device of claim 9 including a plurality of posts positioned on said exterior surface, and openings between said posts to permit the flow of air with respect to the surfaces of the posts irrespective of the direction of relative movement of the said device and the cooling air.

Claim 32

The device of claim 30 wherein said posts have a rectangular cross sectional configuration.

Claim 33

The device of claim 31 wherein said posts have a substantially square cross sectional configuration.

Claim 34

The device of claim 31 wherein said posts have an elongated rectangular cross sectional configuration.

Claim 35

The device of claim 30 wherein said posts have a triangular cross sectional configuration.

Claim 36

The device of claim 30 wherein said posts have a generally cruciform cross sectional configuration.

Claim 37

The device of claim 30 wherein said openings are positioned in both a longitudinal and a transverse direction with respect to said device.

Claim 38

The device of claim 30 including openings between said posts positioned in a diagonal direction with respect to said device.

Claim 39

The device of claim 30 wherein said posts are positioned on the exterior surface in groups, and including openings positioned in both a longitudinal and a transverse direction with respect to said device; said openings separating said groups of posts, and openings positioned diagonally with respect to said device with the diagonal openings separating the individual posts from other posts in its groups.

Claim 40

The device of claim 38 wherein each group contains two posts, and the two posts in each group are separated by one diagonal opening.

Claim 41

The device of claim 38 wherein each group contains four posts, and the four posts in each group are separated by two intersecting diagonal openings.

Claim 42

The device of claim 30 including openings in said posts to define internal surfaces therein.

Claim 43

The device of claim 41 wherein the openings in the posts are substantially circular.

Claim 44

A diffusion device for breaking a main stream of a heated exhaust gas into a plurality of smaller streams which have a lower emissivity than the main stream of exhaust gas comprising: a body adapted to receive a main stream of heated exhaust gas; insulation means on said body to maintain the exterior surface of said body at a relatively low temperature with respect to the temperature of the heated exhaust gas; a plurality of openings in said body for discharge of smaller streams of exhaust gas from said body; exhaust gas conducting members positioned to receive the smaller streams of exhaust gas from said openings; said exhaust gas conducting members having a configuration which blocks said openings from line-of-sight view; said members being formed of a material having high heat conductivity with each of said members having an interior surface and an exterior surface separated by a wall, an inlet for receipt of heated exhaust gas and an outlet for discharge of heated exhaust gas; said interior surface having a configuration which shields a portion of said interior surface against contact with heated exhaust gas passing through said member, and means to promote heat transfer through said wall from said interior surface to said exterior surface, whereby heat transfer from the heated exhaust gas to the interior surfaces of said members is reduced by the lack of contact between the heated gas and said shielded portions of the interior surfaces while heat received by the members at said interior surfaces is rapidly removed from said members by said second means to maintain the members at a relatively low temperature with respect to the temperature of the heated exhaust gas.

Claim 45

A diffusion device for breaking a main stream of a heated exhaust gas into a plurality of smaller streams which have a lower emissivity than the main stream of exhaust gas comprising: a body adapted to receive a main stream of heated exhaust gas; insulation means on said body to maintain the exterior surface of said body at a relatively low temperature with respect to the temperature of the heated exhaust gas; a plurality of openings in said body for discharge of smaller streams of exhaust gas from said body; exhaust gas conducting members positioned to receive the smaller streams of exhaust gas from said openings; said exhaust gas conducting members having a configuration which blocks said openings from line-of-sight view; said members being formed of a material having high heat conductivity with each of said members having an interior surface and an exterior surface separated by a wall, an inlet for receipt of heated exhaust gas and an outlet for discharge of heated exhaust gas; said interior surface having a configuration which shields a portion of said interior surface against contact with heated exhaust gas passing through said member, and means to promote heat transfer through said wall from said interior surface to said exterior surface, whereby heat transfer from the heated exhaust gas to the interior surfaces of said members is reduced by the lack of contact between the heated gas and said shielded portions of the interior surfaces while heat received by the members at said interior surfaces is rapidly removed from said members by said second means to maintain the members at a relatively low temperature with respect to the temperature of the heated exhaust gas.

Claim 46

The diffusion device of claim 43 wherein said body has an ocarina configuration.

Claim 47

The diffusion device of claim 43 wherein said body has a flute configuration.

Claim 48

The diffusion device of claim 43 wherein said body has a marimba configuration.

Claim 49

The diffusion device of claim 43 including means on said exhaust gas conducting members to provide the smaller stream of exhaust gas with a shape which reduces the emissivity of said smaller streams.

Claim 50

The diffusion device of claim 47 wherein the smaller streams of exhaust gases are provided with a generally rectangular or elliptical cross sectional configuration.

Claim 51

The diffusion device of claim 43 wherein the exhaust gas conducting members are shaped to prevent impingement of the smaller streams of exhaust gas against the exterior surface of said body or against the exterior surface of an adjacent exhaust gas conducting member.

Claim 52

The diffusion device of claim 43 wherein the smaller streams are randomly positioned such that one stream blocks another from view and a region of higher temperature in one smaller stream does not tend to reinforce the infrared signal provided by a region of higher temperature in another smaller stream.

Claim 53

The diffusion device of claim 43 including indentations in said interior surface to form recessed pockets therein; said indentations having a width which is sufficiently small to impede the entrance of heated exhaust gas into said pockets, whereby the available heat transfer area on said interior surface is reduced in relation to the area removed from the interior surface by said indentations.

Claim 54

The diffusion device of claim 43 wherein said exhaust gas conducting members are formed of a metal which has high heat conductivity.

Claim 55

The diffusion device of claim 43 including an interior surface on said exhaust gas conducting member, and an opening in said member for introducing cool air as a boundary layer adjacent said interior surface.

Claim 56

The diffusion device of claim 43 including means on said exterior surface to increase heat rejection from the exterior surface.

Claim 57

The device of claim 54 including fins on the exterior surface of the gas conducting member.

Claim 58

The diffusion device of claim 43 wherein said gas conducting member has an elbow configuration.

Claim 59

The device of claim 54 including a plurality of posts positioned on said exterior surface, and openings between said posts to permit the flow of air with respect to the surfaces of the posts irrespective of the direction of relative movement of the said device and the cooling air.

Claim 60

The device of claim 57 wherein said posts have a rectangular configuration.

Claim 61

The device of claim 58 wherein said posts have a substantially square cross sectional configuration.

Claim 62

The device of claim 58 wherein said posts have an elongated rectangular cross sectional configuration.

Claim 63

The device of claim 57 wherein said posts have a triangular cross sectional configuration.

Claim 64

The device of claim 57 wherein said posts have a generally cruciform cross sectional configuration.

Claim 65

The device of claim 57 wherein said openings are positioned in both a longitudinal and a transverse direction with respect to said gas conducting member.

Claim 66

The device of claim 57 including openings between said posts positioned in a diagonal direction with respect to said gas conducting member.

Claim 67

The device of claim 57 wherein said posts are positioned on the exterior surface in groups, and openings positioned in both a longitudinal and a transverse direction with respect to said gas conducting member, said openings separating said groups of posts, and openings positioned diagonally with respect to said device with the diagonal openings separating the individual posts from other posts in its group.

Claim 68

The device of claim 65 wherein each group contains two posts, and the two posts in each group are separated by one diagonal opening.

Claim 69

The device of claim 65 wherein each group contains four posts, and the four posts in each group are separated by two intersecting diagonal openings.

Claim 70

The device of claim 57 including openings in said posts to define internal surfaces therein.

Claim 71

The device of claim 68 wherein the openings in the posts are substantially circular.

Claim 72

The diffusion device of claim 54 including a reticulated metal foam on the exterior surface of the gas conducting member.

Claim 73

The diffusion device of claim 70 wherein said metal foam has a thickness of about 1/8 to about one inch.

Claim 74

The diffusion device of claim 70 wherein said metal foam has from about 5 to about 80 pores per inch.

Claim 75

The device of claim 54 including fins on said exterior surface with said fins having an undulating configuration.

Claim 76

The device of claim 73 including openings formed through said fins.

Claim 77

The device of claim 54 including a honeycomb structure on said exterior surface.

Claim 78

The device of claim 75 wherein said honeycomb structure is slotted.

Claim 79

The device of claim 76 wherein the slots in said honeycomb structure are positioned longitudinally with respect to said gas conducting member.

Claim 80

The device of claim 76 wherein the slots in said honeycomb structure are positioned both longitudinally and transversely with respect to said gas conducting member.