摘要 |
The invention provides a furnace for the controllable combustion of thermite. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention comprises a furnace housing having a combustion chamber into which thermite, in the form of rods, wires, or ribbons of encapsulated pellets, may be fed by an automatic feeder. An electric arc within the housing ignites the thermite. Coils embedded in the furnace housing circulate fluids for drawing off the energy product of thermite combustion beyond the furnace housing for utilization. The rate of combustion may be controlled by use of a vented flue, an adjustable feeder, and by cutter edges which snip the thermite to prevent further burning. The furnace housing contains insulation for retaining combustion heat product so that heat retained by the housing may continue to be drawn off by the coils. The invention provides a compact and thermally efficient furnace for diverse energy purposes, such as home heating or producing steam for driving turbine generators. |