1,267,771. Systems for heating by circulation of fluids heated by exothermic chemical reactions. UNITED AIRCRAFT CORP. 24 Feb., 1970 [24 April, 1969], No. 8856/70. Headings F4U and F4X. A fluid such as water is heated as it is circulated through a passage formed around a heat generating chamber 10 in which a pyrophoric material (e.g. phosphorous) 12 is reacted with oxygen, the heated fluid being thereafter fed to a device requiring heat, such as a vehicle heater or a diver's suit. In the system shown for heating a coil 22 in a diver's suit, water is circulated by a pump 16 electrically operated by a battery 18 which may also provide current for an igniter 20. The heated water from the reactor jacket flows via line 26 to a thermostatic actuator 28 and thence to coil 22 from which it returns via a valve 30 to the heating jacket. Actuator 28 provides that water of uniform temperature enters the coil 22, by recycling (via valve 30 and pressure-relief valve 32) more or less water through by-pass line 34. This results consequently in a change of water flow in the jacket. For example less water flowing through the jacket causes a higher pressure therein, which via line 50 acts on a piston 52 controlling the flow regulating valve in the oxygen supply line 36 and hence (since the reactor chamber is pressurized by an inert gas) controls the reaction. In a modification (Fig. 2) the thermostatic actuator 28 directly controls the oxygen pressure regulating valve 38 so that the regulating means 38 is controlled by the water temperature and not as in Fig. 1 by the pressure in the reactor 10. In other modifications briefly described, the reaction may be operated without the use of an inert gas, the reaction being controlled by regulating oxygen flow and the valve 38 being manually controlled. The igniter 20 may be omitted. The heated water need not be recycled.
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