1. A furnace system for heating a poultry brooder house, the furnace system comprising:
a firebox for burning biomass fuel;
a grate within said firebox for burning the biomass fuel thereon;
a distributor plate positioned within said firebox and directly above said grate, said distributor plate comprising a plurality of apertures therethrough;
a hopper assembly defining a well for receiving a volume of biomass fuel for delivery to said distributor plate;
said well including an inlet for receiving biomass fuel from a supply, and an outlet communicating with an interior of said firebox and positioned above said distributor plate;
a conveyor configured to deliver biomass fuel from the supply to said hopper assembly; and
a shredder proximate said hopper assembly for breaking up the biomass fuel into a size suitable for processing through said distributor plate;
wherein said shredder includes a plurality of blades spaced from one another by a predetermined distance, said distance being substantially the same as a dimension of one or more of said apertures of said distributor plate.
2. A furnace system for heating a poultry brooder house, the furnace system comprising:
a firebox for burning biomass fuel;
a grate within said firebox for burning the biomass fuel thereon;
a distributor assembly positioned within said firebox and directly above said grate, said distributor assembly comprising:
a distributor plate comprising a plurality of apertures therethrough, and
a distributor arm above said distributor plate and being movable relative to said distributor plate to cause biomass fuel supported on said plate to pass through said apertures and fall onto said grate;
a hopper assembly defining a well for receiving a volume of biomass fuel for delivery to said distributor plate;
said well including an inlet for receiving biomass fuel from a supply, and an outlet communicating with an interior of said firebox and positioned above said distributor plate assembly;
an agitator disposed within said well and being movable to urge biomass fuel in said well through said outlet and onto said distributor plate;
an actuator operatively coupled to said agitator;
a controller communicating with said actuator and controlling operation of said actuator to move said agitator within said well such that biomass fuel within said well is urged through said outlet; and
at least one sensor adapted to sense a volume of biomass fuel in said well, said sensor communicating with said controller and generating a signal related to the sensed volume of biomass fuel in said well;
said controller directing said actuator to move said agitator in response to said signal generated by said sensor.
3. The furnace system of claim 2, wherein said agitator is sized and arranged to conform closely to the dimensions of said well, and said agitator cooperates with biomass fuel in said well to limit heat loss from combustion of biomass fuel in said firebox through said hopper assembly.
4. The furnace system of claim 2, wherein said agitator comprises:
first and second spaced apart agitator arms;
said first and second agitator arms operatively coupled to a shaft at their respective proximal ends and being movable within said well to agitate biomass fuel in said well; and
at least one elongate member extending between said first arm and said second arm to facilitate agitation of biomass fuel within said well.
5. The furnace system of claim 2, further comprising:
a storage bin for receiving and storing a volume of biomass fuel for use in the furnace;
a conveyor associated with said storage bin and configured to deliver biomass fuel from said storage bin to said hopper assembly; and
a shredder intermediate said storage bin and said hopper assembly for breaking up the biomass fuel into a size suitable for processing through said distributor assembly.
6. The furnace system of claim 2, further comprising:
an actuator operatively coupled to said distributor arm;
a controller communicating with said actuator and controlling operation of said actuator to move said distributor arm relative to said distributor plate; and
at least one sensor adapted to sense a temperature within said firebox, said sensor communicating with said controller and generating a signal related to the sensed temperature within said firebox;
said controller directing said actuator to move said distributor arm in response to said signal generated by said sensor.
7. The furnace system of claim 6, wherein said controller directs said actuator to move said distributor arm in an intermittent manner.
8. The furnace system of claim 2, wherein:
said grate comprises:
a first grate plate configured to receive biomass fuel thereon, said first grate plate having a plurality of first apertures therethrough,
a second grate plate beneath said first grate plate and having a plurality of second apertures therethrough,
said first grate plate being movable relative to said second grate plate; and wherein
the furnace further comprises an actuator operatively coupled to said first grate plate and configured to move said first grate plate relative to said second grate plate to thereby effect removal of ash from said grate through said first and second apertures.
9. The furnace system of claim 8, wherein at least some of said first and second apertures through said respective first and second grate plates comprise slots having a transverse width of about 0.5 inch.
10. The furnace system of claim 2, wherein said firebox comprises:
a first chamber containing said grate and said distribution assembly for primary combustion of the biomass fuel; and
a second chamber in communication with said first chamber and receiving gaseous products from the primary combustion of the biomass fuel for secondary combustion of the gaseous products combined with air.
11. The furnace system of claim 10, further comprising:
a conduit extending within said firebox and directing air into said firebox for mixing with the gaseous products to facilitate the secondary combustion.
12. The furnace system of claim 10, further comprising:
a heat exchanger proximate an exit of said second chamber and in fluid communication with the poultry brooder house, said heat exchanger configured to heat air with heat produced by combustion within said firebox.
13. The furnace system of claim 2, further comprising:
an igniting apparatus proximate said grate, said igniting apparatus providing initial ignition of biomass fuel received on said grate.
14. The furnace system of claim 2, further comprising:
a leveling arm above said grate and being movable relative to said grate to spread biomass fuel supported on said grate into a substantially uniform layer over said grate.
15. The furnace system of claim 14, further comprising:
a plurality of fingers extending from said leveling arm and toward said grate, said fingers spaced and arranged to rake through biomass fuel supported on said grate as said leveling arm is moved relative to said grate.
16. A furnace system for heating a poultry brooder house, the furnace system comprising:
a firebox for burning biomass fuel;
a grate within said firebox for burning the biomass fuel thereon;
a distributor assembly positioned within said firebox and directly above said grate, said distributor assembly comprising:
a distributor plate comprising a plurality of apertures therethrough, and
a distributor arm above said distributor plate and being movable relative to said distributor plate to cause biomass fuel supported on said plate to pass through said apertures and fall onto said grate;
a hopper assembly defining a well for receiving a volume of biomass fuel for delivery to said distributor plate;
said well including an inlet for receiving biomass fuel from a supply, and an outlet communicating with an interior of said firebox and positioned above said distributor assembly;
an agitator disposed within said well and being movable to urge biomass fuel in said well through said outlet and onto said distributor plate;
a storage bin for receiving and storing a volume of biomass fuel for use in the furnace;
a conveyor associated with said storage bin and configured to deliver biomass fuel from said storage bin to said hopper assembly; and
a shredder intermediate said storage bin and said hopper assembly for breaking up the biomass fuel into a size suitable for processing through said distributor assembly;
wherein said shredder includes a plurality of blades spaced from one another by a predetermined distance, said distance being substantially the same as a dimension of one or more of said apertures of said distributor plate.
17. The furnace system of claim 16, wherein said agitator is sized and arranged to conform closely to the dimensions of said well, and said agitator cooperates with biomass fuel in said well to limit heat loss from combustion of biomass fuel in said firebox through said hopper assembly.
18. The furnace system of claim 16, wherein said agitator comprises:
first and second spaced apart agitator arms;
said first and second agitator arms operatively coupled to a shaft at their respective proximal ends and being movable within said well to agitate biomass fuel in said well; and
at least one elongate member extending between said first arm and said second arm to facilitate agitation of biomass fuel within said well.
19. The furnace system of claim 16, further comprising:
an actuator operatively coupled to said distributor arm;
a controller communicating with said actuator and controlling operation of said actuator to move said distributor arm relative to said distributor plate; and
at least one sensor adapted to sense a temperature within said firebox, said sensor communicating with said controller and generating a signal related to the sensed temperature within said firebox;
said controller directing said actuator to move said distributor arm in response to said signal generated by said sensor.
20. The furnace system of claim 19, wherein said controller directs said actuator to move said distributor arm in an intermittent manner.
21. The furnace system of claim 16, wherein:
said grate comprises:
a first grate plate configured to receive biomass fuel thereon, said first grate plate having a plurality of first apertures therethrough,
a second grate plate beneath said first grate plate and having a plurality of second apertures therethrough,
said first grate plate being movable relative to said second grate plate; and wherein
the furnace further comprises an actuator operatively coupled to said first grate plate and configured to move said first grate plate relative to said second grate plate to thereby effect removal of ash from said grate through said first and second apertures.
22. The furnace system of claim 16, wherein said firebox comprises:
a first chamber containing said grate and said distribution assembly for primary combustion of the biomass fuel; and
a second chamber in communication with said first chamber and receiving gaseous products from the primary combustion of the biomass fuel for secondary combustion of the gaseous products combined with air.
23. The furnace system of claim 22, further comprising:
a conduit extending within said firebox and directing air into said firebox for mixing with the gaseous products to facilitate the secondary combustion.
24. The furnace system of claim 22, further comprising:
a heat exchanger proximate an exit of said second chamber and in fluid communication with the poultry brooder house, said heat exchanger configured to heat air with heat produced by combustion within said firebox.
25. The furnace system of claim 16, further comprising:
an igniting apparatus proximate said grate, said igniting apparatus providing initial ignition of biomass fuel received on said grate.
26. The furnace system of claim 16, further comprising:
a leveling arm above said grate and being movable relative to said grate to spread biomass fuel supported on said grate into a substantially uniform layer over said grate.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of delivering a treatment material to a treatment area, the method comprising:
providing a catheter that is attached to spaced-apart balloons, the catheter having a first lumen and a second lumen extending along the catheter;
positioning the catheter so that the area of treatment is between the spaced-apart balloons;
simultaneously controlling an inflation level of the spaced-apart balloons to create the treatment area between the spaced-apart balloons, wherein the controlling includes passing an inflation material through the first lumen that has an opening into each of the spaced-apart balloons; and
passing the treatment material through a second lumen into the treatment area.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising inflating the spaced-apart balloons until the spaced-apart balloons touch the treatment area and forming an isolated area between the spaced-apart balloons.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising allowing a biological fluid to flow through a third lumen to allow a biological fluid to flow through the catheter and around the area between the spaced-apart balloons when the spaced-apart balloons are inflated.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising positioning the spaced-apart balloons by using a marker that is located at predetermined positions relative to the spaced-apart balloons.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment material comprises a chemotherapy agent.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment material comprises an imaging agent.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment material is an embolic material.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment material further comprises a viscous treatment material that embolizes a tumor.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the viscous treatment material further comprises a mixture of a contrast agent and a second material.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second material further comprises one of a chemotherapy agent and a saline agent.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising perfusing a treatment material through an open distal end of the catheter.
12. A method of isolating an area of treatment, the method comprising:
providing a catheter that is attached to spaced-apart balloons, the catheter having a lumen extending along the catheter;
positioning the catheter so that the area of treatment is between the spaced-apart balloons; and
simultaneously controlling an inflation level of the spaced-apart balloons by passing a first inflation material through the lumen that has an opening into each of the spaced-apart balloons to isolate the are of treatment.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising adding an imaging agent to the area of treatment and inflating the balloons until there is no leakage of the imaging agent to areas around the area of treatment.