Integrated movable steam generating device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an integrated movable steam generating device used for supplying steam to oil wells, comprising a movable chassis and a steam generating assembly borne by the movable chassis. The steam generating assembly comprises: a vapor generating assembly configured to generate a vapor mixture of pressurized water and water vapor; a first separator configured to separate steam from the vapor mixture; a flue gas generating assembly configured to generate heated flue gas; a heat exchange assembly configured to use the flue gas to heat the vapor mixture; a chimney configured to discharge the flue gas from the heat exchange assembly; and an electrical control module configured to control the operation of the steam generating device. The steam generating assembly is integrally assembled into a whole and is installed on the movable chassis, and the steam generating device further comprises an actuator configured to be controlled by the electrical control module to drive the chimney to be switched between a first state where the chimney is horizontally placed and a second state where the chimney is vertically placed.

Description

Integrated movable steam generator Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of thermal recovery in the oil industry, and in particular to a steam system integrated with oil thermal recovery, and more specifically to an integrated movable steam generating device for supplying steam to oil wells. Background Art

[0002] Heavy oil, a type of crude oil, accounts for 70% of the world's proven crude oil reserves. Heavy oil thermal recovery involves injecting heat to reduce the viscosity of crude oil, thereby increasing its fluidity and facilitating extraction. Steam flooding is the most commonly used method for heavy oil thermal recovery. First, the various components of the steam system are transported to the vicinity of the oil well. The system is activated and a certain amount of steam is injected into the well (usually for about ten days). The well is then shut down for a period of time (usually 3-7 days). After the heat energy from the steam diffuses into the oil layer, the well is reopened for oil production. Once steam injection is completed at one well and the well enters the shut-down and oil production phase, the various components of the steam system are transported to other wells for steam injection.

[0003] Heavy oil, which accounts for 70% of the world's proven crude oil reserves, is attracting increasing attention for its extraction. Heavy oil, a high-viscosity, high-density crude oil, is temperature-sensitive. Typically, its viscosity decreases by about half with every 10°C increase in temperature, resulting in a consistent pattern of viscosity reduction in heavy oil upon heating. Accordingly, thermal recovery, a typical heavy oil extraction method, is a common technique for extracting high-viscosity crude oil. Its principle is to inject heat energy to weaken the intermolecular forces within the crude oil, thereby reducing its viscosity. This effectively raises the reservoir temperature, reduces the viscosity of the heavy oil, and improves its fluidity, facilitating extraction.

[0004] Among them, the steam displacement method is a conventional heavy oil thermal recovery method. Especially in the context of performing heavy oil thermal recovery operations, it is necessary to continuously inject hot steam between multiple locations (for example, into one or more injection wells) in the expectation of heating the underground crude oil and flowing it to multiple production wells. The method of continuously recovering crude oil from production wells is the steam drive oil recovery method, which generally specifically includes: a deployment phase, that is, first transporting and arranging the steam generation and injection system around the oil well; a steam generation and injection phase, that is, then starting the steam generation and injection system (specifically, generating steam by its steam injection boiler) to inject a certain amount of steam into the oil well (injection well) (generally for about ten days); a shut-in phase, that is, then shutting down the well (production well) for a period of time (generally 3 to 7 days); and a production operation phase, that is, until the heat energy of the steam is fully diffused into the oil layer, the oil well (production well) is opened for oil recovery operations.

[0005] Therefore, in order to maximize the efficiency of steam injection and the steam heating effect at multiple locations in the steam displacement method so as to achieve the optimized heating and viscosity reduction effect for the entire oil layer, for example, once the steam injection operation at one location has been completed and the well shut-in and oil production stage is about to begin, the steam generation and injection system can be removed from that location and transferred to other locations for continued steam injection operations.

[0006] Although steam flooding heavy oil thermal recovery has been used for many years, it still has some shortcomings:

[0007] 1) In conventional thermal steam recovery systems, the steam boiler is installed independently on a custom four-axle chassis, and the steam system's superheater, convection section, chimney, spherical separator, and other components require separate transportation by vehicle. Upon arrival at the oil well where steam injection is required, the superheater, convection section, and chimney of the thermal steam recovery system are installed onto the steam boiler using a crane. The superheater is installed vertically above the transition section at the rear of the steam boiler, while the convection section is installed vertically above the superheater. The chimney is installed vertically above the convection section, with a height of approximately 10 meters from the ground to the top of the chimney. Once the superheater, convection section, and chimney are hoisted, the steam boiler, superheater, convection section, spherical separator, and other components must be connected on-site using pipes.

[0008] 2) After the steam injection operation is completed at an oil well, the pipes connecting the steam boiler, superheating section, convection section, spherical separator and other components of the thermal steam recovery system need to be disconnected; the superheating section, convection section, spherical separator and other components need to be removed from the transition section behind the steam boiler before the steam boiler semi-trailer can be safely towed to the next steam injection operation site. At the same time, the superheating section, convection section, chimney, spherical separator and other components need to be transported to the site by another vehicle.

[0009] 3) Repeat the above hoisting and disassembly operations when reaching the next steam injection well. This traditional oil thermal recovery steam system not only reduces steam system utilization efficiency but also increases equipment transportation, installation, and disassembly costs. The high cost of heavy oil recovery has always been a pressing issue in the industry.

[0010] 4) During steam flooding heavy oil thermal recovery, steam injection intensity directly impacts steam flooding effectiveness. Oil production in any given cycle is proportional to the steam injection rate. A higher steam injection rate increases the heating range and increases crude oil production. However, the evaporation capacity of current mobile steam injection boilers is ≤15 tons / hour. Increasing the steam injection intensity for a single oil well requires simultaneous operation of multiple boilers, increasing both investment and costs.

[0011] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an integrated, mobile steam generating device for supplying steam to oil wells. This device improves integration and transportation efficiency by modularizing and further integrating the components onto a unified movable chassis, such as a customized four-axle chassis, making transportation and assembly more convenient and quick. A liftable chimney is also provided to facilitate height control during transportation. Furthermore, by utilizing an integrated steam system as a single steam source between multiple wells to continuously inject steam for optimized heating of the entire oil reservoir, the time required for switching operations between two wells in different locations can be shortened, reducing the intensity and cost of the switching operation, thereby improving the efficiency of the system and reducing its operating costs.

[0012] Summary of the Invention

[0013] In order to solve at least one aspect of the above-mentioned problems and defects in the prior art, the purpose of the present disclosure is to provide an integrated movable steam generating device for supplying steam to oil wells, thereby aiming to improve the utilization efficiency of the integrated movable steam generating device as an oil thermal recovery steam system and reduce its use and operation costs, improve the steam injection intensity, and when the integrated movable steam generating device completes the steam injection operation of an oil well and moves to another oil well to restart the steam injection operation quickly, conveniently, safely and economically; and provide a corresponding method for recovering hydrocarbons.

[0014] In order to achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present disclosure is implemented in the following ways:

[0015] A mobile, integrated steam generating device for supplying steam to an oil well is provided. The steam generating device includes a movable chassis and a steam generating assembly carried by the movable chassis. The steam generating assembly includes: a water vapor generating assembly configured to generate a water vapor mixture of pressurized water and water vapor; a first separator configured to separate steam from the water vapor mixture; a flue gas generating assembly configured to generate heated flue gas; a heat exchange assembly configured to heat the water vapor mixture using the flue gas; a chimney configured to discharge the flue gas from the heat exchange assembly; and an electrical control module configured to control the operation of the steam generating device. The steam generating assembly is integrally assembled and mounted on the movable chassis. The steam generating device also includes an actuator configured to be controlled by the electrical control module to drive the chimney to switch between a first, horizontal position and a second, upright position.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical control module is configured to: in response to connecting the water supply, power supply, and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well to the water supply port, power supply port, and fuel input port of the steam generating device, respectively, control the actuator to switch the chimney to the second state; and in response to disconnecting the water supply and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well from the water supply port and the fuel input port of the steam generating device, respectively, control the actuator to switch the chimney to the first state.

[0017] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical control module is also configured to: in response to disconnecting the water supply, power supply, and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well from the water supply port, the power supply port, and the fuel input port of the steam generating device, respectively, control the actuator to switch the chimney to the first state.

[0018] According to an alternative further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical control module is further configured to trigger disconnection of the power supply line at or near the oil well from the power supply port of the steam generating device in response to the chimney switching to the first state.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the movable chassis is a four-axle chassis having a pair of mechanical legs and a pair of hydraulic legs, the pair of mechanical legs being arranged below the front side of the movable chassis, and the pair of hydraulic legs being arranged below the rear side of the movable chassis and being capable of being vertically raised and lowered in a hydraulically driven manner to achieve switching between an extended state and a retracted state.

[0020] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical control module is further configured to: in response to the operation of the pair of mechanical legs and the pair of hydraulic legs extending from the bottom of the movable chassis to touch the ground to hold the movable chassis in place, trigger the operation of connecting the water supply, power supply and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well to the water supply port, power supply port and fuel input port of the steam generating device respectively.

[0021] According to another further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical control module is also configured to: in response to the chimney switching to the second state, trigger the connection of the steam outlet of the steam generating device with the steam injection port of the oil well and thereby start the operation of injecting steam into the oil well through the steam injection port.

[0022] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical control module is also configured to: in response to the termination of the operation of injecting steam into the oil well, trigger the operation of disconnecting the water supply, power supply and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well from the water supply port, the power supply port and the fuel input port of the steam generating device, respectively.

[0023] According to yet a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical control module is further configured to: in response to the chimney being switched to the first state, trigger an operation of disconnecting the steam outlet of the steam generating device from the steam injection port of the oil well.

[0024] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical control module is also configured to: in response to the operation of disconnecting the connection between the steam outlet of the steam generating device and the steam injection port of the oil well, trigger the operation of retracting the pair of mechanical legs and the pair of hydraulic legs to the bottom of the movable chassis.

[0025] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the chimney is fluidically connected to the downstream of the heat exchange component and is arranged above the heat exchange component, and the actuator includes a hydraulic actuator. The chimney is driven by the hydraulic actuator to pivot relative to the heat exchange component to switch between the first state of being lowered to a flat position and the second state of being raised to a vertical position.

[0026] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the water vapor generating assembly includes a plunger pump module configured to generate pressurized water, the plunger pump module including: a water supply pipeline; and a plunger pump, the plunger pump including a cylinder and a plunger rod, and configured to pressurize water input from the water supply pipeline to generate pressurized water by generating a pressure difference through the reciprocating motion of the plunger rod in the cylinder.

[0027] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the flue gas generating assembly includes: a burner module, configured to burn to generate heated flue gas; a steam boiler, installed in the middle of the movable chassis, and including a body defining a furnace, a furnace pipe passing through the body, and a flue gas port connected to the furnace, and configured to use the flue gas to heat the furnace pipe that receives the water to generate a water-steam mixture.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the water vapor generating assembly further includes a preheating module, which is a shell-and-tube preheater arranged around the main body and whose shell is connected to the furnace tube; and the water is introduced into the shell of the preheating module, and the water in the shell of the preheating module exchanges heat with the flue gas in the flue gas duct inside the furnace surrounded by the preheating module to raise the temperature of the water to 80°C to 120°C, thereby achieving heat exchange between the water flowing through the preheating module and the flue gas in the furnace to preheat the water.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the heat exchange component is horizontally arranged at the top of the body, and the fluid is connected to the flue gas port and is configured to use the flue gas discharged from the flue gas port to heat the water before entering the furnace tube and / or flowing out of the furnace tube, and includes: a superheat heat exchange module, which is horizontally arranged at the top of the tail of the body located at the far end of the plunger pump and connected to the flue gas port of the body, and is configured to superheat the flue gas flowing therethrough; and a convection heat exchange module, which is horizontally arranged at the top of the front of the body located at the proximal end of the plunger pump and is connected in series between the superheat heat exchange module and the chimney, and is configured to use the flue gas to heat the water before entering the furnace tube and / or flowing out of the furnace tube through convection heat exchange, and the flue gas duct of the superheat heat exchange module, the flue gas duct of the convection heat exchange module, and the chimney are sequentially connected.

[0030] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the burner module is arranged adjacent to the plunger pump module and includes a burner, a solenoid valve, and a gas pipeline; and the burner includes a burner housing and a combustion head arranged at the tail of the burner housing, and a fuel input port for introducing fuel, a ventilation port for introducing air, and an output port for outputting the flue gas are formed on the burner housing.

[0031] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the front portion of the body is connected to the burner module for introducing the flue gas, and the flue gas port is an opening formed above the rear portion of the body and connected to the heat exchange component; and both ends of the body are provided with an inlet portion connected between the plunger pump module and the furnace tube, and an outlet portion connected to the first separator, the inlet portion is configured to introduce the water into the furnace tube, and the outlet portion is configured to discharge the water-vapor mixture to the first separator.

[0032] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the steam boiler is configured to receive the water through the furnace tubes and release heat in the furnace through the flue gas introduced from the burner module to heat the furnace tubes by radiation so that the water is at least partially converted into steam, and then the steam is mixed with the water to produce the water-steam mixture.

[0033] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first separator is installed at the rear end of the movable chassis and includes a spherical separator, which is a cyclone separator that separates steam and moisture from the steam-water mixture based on the combined effects of centrifugal separation, gravity separation and membrane separation. The spherical separator is located on the side of the body away from the plunger pump module and is arranged to be fluidically connected to the downstream of the furnace tube, and is configured to increase the dryness of the steam in the water-vapor mixture from basically 80% to 100% by separating steam from the water-vapor mixture.

[0034] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the steam separated from the first separator further enters the superheat heat exchange module to continue being heated to superheat, and is then transported to the liquid outlet of the first separator to be mixed with the hot water discharged from the first separator.

[0035] According to the various embodiments of the present disclosure, the integrated movable steam generating device for supplying steam to oil wells can provide an integrated steam system through the above-mentioned configuration to address the shortcomings of existing oil thermal recovery steam systems. By installing the various components or modules in an integrated manner on a common chassis, such as a customized movable four-axle chassis, the entire steam generating device can be transferred more conveniently and quickly between different construction sites. And, for example, by using the integrated steam system as a single steam source between multiple wells to continuously inject steam for optimizing heating of the entire oil layer, it is convenient to shorten the time for operation conversion between two wells in different locations, reduce the intensity and cost of conversion operations, thereby improving the efficiency of the oil thermal recovery steam system, reducing the use and operating costs of the steam system, and increasing the steam injection intensity, thereby facilitating the use of the integrated steam system as a single steam source between multiple oil wells for thermal recovery of oil, especially heavy oil. It also makes it convenient and safe to move the steam system from one oil well to another.

[0036] Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will help to provide a comprehensive understanding of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the description, help explain some principles associated with the disclosed embodiments. In the drawings:

[0038] FIG1A schematically illustrates an integrated movable steam generating device for supplying steam to an oil well according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] FIG1B schematically shows a rear view of the integrated movable steam generating device for supplying steam to an oil well as shown in FIG1A , wherein a double-tube preheating module arranged around the main body of the steam boiler is schematically shown;

[0040] FIG1C schematically shows a schematic setting of a control sequence of an electrical control module in the overall working process of the steam generating device 1 including the switching process of the chimney between the horizontal state and the vertical state.

[0041] FIG. 1D schematically illustrates the starting and resetting operations of the hydraulic actuator 18 that are automatically executed when triggered or that are realized under the action of the resetting device.

[0042] 2A shows a cross-sectional view of the integrated movable steam generating device for supplying steam to an oil well in FIG. 1 along the section line BB;

[0043] FIG2B shows a left side view of the integrated movable steam generating device for supplying steam to an oil well in FIG1 ;

[0044] FIG3 shows a cross-sectional view along the cutting line CC of FIG1 ;

[0045] FIG4 shows a schematic working flow diagram of an integrated movable steam generating device for supplying steam to an oil well according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The technical solution of the present disclosure will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the specification, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar components. The following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the overall technical concept of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0047] In addition, in the following detailed description, for ease of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, it is apparent that one or more embodiments can be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices are shown in diagrammatic form to simplify the accompanying drawings.

[0048] At the same time, the terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "middle" and "one" cited in this specification are only intended to facilitate the explanation of examples, and are not used to limit the scope of the invention. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships should be regarded as within the scope of the invention without substantially changing the technical content.

[0049] Heavy oil thermal recovery based on steam displacement has been used for many years. In a related embodiment, in a conventional thermal recovery steam system for implementing steam displacement, for example, the steam generator is installed separately on a semi-trailer chassis, while components such as the superheater module, convection module, chimney, and spherical separator are transported by a separate vehicle. Upon arrival at the oil well where steam injection is required, the superheater module, convection module, and chimney are hoisted onto the steam generator using a crane. The superheater section is vertically mounted above the transition section at the rear of the steam boiler, the convection section is vertically mounted above the superheater section, and the chimney is vertically mounted above the convection section, with a height of approximately 10 meters from the ground to the top of the chimney. After the superheater module, convection module, and hydraulically lifted chimney are hoisted, the steam boiler, superheater section, convection section, spherical separator, and other components are connected on-site using piping.

[0050] Once steam injection is complete at an oil well, the pipes connecting the steam boiler, superheater, convection section, spherical separator, and other components must be disconnected and hoisted off the transition section behind the steam boiler. This hoisting and disassembly process is repeated at the next oil well requiring steam injection. This conventional steam recovery system for oil thermal recovery not only increases transportation, installation, and disassembly costs but also reduces overall system efficiency. Furthermore, the high cost of heavy oil extraction remains a pressing issue within the industry.

[0051] Furthermore, during heavy oil thermal recovery using steam flooding, the intensity of steam injection directly impacts the effectiveness of steam flooding. Oil production in any given cycle is proportional to the steam injection rate. A greater steam injection rate increases the heating range and, consequently, increases crude oil production. However, the evaporation rate of currently available mobile high-pressure steam bodies is ≤15 tons / hour. Increasing the steam injection intensity for a single oil well requires the simultaneous use of multiple high-pressure steam bodies, increasing investment and steam injection costs.

[0052] FIG1A schematically illustrates a side view of an integrated, movable steam generating device for supplying steam to an oil well according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG1B schematically illustrates a rear view of the integrated, movable steam generating device for supplying steam to an oil well as shown in FIG1A , schematically illustrating a casing-type preheating module arranged around the main body of the steam boiler;

[0053] Figure 2A shows a cross-sectional view of the integrated movable steam generating device for supplying steam to oil wells in Figure 1 along the cutting line BB; Figure 2B shows a left view of the integrated movable steam generating device for supplying steam to oil wells in Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of Figure 1 along the cutting line CC.

[0054] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, based on an overall technical concept of an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, an integrated movable steam generating device 1 for supplying steam to an oil well is provided, wherein the steam generating device 1 includes a movable chassis 22 and a steam generating component carried by the movable chassis 22: a water vapor generating component, configured to generate a water vapor mixture of pressurized water and water vapor; a first separator 16, configured to separate steam from the water vapor mixture; a flue gas generating component, configured to generate heated flue gas; a heat exchange component 14, configured to heat the water vapor mixture using the flue gas; a chimney 15, configured to discharge the flue gas from the heat exchange component 14; and an electrical control module 26, configured to control the operation of the steam generating device 1. As an example, the steam generating assembly is assembled as an integral whole and is mounted on the movable chassis 22, and the steam generating device 1 also includes an actuator 18, which is configured to be controlled by the electrical control module 26 to drive the chimney 15 to switch between a first flat state and a second upright state.

[0055] Through this arrangement, the steam generating device 1 is formed into an integrated steam system that is convenient for overall transportation, and the steam system has two fluid paths that are separately arranged and in a heat exchange relationship with each other, namely the first fluid path acting as a water vapor path, and the second fluid path acting as a flue gas path. The second fluid path is configured to heat the first fluid path to generate high-temperature and high-pressure steam and then generate a water vapor mixture. The water vapor mixture in the first fluid path is finally separated by the steam-water separation action of the first separator 16 to generate steam with higher dryness for injection into the injection well to heat the oil (especially heavy oil) reservoir to reduce the viscosity of the heavy oil and improve its fluidity for easy exploitation.

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment, the chimney 15 is fluidically connected to the downstream of the heat exchange component 14 and is arranged above the heat exchange component 14, and the actuator includes a hydraulic actuator 18; more specifically, as an example, the chimney is pivotally hinged to the top of the heat exchange component 14 at its base, and correspondingly, for example, the hydraulic actuator 18 is hingedly connected to the base or middle of the chimney 15, so that the hydraulic actuator 18 can drive the chimney to pivot around its base when it is hydraulically extended and retracted, thereby, the chimney 1 can pivot relative to the heat exchange component 14 under the drive of the hydraulic actuator to switch between the first state of being lowered to a flat position and the second state of being raised to a vertical position.

[0057] In a further embodiment, the chimney 15 is pivoted by a hydraulic system to be raised to the second vertical position or lowered to the first horizontal position. During the transportation of the steam generating device 1, the chimney 15 is laid down to a horizontal position to lower the center of gravity so that it can be firmly placed above the heat exchange component 14. Once the steam generating device 1 is transported and fixed in place, the chimney 15 is raised to a vertical position to begin steam injection operations into the injection well. The current chimney arrangement that can switch between vertical and horizontal positions significantly reduces the overall height of the entire steam generating device during transportation, making it easier to transport. Moreover, with the overall height reduced, maintenance of the instruments and equipment installed therein will be more convenient.

[0058] As an example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the steam generating assembly is integrally assembled as a whole and mounted on the movable chassis 22 .

[0059] Through this arrangement, the steam generating device 1 as an integrated steam system is installed on the movable chassis 22, and the movable chassis 22 can be towed or self-propelled, thereby forming a steam injection equipment for heavy oil thermal recovery that can be moved as a whole (for example, by a towing vehicle or with the help of its own power).

[0060] As an example, the plunger pump module 10 is arranged at the front end of the movable chassis 22, for example, at the gooseneck portion of the movable chassis 22 connected to the tractor or in the vicinity thereof. The steam boiler 13 (to be described in detail below) in the flue gas generating assembly is, for example, installed at the middle of the movable chassis 22 at its body 131; the heat exchange assembly (for example, including the superheat heat exchange module 141 and the convection heat exchange module 142, to be described in detail below) is, for example, horizontally installed at the top of the body 131; the exemplary hydraulic lift chimney 15 is, for example, horizontally installed on the upper part of at least one of the superheat heat exchange module 141 and the convection heat exchange module 142 and can be lifted and lowered by its own hydraulic system (for example, the actuator 18) so as to stand upright or lay flat.

[0061] Furthermore, in a further example, the plunger pump module 10 and the first separator 16 are both located in their respective operating rooms. For example, the plunger pump module 10 is installed in the front equipment room 21 located at the front end of the movable chassis 22, and the first separator 16 is installed in the rear equipment room 25 located at the rear end of the semi-movable chassis 22. Furthermore, for example, the burner module 12 is installed at one end of the front equipment room 21 adjacent to the main body 131 of the steam boiler 13; the steam pipe 17, for example, connects each of these modules, forming a complete path for steam circulation.

[0062] Furthermore, in a further example, as shown in the figure, the electrical control module 26 is arranged in the space to the right of the movable chassis 22 (e.g., away from its gooseneck position), and the electrical control module 26 includes, for example, a power distribution cabinet, a PLC control cabinet, and a frequency converter cabinet. Furthermore, the burner module 12, which serves as a flue gas generating module, is arranged in the space to the left of the movable chassis 22 (e.g., near its gooseneck position).

[0063] In a further embodiment, the movable chassis 22 of the steam generating device 1 is further provided with: a pair of mechanical support legs 23, which are arranged at the bottom of the movable chassis 22 at the proximal end of the tractor, more specifically, for example, arranged below the front side of the movable chassis 22 as shown in the figure, and for example, are optionally fixed, or for example, are additionally optionally capable of switching between a deployed state and a retracted state; and a pair of hydraulic support legs 24, which are arranged at the bottom of the movable chassis 22 at the distal end of the tractor (for example, in the middle of the movable chassis 22), more specifically, for example, arranged below the rear side of the movable chassis 22, and can switch between a deployed state and a retracted state and can be vertically raised and lowered in a hydraulically driven manner.

[0064] Through this arrangement, the steam generating device is formed into an integrated steam system that is convenient for overall transportation, and the steam system has two fluid paths that are separately arranged and in a heat exchange relationship with each other, namely the first fluid path acting as a water vapor path, and the second fluid path acting as a flue gas path. The second fluid path is configured to heat the first fluid path to generate high-temperature and high-pressure steam and then generate a water vapor mixture. The water vapor mixture in the first fluid path is finally separated by the steam-water separation action of the first separator to generate steam with higher dryness for injection into the injection well to heat the oil (especially heavy oil) reservoir to reduce the viscosity of the heavy oil and improve its fluidity for easy exploitation.

[0065] Furthermore, by modularizing the components and pivoting the chimney through a hydraulic system, it is possible to raise it to a vertical position or lower it to a horizontal position. This allows the steam generating device to quickly switch between the operating state and the steam injection operation state. This facilitates improving transportation efficiency, making transportation and assembly more convenient and quick. For example, by using an integrated steam system as a single steam source between multiple wells to continuously inject steam for optimizing heating of the entire oil layer, it is convenient to shorten the time for switching operations between two wells in different locations, reduce the intensity and cost of the switching operation, and thus improve the efficiency of the oil thermal recovery steam system, reduce the use and operating costs of the steam system, and increase the steam injection intensity. This allows the integrated steam system to be used as a single steam source between multiple oil wells for thermal recovery of oil, especially heavy oil. Furthermore, it makes it convenient and safe to move the steam system from one oil well to another.

[0066] FIG1C schematically illustrates a schematic arrangement of the control sequence of the electrical control module in the overall workflow of the steam generating device 1, including the switching process of the chimney between the horizontal and vertical positions. As shown in FIG1C , for example, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the workflow of the integrated, movable steam generating device 1 for supplying steam to an oil well is typically as follows. The steam generating assembly is integrally mounted on a movable chassis 22 (e.g., a customized four-axle semi-trailer chassis), forming the steam generating device 1 as a one-piece structure that is easy to assemble and disassemble. The integrated, movable steam generating device 1, for example, includes: a steam generating assembly configured to generate a water vapor mixture of pressurized water and water vapor; a first separator, such as a spherical separator, mounted at the rear end of the movable chassis 22 and configured to separate steam from the water vapor mixture; a flue gas generating assembly, such as a high-pressure steam boiler and a burner, configured to generate heated flue gas; a heat exchange assembly, such as a superheat heat exchange module 141 and a countercurrent heat exchange module 142, both mounted horizontally at the top of the steam boiler body, configured to heat the water vapor mixture using the flue gas; and a chimney, such as a hydraulically liftable chimney, mounted above the superheat heat exchange module 141 and the countercurrent heat exchange module 142. The chimney is configured to discharge the flue gas from the heat exchange assembly. Furthermore, other modules of the steam generating device 1, such as a plunger pump module and an electrical control module, are also mounted on the movable chassis 22, for example, optionally at the front or rear end. By using pipes (including water vapor pipes and flue gas pipes) to respectively connect the various parts of the steam generating device 1 installed on the movable chassis 22, an integrated movable steam generating device 1 is formed.

[0067] Here and hereinafter, the term "triggering" an operation is intended to mean causing the operation to be performed in an automated or semi-automated manner; or alternatively, generating, for example, an instruction or indication signal to indicate or instruct an operator or operating machine to start performing the operation. And the term "responding to" is intended to mean causing a subsequent action to occur after a specific period of time (e.g., immediately, or after a specific time threshold, including but not limited to seconds, minutes, or hours) after the occurrence of an event.

[0068] As an example, when steam injection is required using the steam generating device 1, the device 1 is first transported (e.g., by a tractor) to the oil well to be injected or a nearby location. For example, the electrical control module 26 triggers the use of mechanical legs 23 and hydraulic legs 24 to secure the movable chassis 22 (referred to as "Operation A0"). After the steam generating device 1 is secured in place, the tractor is separated from the movable chassis 22 supporting the steam generating assembly. Subsequently, the electrical control module 26 triggers the connection of water, electricity, and fuel supply lines at the steam injection site to the steam generating device 1 (referred to as "Operation A1"). More specifically, the electrical control module 26 triggers the connection of water, electricity, and fuel supply lines at or near the oil well to the water supply port, electricity port, and fuel input port of the steam generating device 1, respectively. Next, the electrical control module 26 triggers the hydraulic lifting and lowering of the chimney 15 to a vertical position (referred to as "Operation A"). Subsequently, for example, the electrical control module 26 triggers an operation to connect the steam outlet 161 of the first separator 16 of the steam generating device 1 to the steam injection port of the oil well using a pipeline (referred to as "Operation A2"). The steam generating device 1 is then ready for steam injection operation (referred to as "Operation A3").

[0069] And, as an example, when the steam injection operation of an oil well is completed (called "operation B0"), the chimney 15 is hydraulically leveled (called "operation B") by triggering the electrical control module 26, for example, to reduce the height of the integrated movable steam generating device for easy movement.

[0070] Optionally, for example, before the chimney is leveled (referred to as "operation B"), in response to the termination of the operation of injecting steam into the oil well (referred to as "operation B0"), the electrical control module 26 triggers the operation of disconnecting the water supply, power supply, and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well from the water supply port, the power supply port, and the fuel input port of the steam generating device, respectively (referred to as "operation B1").

[0071] More specifically, for example, in response to the termination of the operation of injecting steam into the oil well, the electrical control module 26 is triggered to first disconnect the water supply and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well from the water supply port and the fuel input port of the steam generating device, respectively, and then, for example, the electrical control module 26 controls the actuator to switch the chimney to the first state, and then, for example, the electrical control module 26 is triggered to disconnect the power supply pipeline at or near the oil well from the power supply port of the steam generating device.

[0072] Or alternatively, more specifically for example, in response to the termination of the operation of injecting steam into the oil well, the electrical control module 26 is triggered to once disconnect the water supply, power supply and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well from the water supply port, the power supply port and the fuel input port of the steam generating device respectively, and then the electrical control module 26 controls the actuator to switch the chimney to the first state.

[0073] FIG. 1D schematically illustrates the starting and resetting operations of the hydraulic actuator 18 that are automatically executed when triggered or that are realized under the action of the resetting device.

[0074] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in the figure, in response to operation A0 or operation A1, the chimney is raised to a second, vertical state (operation A), for example, by triggering the hydraulic actuator 18 to automatically start under specific conditions or to be activated by an exemplary reset device. And, correspondingly, in response to the termination of the steam injection operation into the oil well, i.e., operation B0 or ​​B1, the chimney is lowered to a first, horizontal state (operation B), for example, by triggering the hydraulic actuator 18 to automatically reset under specific conditions or to be reset by an exemplary reset device.

[0075] In a corresponding exemplary embodiment, as shown in the figure, specifically, the reset device includes, for example, an energy storage spring, a sensor-based actuator, and a sensor, and the sensor is, for example, at least one sensor arranged after the superheat heat exchange module 141, or between the superheat heat exchange module 141 and the first separator 16, or at or near the steam outlet 161, such as a sensor or a combination of sensors configured to measure the dryness, temperature, and / or pressure of the superheated steam.

[0076] And accordingly, as shown in the figure, as an example, when the steam separated from the first separator 16 further enters the superheat heat exchange module 141 to continue to be heated to a superheated state to become superheated steam for subsequent mixing with the hot water discharged from the first separator 16, or when the superheated steam is transported to the liquid outlet of the first separator 16 to be mixed with the hot water discharged from the first separator 16, once the sensor senses that the dryness, temperature, and / or pressure of the steam or steam combination used for steam injection meets the threshold, for example, the dryness is higher than 80%, preferably higher than 90%, and more preferably, for example, reaches or approaches (for example, with an error tolerance of plus or minus 5%) 100%, the starter, for example, starts the actuator to overcome the elastic force of the energy storage spring until a force balance state is reached. During the period when the actuator applies force to the energy storage spring until the force balance state is reached or once the force balance state is reached, the reset device starts the hydraulic actuator 18 to raise the chimney to the second vertical state. On the contrary, also as an example, once the sensor senses that the dryness, temperature, and / or pressure of the steam or steam combination used for steam injection no longer meets the threshold, for example, the dryness drops to 80%, preferably to 90%, and more preferably, for example, drops to below (for example, with an error tolerance of plus or minus 5%) 100%, the starter, for example, no longer maintains the force balance state of the interaction between the actuator and the energy storage spring, and the reset device resets with the help of the elastic force of the energy storage spring, thereby resetting the hydraulic actuator 18 to lower the chimney to the first flat state.

[0077] Thereafter, for example, the electrical control module 26 triggers the disconnection of the pipeline between the steam outlet 161 of the steam generating device 1 and the steam injection port of the oil well (referred to as "Operation B2"). Then, for example, the electrical control module 26 triggers the coupling of the tractor to the movable chassis 22 carrying the steam generating assembly. Furthermore, for example, the electrical control module 26 triggers the retraction of the mechanical legs 23 and hydraulic legs 24 to the bottom of the movable chassis 22 (referred to as "Operation B3"). Finally, the steam generating device 1 is transported (for example, by the tractor) to the next oil well.

[0078] Regarding the overall working process of the steam generating device 1 including the switching process of the chimney between the horizontal and vertical states, as a specific exemplary embodiment, the setting of the control sequence based on the electrical control module 26 is specifically described as follows.

[0079] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, the electrical control module 26 is configured to: in response to connecting the water supply, power supply, and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well to the water supply port, power supply port, and fuel input port of the steam generating device 1, respectively ("Operation A1"), control the actuator 18 to switch the chimney 15 to the second state ("Operation A"); and in response to disconnecting the water supply and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well from the water supply port and fuel input port of the steam generating device 1, respectively ("Operation B1"), control the actuator 18 to switch the chimney 15 to the first state ("Operation B").

[0080] In a further exemplary embodiment, the electrical control module 26 is further configured to, in response to disconnecting the water supply, power supply, and fuel supply lines at or near the oil well from the water supply port, power supply port, and fuel input port of the steam generating device 1, respectively ("Operation B1"), control the actuator 18 to switch the chimney 15 to the first state ("Operation B"). In other words, in this embodiment, the water supply, fuel supply, and power supply are first disconnected all at once, and then the chimney 15 is switched to the horizontal state (for example, the actuator 18 is driven by the backup power supply carried by the movable chassis 22 to raise and lower the chimney).

[0081] In an alternative further exemplary embodiment, the electrical control module 26 is further configured to, in response to the chimney 15 being switched to the first state ("Operation B"), trigger disconnection of the power supply line at or near the oil well from the power supply port of the steam generating device 1. In other words, in this embodiment, the water supply and fuel supply are disconnected first, followed by switching to the horizontal state, and then the power supply is disconnected.

[0082] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, the movable chassis is a four-axle chassis having a pair of mechanical legs 23 and a pair of hydraulic legs 24, wherein the pair of mechanical legs 23 are arranged below the front side of the movable chassis, and the pair of hydraulic legs 24 are arranged below the rear side of the movable chassis and can be vertically raised and lowered in a hydraulically driven manner to achieve switching between an expanded state and a retracted state.

[0083] In a further exemplary embodiment, for example, the electrical control module 26 is further configured to: in response to the operation of the pair of mechanical legs 23 and the pair of hydraulic legs 24 extending from the bottom of the movable chassis to touch the ground to hold the movable chassis in place ("operation A0"), trigger the operation of connecting the water supply, power supply, and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well to the water supply port, power supply port, and fuel input port of the steam generating device 1, respectively ("operation A1").

[0084] In another further exemplary embodiment, for example, the electrical control module 26 is also configured to: in response to the chimney 15 switching to the second state ("Operation A"), trigger the operation of connecting the steam outlet 161 of the steam generating device 1 with the steam injection port of the oil well and then start the operation of injecting steam into the oil well through the steam injection port ("Operation A2").

[0085] In a further exemplary embodiment, for example, the electrical control module 26 is further configured to: in response to the termination of the operation of injecting steam into the oil well ("operation B0"), trigger an operation to disconnect the water supply, power supply, and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well from the water supply port, the power supply port, and the fuel input port of the steam generating device 1, respectively ("operation B1").

[0086] In a further exemplary embodiment, for example, the electrical control module 26 is further configured to: in response to the chimney 15 switching to the first state ("operation B"), trigger an operation to disconnect the connection between the steam outlet 161 of the steam generating device 1 and the steam injection port of the oil well ("operation B2").

[0087] In a further exemplary embodiment, for example, the electrical control module 26 is further configured to: in response to the operation of disconnecting the connection between the steam outlet 161 of the steam generating device 1 and the steam injection port of the oil well ("operation B2"), trigger the operation of retracting the pair of mechanical legs 23 and the pair of hydraulic legs 24 to the bottom of the movable chassis ("operation B3").

[0088] Through the above-mentioned settings of the control timing of the electrical control module 26, the working process of the integrated and movable steam generating device 1 is advantageously set, which effectively reduces redundant operation time and significantly shortens the time for the steam system to transfer and switch working states between steam injection operations between two oil wells, thereby facilitating the improvement of the efficiency of steam injection operation conversion.

[0089] Each time a conventional steam injection boiler completes steam injection at one oil well and moves to the next, it is necessary to disassemble and separate the superheating section, convection section, chimney 15, separator, etc. from the steam injection boiler; and then reconnect the superheating section, convection section, chimney 15, separator, etc. to the steam injection boiler at the next steam injection site. However, the steam generating device 1, with the aforementioned configuration, significantly shortens the time required for the steam system to transfer and switch between steam injection operations between two oil wells, reducing the labor intensity and cost of switching steam injection operations. This not only improves the efficiency of the steam system, reduces the use and operating costs of the steam system, and increases the steam injection intensity (for example, for oil formations), but also makes it quick, convenient, safe, and economical to move the steam system from one oil well to another after completing steam injection operations.

[0090] In a further embodiment, as an example, the water vapor generating component includes the plunger pump module 10, which is configured to generate pressurized water; the plunger pump module 10 includes: a water supply pipeline, configured to input water to the plunger pump module 10; a plunger pump, the plunger pump includes a cylinder body connected to the water supply pipeline and a plunger rod movably accommodated in the cylinder body, and is configured to pressurize the water input from the water supply pipeline to generate pressurized water by generating a pressure difference through the reciprocating motion of the plunger rod in the cylinder body.

[0091] In a further embodiment, the flue gas generating assembly includes: a burner module 12, which is arranged adjacent to the plunger pump module 10 and is configured to burn to generate heated flue gas; a steam boiler 13, which is, for example, installed in the middle of the movable chassis 22, and, for example, includes a body 131 defining a furnace 132, a furnace pipe arranged through the body 131 and configured to receive the pressurized water, and a flue gas port 133 connected to the furnace 132, and the steam boiler 13 is fluidically connected to the burner module 12, and is configured to use the flue gas to heat the furnace pipe receiving the water to generate steam from a portion of the pressurized water, and then the steam is mixed with the rest of the pressurized water to form a water-vapor mixture.

[0092] In a further embodiment, as an example, the steam generating assembly further includes a preheating module 11, which is a double-tube preheater arranged around the body 131, with its tubes communicating with the furnace tubes. Furthermore, the water is introduced into the preheating module 11, and the water in the tubes of the preheating module 11 exchanges heat with the flue gas in the flue gas duct within the furnace 132 surrounded by the preheating module 11, raising the temperature of the pressurized water to 80°C to 120°C. This achieves heat exchange between the water flowing through the tubes of the preheating module 11 and the flue gas in the furnace, thereby preheating the water.

[0093] In a further embodiment, as an example, the heat exchange component 14 is horizontally arranged at the top of the main body 131 and fluidically connected to the flue gas port 133, and is configured to use the flue gas discharged from the flue gas port 133 and then flowing through the heat exchange component 14 to heat the water before entering the furnace tube and / or flowing out of the furnace tube; and the heat exchange component 14 includes: an overheat heat exchange module 141, which is horizontally arranged at the top of the tail of the main body 131 at the far end of the plunger pump and connected to the flue gas port 133 of the main body 131, and is configured to superheat the flue gas flowing therethrough; and a convection heat exchange module 142, which is horizontally arranged at the top of the front of the main body 131 at the proximal end of the plunger pump and is connected in series between the overheat heat exchange module 141 and the chimney 15, and is configured to use the flue gas to heat the water before entering the furnace tube and / or flowing out of the furnace tube through convection heat exchange. Furthermore, the flue gas duct of the superheat heat exchange module 141 , the flue gas duct of the countercurrent heat exchange module 142 , and the chimney 15 are sequentially connected.

[0094] As an example, in the steam generating device 1 as an integrated steam system, the flue gas inlet (referred to as the first heat exchange inlet) of the superheat heat exchange module 141 is connected to the flue gas port 133 of the body 131 of the steam boiler 13; furthermore, the flue gas outlet (referred to as the first heat exchange outlet) of the superheat heat exchange module 141 is connected to the flue gas inlet (referred to as the second heat exchange inlet) of the countercurrent heat exchange module 142; and the flue gas outlet (referred to as the second heat exchange outlet) of the countercurrent heat exchange module 142 is connected to the flue gas input port of the hydraulically liftable chimney 15. Thus, a complete flue gas path is formed for the flue gas from the burner module 12 and flowing through the steam boiler 13, forming a single-pass path, namely, the second fluid path.

[0095] As a specific example, the superheat heat exchange module 141 and the countercurrent heat exchange module 142 are both horizontal rectangular box structures, with the superheat heat exchange module 141 having tube bundles disposed therethrough. In further examples, these tube bundles include both bare tubes and finned tubes. For example, the superheat heat exchange module 141 includes bare tubes, while the countercurrent heat exchange module 142 includes both bare tubes and finned tubes. More typically, for example, bare tubes are disposed at the second heat exchange inlet of the countercurrent heat exchange module 142, while the remaining tube bundles in the countercurrent heat exchange module 142 are all finned tube structures.

[0096] In an exemplary embodiment, the burner module 12 is positioned adjacent to the plunger pump module 10 and is configured to generate heated flue gas by burning fuel therein. More specifically, the burner module 12 includes a burner, a solenoid valve, and a gas pipeline. The burner comprises a burner housing and a combustion head located at the rear of the burner housing. The burner housing is formed with a fuel input port for introducing fuel, a vent for introducing air, and an output port for discharging the flue gas. The introduced fuel and air are mixed to form fuel gas, which is then burned in the combustion head to generate the flue gas.

[0097] As an example, the burner uses natural gas, LPG, LNG, CNG, diesel, etc. as fuel. Correspondingly, when the burner uses standard natural gas, LPG, LNG, CNG, diesel, etc. as fuel, the nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas are, for example, less than 30 mg / m 3 .

[0098] In an exemplary embodiment, the front portion of the body 131 is coupled to the burner module 12 for introducing the flue gas, and the flue gas port 133 is an opening formed at the upper rear portion of the body 131 and connected to the heat exchange assembly 14. Furthermore, both ends of the body 131 are provided with an inlet portion connected between the plunger pump module 10 and the furnace tube, and an outlet portion connected to the first separator 16. The inlet portion is configured to introduce the water into the furnace tube, and the outlet portion is configured to discharge the water vapor mixture into the first separator 16. Thus, a complete water vapor path, namely, the second fluid path, is formed for the water vapor from the plunger pump module 10 that ultimately flows into the first separator 16.

[0099] In a specific example, the steam boiler 13 is configured to receive the water through the furnace tubes and release heat in the furnace 132 by the flue gas introduced from the burner module 12 to heat the furnace tubes by radiation so that the water is at least partially converted into steam, and then the steam is mixed with the water to produce the water-steam mixture.

[0100] In a more specific embodiment, as an example, the body 131 of the steam boiler 13 is, for example, cylindrical in cross-section and arranged horizontally, defining a furnace 132, wherein the furnace 132 is, for example, a structure having an upper and lower circular cross-section, and a rectangular flue gas port 133 is provided above the rear of the furnace 132 for the circulation of flue gas. The steam boiler 13 is, for example, arranged downstream of the burner module 12 and fluidically connected to the burner module 12 for receiving the flue gas from the burner module 12, one end of the body 131 of the steam boiler 13 is connected to the burner module 12 to introduce the flue gas, and the top of the body 131 is further connected to the heat exchange component 14 located downstream thereof via the flue gas port 133 to transport the flue gas downstream; and as an example, the steam boiler 13 is, for example, connected to the downstream of the plunger pump via a water supply pump for receiving pressurized water to the furnace tube, and is further configured to utilize the furnace tube to receive the pressurized water and utilize the flue gas to release the high heat load heat in the furnace 132 to transfer heat to the pressurized water, for example through radiation, to generate steam from part of the water, and then the steam is mixed with the remaining water to form a high-temperature water-vapor mixture.

[0101] During steam flooding heavy oil thermal recovery, the intensity of steam injection directly impacts the effectiveness of steam flooding. The oil production in any given cycle is proportional to the steam injection rate. A greater steam injection rate increases the heating range and leads to higher crude oil production. For example, compared to the typical evaporation rate of ≤15 tons / hour for conventional mobile steam injection boilers, the steam generating device 1 of the disclosed integrated steam system is expected to achieve an evaporation rate of ≥19 tons / hour. This reduces equipment investment and operational and management costs compared to conventional mobile steam injection boilers.

[0102] In the field of heavy oil recovery technology by heating and reducing viscosity, the dryness of injected steam is an important factor in measuring the operating quality of the steam injection boiler. The level of injected steam dryness directly affects the quality of the recovered heavy oil. In an exemplary embodiment, the first separator 16 includes a spherical separator integrated in the steam generating device 1. The spherical separator is installed at the rear end of the movable chassis 22, for example. It is a cyclone separator that separates steam and water from the steam-water mixture based on the combined effects of centrifugal separation, gravity separation, and membrane separation. It is located on the side of the body 131 away from the plunger pump module 10 and is arranged to be fluidically connected to the downstream of the furnace tube, and is configured to increase the dryness of the steam in the water-vapor mixture from substantially 80% to 100% by separating steam from the water-vapor mixture.

[0103] As an example, the first separator 16 further includes a steam outlet 161 , and the steam outlet 161 is to be connected to a steam injection port of an oil well so as to inject the high-dryness steam into the oil well.

[0104] In a further embodiment, for example, the steam separated from the first separator 16 further enters the superheat heat exchange module 141 to continue to be heated to superheat, and is then transported to the liquid outlet of the first separator 16 to be mixed with the hot water discharged from the first separator 16 for injection into the oil well.

[0105] In another embodiment, as an example, the first separator 16 further includes a drain pipe, and the drain pipe is configured to discharge the separated water.

[0106] In an alternative embodiment, for example, the high-dryness steam separated from the first separator 16 is injected into an injection well, and the liquid water separated from the first separator 16 is returned to the plunger pump module 10 for reuse.

[0107] In another embodiment, as an example, the steam generating device 1 further includes a second water vapor separator, which is arranged between the steam boiler 13 and the superheat heat exchange module 141 and is fluidly connected to the steam boiler 13 and the superheat module, and is configured to increase the dryness of the flue gas flow flowing therethrough, for example to 100%, to avoid the subsequent generation of condensate in the flue gas flow path of the heat exchange component 14.

[0108] In a further additional embodiment, as an example, the second water vapor separator further includes a second drain pipe, and the drain pipe is configured to discharge the separated water.

[0109] In a further alternative embodiment, as an example, the second water vapor separator is further connected back to the plunger pump module 10 through an additional pipeline so that the separated additional liquid water can be returned to the plunger pump module 10 for reuse, for example, after filtration or evaporation.

[0110] FIG4 shows a schematic working flow diagram of an integrated movable steam generating device for supplying steam to an oil well according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0111] As an example, as shown in FIG4 , a schematic workflow diagram of a method for recovering hydrocarbons from an underground reservoir using the aforementioned integrated movable steam generating device 1 is provided. The method for recovering hydrocarbons from an underground reservoir includes the following steps:

[0112] S101. Drilling at least one injection well connected to the reservoir, the reservoir connected to one or more production wells;

[0113] S102. Deploy the steam generating device 1;

[0114] S103. Recovering the hydrocarbons;

[0115] S104. Retract the steam generating device 1.

[0116] In an exemplary embodiment, step S102, i.e., deploying the steam generating device 1, includes:

[0117] S1021. Using the tractor to transport the steam generating device 1 to an area adjacent to one of the at least one injection well;

[0118] S1022. The tractor is removed by disconnecting the movable chassis 22 from the tractor;

[0119] S1023. Expand the mechanical legs 23 and the hydraulic legs 24 to fix the steam generating device 1 in place;

[0120] S1024. Raising the chimney 15 from the horizontal position to the vertical position by the hydraulic system;

[0121] S1025. Connect the first separator 16 of the steam generating device 1 to the injection well.

[0122] In an exemplary embodiment, step S103, i.e., recovering the hydrocarbons, includes:

[0123] S1031. Using the steam generating device 1 to generate the steam and injecting it into the reservoir through the injection well to perform steam injection operations; and

[0124] S1032. Under the condition that the steam injection operation is performed until the steam heats the reservoir and thereby reduces the viscosity of the hydrocarbons in the reservoir to a desired threshold, hydrocarbons are recovered through the one or more production wells.

[0125] In a further embodiment, step S104, i.e., retracting the steam generating device 1, includes:

[0126] S1041. Once the steam injection operation of the injection well is completed, the chimney 15 is lowered from the vertical state to the horizontal state by the hydraulic system;

[0127] S1042. Disconnecting the connection between the first separator 16 of the steam generating device 1 and the injection well;

[0128] S1043. Reconnecting the tractor to the movable chassis 22 of the steam generating device 1; and

[0129] S1044. Retract the mechanical support legs 23 and the hydraulic support legs 24.

[0130] In another exemplary embodiment, the method further includes: after retrieving the steam generating device 1 , transporting the steam generating device 1 to a next injection well by the tractor.

[0131] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a system for recovering hydrocarbons from an underground reservoir is provided, the system comprising: an injection well adjacent to at least one production well extending into the reservoir; an integrated movable steam generating device 2 according to the aforementioned method, arranged adjacent to the injection well; a gas source and a fuel source, arranged adjacent to the injection well and in fluid communication with the burner module 12 of the steam generating device 1; and a water source, in fluid communication with the plunger pump module 10 of the steam generating device 1.

[0132] The system and method for recovering hydrocarbons adopts the aforementioned integrated movable steam generating device, thereby having all the advantages of the aforementioned integrated movable steam generating device, which will not be described in detail here.

[0133] Therefore, the integrated movable steam generating device disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure has the following superior technical effects compared to the related art in the field:

[0134] The integrated, movable steam generating device implemented in the embodiments of the present disclosure can provide an integrated steam system through the above-mentioned configuration to facilitate thermal recovery of oil, especially heavy oil, between multiple oil wells using the integrated steam system as a single steam source to address the shortcomings of existing oil thermal recovery steam systems. In particular, the above-mentioned configuration can achieve an integrated structure, which includes a steam boiler body for generating high-pressure steam, which can be installed in the middle of a semi-trailer chassis; a heat exchange assembly including a superheat heat exchange module and a countercurrent heat exchange module is horizontally installed on the top of the steam boiler body; a hydraulic lift chimney is horizontally installed on the upper part of the heat exchange assembly (for example, the hydraulic lift chimney can be erected or flattened by a hydraulic system. When the hydraulic lift chimney is flattened, the mobile height of the steam system is typically less than or equal to 5 meters); a spherical separator is installed at the rear end of the semi-trailer chassis; and components such as a boiler water supply pump and electrical control are installed at the rear end of the semi-trailer chassis. The entire steam system is installed on a single semi-trailer chassis. Once the pipelines are connected and installed, an integrated steam system is formed. The evaporation capacity of the integrated steam system is increased by 50% compared to conventional steam systems. After steam injection is completed at an oil well, the chimney of the integrated steam system is simply lowered using hydraulic lifting to reduce the height of the integrated steam system during movement, and the pipeline between the integrated steam system and the oil well's steam injection port is disconnected. The integrated steam system can then be moved to the next oil well, for example. The hydraulic chimney of the integrated steam system is then raised using the hydraulic system, and the pipeline between the steam outlet of the integrated steam system and the oil well's steam injection port is connected. The integrated steam system can then be operated and steam injection operations can be performed again. This integrated steam system not only improves the efficiency of the steam system, reduces the cost of using and operating the steam system, and increases steam injection intensity, but also makes it convenient and safe to move the steam system from one oil well to another.

[0135] In the description of this specification, the reference terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" mean that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0136] Although the present disclosure is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the embodiments disclosed in the drawings are intended to exemplify the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0137] Although some embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

[0138] Reference Signs Steam generating device 1 Piston pump module 10 Preheating module 11 Burner module 12 Steam boiler 13 Main body 131 Furnace 132 Flue gas port 133 Heat exchange assembly 14 Superheat heat exchange module 141 Convection heat exchange module 142 Chimney 15 First separator 16 Steam outlet 161 Water steam pipe 17 Actuator 18 Front equipment room 21 Movable chassis 22 Mechanical support leg 23 Hydraulic support leg 24 Rear equipment room 25 Electrical control module 26

Claims

1. An integrated movable steam generating device for supplying steam to an oil well, comprising: a movable chassis; and a steam generating assembly carried by the movable chassis, comprising: a water-vapor generating assembly configured to generate a water-vapor mixture of pressurized water and water vapor; a first separator configured to separate steam from the water-vapor mixture; a flue gas generating assembly configured to generate heated flue gas; a heat exchange assembly configured to heat the water-vapor mixture with the flue gas; a chimney configured to discharge the flue gas from the heat exchange assembly; and an electrical control module configured to control the operation of the steam generating device; wherein, the steam generating assembly is integrally assembled as a whole and mounted on the movable chassis, and the steam generating device further includes an actuator configured to be controlled by the electrical control module to drive the chimney to switch between a first state in which it is laid flat and a second state in which it is erected.

2. The steam generating device according to claim 1, wherein, the electrical control module is configured to: in response to connecting the water supply, power supply, and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well to the water supply port, power supply port, and fuel input port of the steam generating device respectively, control the actuator to switch the chimney to the second state; and in response to disconnecting the connection of the water supply and the fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well from the water supply port and the fuel input port of the steam generating device respectively, control the actuator to switch the chimney to the first state.

3. The steam generating device according to claim 2, wherein, the electrical control module is further configured to: in response to disconnecting the connection of the water supply, power supply, and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well from the water supply port, power supply port, and fuel input port of the steam generating device respectively, control the actuator to switch the chimney to the first state.

4. The steam generating device according to claim 2, wherein, the electrical control module is further configured to: in response to the chimney switching to the first state, trigger disconnecting the connection of the power supply pipeline at or near the oil well from the power supply port of the steam generating device.

5. The steam generating device according to claim 2, wherein, the movable chassis is a four-axis chassis having a pair of mechanical legs and a pair of hydraulic legs. The pair of mechanical legs are disposed below the front side of the movable chassis, and the pair of hydraulic legs are disposed below the rear side of the movable chassis and can be vertically lifted in a hydraulic drive manner to switch between a deployed state and a retracted state.

6. The steam generating device according to claim 5, wherein, the electrical control module is further configured to: in response to the operation of the pair of mechanical legs and the pair of hydraulic legs extending from the bottom of the movable chassis to touch the ground to hold the movable chassis in place, trigger the operation of connecting the water supply, power supply, and fuel supply pipelines at or near the oil well to the water supply port, power supply port, and fuel input port of the steam generating device respectively.

7. The steam generating device according to claim 5, wherein, The electrical control module is further configured to: In response to the chimney switching to the second state, trigger an operation of connecting the steam outlet of the steam generating device to the steam injection port of the oil well and then starting the operation of injecting steam into the oil well via the steam injection port.

8. The steam generating device according to claim 7, wherein, The electrical control module is further configured to: In response to the termination of the operation of injecting steam into the oil well, trigger an operation of disconnecting the connection between the water supply pipeline, the power supply pipeline, and the fuel supply pipeline at or near the oil well and the water supply port, the power supply port, and the fuel input port of the steam generating device respectively.

9. The steam generating device according to claim 7, wherein, The electrical control module is further configured to: In response to the chimney switching to the first state, trigger an operation of disconnecting the connection between the steam outlet of the steam generating device and the steam injection port of the oil well.

10. The steam generating device according to claim 9, wherein, The electrical control module is further configured to: In response to the operation of disconnecting the connection between the steam outlet of the steam generating device and the steam injection port of the oil well, trigger an operation of retracting the pair of mechanical legs and the pair of hydraulic legs to the bottom of the movable chassis.

11. The steam generating device according to claim 1, wherein, The chimney is in fluid communication with the downstream of the heat exchange assembly and is arranged above the heat exchange assembly, and The actuator includes a hydraulic actuator, and the chimney can pivot relative to the heat exchange assembly under the drive of the hydraulic actuator to switch between the first state of being lowered to a flat position and the second state of being raised to a vertical position.

12. The steam generating device according to claim 1, wherein, The water and vapor generating assembly includes a piston pump module configured to generate pressurized water, and the piston pump module includes: A water supply pipeline; A piston pump, which includes a cylinder block and a piston rod and is configured to pressurize the water input from the water supply pipeline by generating a pressure difference through the reciprocating movement of the piston rod in the cylinder block to generate pressurized water.

13. The steam generating device according to claim 12, wherein, The flue gas generating assembly includes: A burner module configured to burn to generate heated flue gas; A steam boiler installed in the middle of the movable chassis and including a main body defining a furnace, furnace tubes passing through the main body, and a flue gas port communicating with the furnace, and configured to heat the furnace tubes receiving the water with the flue gas to generate a water vapor mixture.

14. The steam generating device according to claim 13, wherein, The water and vapor generating assembly further includes a preheating module, and the preheating module is a shell-and-tube preheater arranged around the main body and its shell is in communication with the furnace tubes; and The water is introduced into the sleeve of the preheating module, and the water in the sleeve of the preheating module exchanges heat with the flue gas in the flue gas pipeline inside the furnace surrounded by the preheating module to raise the temperature of the water to 80°C to 120°C. Thus, heat exchange is achieved between the water flowing through the sleeve of the preheating module and the flue gas in the furnace to preheat the water.

15. The steam generating device according to claim 14, wherein, the heat exchange assembly is horizontally arranged at the top of the body, fluidly connected to the flue gas port and configured to heat the water before entering the furnace tube and / or flowing out of the furnace tube by using the flue gas discharged from the flue gas port, and includes: a superheat heat exchange module, horizontally arranged at the top of the tail of the body at the distal end of the plunger pump and connected to the flue gas port of the body, and configured to superheat the flue gas flowing through it; and a convective heat exchange module, horizontally arranged at the top of the front part of the body at the proximal end of the plunger pump and connected in series between the superheat heat exchange module and the chimney, and configured to heat the water before entering the furnace tube and / or flowing out of the furnace tube by using the flue gas through convective heat exchange, and the flue gas pipelines of the superheat heat exchange module, the flue gas pipelines of the convective heat exchange module, and the chimney are sequentially connected.

16. The steam generating device according to claim 13, wherein, the burner module is arranged adjacent to the plunger pump module and includes a burner, a solenoid valve, and a gas pipeline; and the burner includes a burner housing and a burner head provided at the tail of the burner housing, and a fuel input port for introducing fuel, a vent for introducing air, and an output port for outputting the flue gas are formed on the burner housing.

17. The steam generating device according to claim 13, wherein, the front part of the body is connected to the burner module for introducing the flue gas, and the flue gas port is an opening formed above the rear part of the body and communicated with the heat exchange assembly; and both ends of the body are provided with an inlet part communicating between the plunger pump module and the furnace tube, and an outlet part communicating with the first separator. The inlet part is configured to introduce the water into the furnace tube, and the outlet part is configured to discharge the water-vapor mixture to the first separator.

18. The steam generating device according to any one of claims 13 to 10, wherein, the steam boiler is configured to receive the water by using the furnace tube, and use the flue gas introduced from the burner module to release heat in the furnace to radiatively heat the furnace tube so that the water is at least partially converted into steam, and then the steam is mixed with the water to generate the water-vapor mixture.

19. The steam generating device according to claim 15, wherein, The first separator is installed at the rear end of the movable chassis and includes a spherical separator. The spherical separator is a cyclone separator that separates steam and water from a steam-water mixture based on the combined effects of centrifugal separation, gravity separation and membrane separation. The spherical separator is located on the side of the main body away from the plunger pump module and is arranged to be fluidically connected to the downstream of the furnace tube, and is configured to increase the dryness of the steam in the water-vapor mixture from basically 80% to 100% by separating steam from the water-vapor mixture.

20. The steam generating device according to claim 19, in, The steam separated from the first separator further enters the superheat heat exchange module to continue to be heated to superheat, and is then transported to the liquid outlet of the first separator to be mixed with the hot water discharged from the first separator.

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