3266 results about "Superheated steam" patented technology

A process is disclosed for the in situ conversion and recovery of heavy crude oils and natural bitumens from subsurface formations using either a continuous operation with one or more injection and production boreholes, which may include horizontal boreholes, or a cyclic operation whereby both injection and production occur in the same boreholes. A mixture of reducing gases, oxidizing gases, and steam are fed to downhole combustion devices located in the injection boreholes. Combustion of the reducing gas-oxidizing gas mixture is carried out to produce superheated steam and hot reducing gases for injection into the formation to convert and upgrade the heavy crude or bitumen into lighter hydrocarbons. Communication between the injection and production boreholes in the continuous operation and fluid mobility within the formation in the cyclic operation is induced by fracturing or related methods. In the continuous mode, the injected steam and reducing gases drive upgraded hydrocarbons and virgin hydrocarbons to the production boreholes for recovery. In the cyclic operation, wellhead pressure is reduced after a period of injection causing injected fluids, upgraded hydrocarbons, and virgin hydrocarbons in the vicinity of the boreholes to be produced. Injection and production are then repeated for additional cycles. In both operations, the hydrocarbons produced are collected at the surface for further processing.

A process is disclosed for the in situ conversion and recovery of heavy crude oils and natural bitumens from subsurface formations using either a continuous operation with one or more vertical injection boreholes and one or more vertical production boreholes in which multiple, uncased, horizontal boreholes may extend from the vertical boreholes, or a cyclic operation whereby both injection and production occur in the same vertical boreholes in which multiple, uncased, horizontal boreholes may extend from the vertical boreholes. A mixture of reducing gases, oxidizing gases, and steam are fed to downhole combustion devices located in the injection boreholes. Combustion of the reducing gas-oxidizing gas mixture is carried out to produce superheated steam and hot reducing gases for injection into the formation to convert and upgrade the heavy crude or bitumen into lighter hydrocarbons. Communication between the injection and production boreholes in the continuous operation and fluid mobility within the formation in the cyclic operation is induced by fracturing, multiple horizontal boreholes extending from vertical boreholes, or other related methods. In the continuous mode, the injected steam and reducing gases drive upgraded hydrocarbons and virgin hydrocarbons to the production boreholes for recovery. In the cyclic operation, wellhead pressure is reduced after a period of injection causing injected fluids, upgraded hydrocarbons, and virgin hydrocarbons in the vicinity of the boreholes to be produced. Injection and production are then repeated for additional cycles. In both operations, the hydrocarbons produced are collected at the surface for further processing.

The present invention relates to processes and continuous processes for preparing gaseous products, and in particular, methane via the catalytic gasification of carbonaceous feedstocks in the presence of steam. In one aspect of the invention, the processes comprise at least partially combusting a first carbonaceous feedstock with an oxygen-rich gas stream in an oxygen-blown gasifier, under suitable temperature and pressure, to generate a first gas stream comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and superheated steam; and reacting a second carbonaceous feedstock and the first gas stream in a catalytic gasifier in the presence of a gasification catalyst under suitable temperature and pressure to form a second gas stream comprising a plurality of gaseous products comprising methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide. The processes can comprise using at least one catalytic methanator to convert carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the gaseous products to methane and in certain embodiments do not recycle carbon monoxide or hydrogen to the gasifier.

This invention discloses improvements on previous inventions for catalytic conversion of coal and steam to methane. The disclosed improvements permit conversion of petroleum residua or heavy crude petroleum to methane and carbon dioxide such that nearly all of the heating value of the converted hydrocarbons is recovered as heating value of the product methane. The liquid feed is distributed over a fluidized solid particulate catalyst containing alkali metal and carbon as petroleum coke at elevated temperature and pressure from the lower stage and transported to the upper stage of a two-stage reactor. Particulate solids containing carbon and alkali metal are circulated between the two stages. Superheated steam and recycled hydrogen and carbon monoxide are fed to the lower stage, fluidizing the particulate solids and gasifying some of the carbon. The gas phase from the lower stage passes through the upper stage, completing the reaction of the gas phase.

A combination of SAGD with cogeneration technology for exploiting shallow heavy oil and bitumen reservoirs under primary, secondary and tertiary thermal recovery. Superheated steam is generated by the heat recovery from the exhaust of an above-ground hydrocarbon powered turbine driven electric generator cogeneration plant and is injected through well bores into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir that is traversed by at least one horizontal producing well bore and one injection well bore to heat the reservoir formation and to induce gravity drainage of the hydrocarbons and allowing their recovery from the horizontal producing well bore. Electrical power that is generated is sold to the electric grid and can be used to offset the fuel costs for the above ground hydrocarbon turbine-driven elector generators.

Disclosed is a process for the preparation of superheated of steam by transferring heat from at least a fraction of a high pressure steam to a lower pressure steam to produce a superheated, lower pressure steam. The high pressure steam can be generated by recovering heat from a heat producing chemical process such as, for example, the partial oxidation of carbonaceous materials. The lower pressure steam can be generated by reducing the pressure of a portion of the high pressure steam or by recovering heat from one or more chemical processes. The superheated, lower pressure steam may used to generate electricity in a steam turbine, operate a steam turbine drive, or as a heat source. Also disclosed is a process for driving a steam turbine using superheated steam produced by the process of the invention.

The invention provides processes and apparatuses for safely, rapidly, cost-effectively and efficiently producing a superheated steam. These processes and apparatuses involve the combustion of one or more fuels containing the element hydrogen, the element carbon or the elements hydrogen and carbon. One or more of the combustion reactions are incomplete combustion reactions, and another combustion is a complete combustion reaction. Water that circulates around one or more combustion chambers and areas, but that does not enter into the combustion chambers or areas becomes converted into a high purity superheated steam product or dry saturated steam product containing superheated steam.

Apparatus and methods of using lasers are provided for the perforation of oil and gas well casings and rock formations. A rock removal process called laser spallation is provided that utilizes a combination of laser-induced thermal stress and laser induced superheated steam explosions just below the surface of the laser / rock interaction to spall or fracture the rock into small fragments that can then be easily removed from the rock formation. The use of high power laser beams of kilowatt level is provided to rapidly cut the steel casings and perforate into the formation. Techniques of the invention increase permeability and reduce hole tapering while perforating a deep hole in reservoir rock formations.

A method of treating biomass feed by pyrolyzing it in the presence of superheated steam at a selected temperature for a sufficient time to produce at least one product stream.

The present invention is an in-situ apparatus for generating carbon dioxide gas at an oil site for use in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The apparatus includes a steam generator adapted to boil and superheat water to generate a source of superheated steam, as well as a source of essentially pure oxygen. The apparatus also includes a steam reformer adapted to react a carbonaceous material with the superheated steam and the pure oxygen, in an absence of air, to generate a driver gas comprising primarily carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas. A separator is adapted to separate at least a portion of the carbon dioxide gas from the rest of the driver gas to generate a carbon dioxide-rich driver gas and a hydrogen-rich fuel gas. A compressor is used for compressing the carbon dioxide-rich driver gas for use in enhanced oil recovery, and the compressed carbon dioxide-rich driver gas, with substantially no oxygen, is injected to a predetermined depth in order to enhance oil recovery at the oil site. Unlike traditional CO2-EOR, which requires large power plants stationed near metropolitan areas and expensive pipeline networks, the in-situ apparatus can be placed or constructed at the site of the oil field, while a portion of the carbonaceous material may be obtained from a site outside the oil field.

Apparatus and methods of using lasers are provided for spalling and drilling holes into rocks. A rock removal process is provided that utilizes a combination of laser-induced thermal stress and laser induced superheated steam explosions just below the surface of the laser / rock interaction to spall the rock into small fragments that can then be easily removed by a purging flow. Single laser beams of given irradiance spall rock and create holes having diameter and depth approximately equal to the beam spot size. A group of the single laser beams are steered in a controllable manner by an electro-optic laser beam switch to locations on the surface of the rock, creating multiple overlapping spalled holes thereby removing a layer of rock of a desired diameter. Drilling of a deep hole is achieved by spalling consecutive layers with an intermittent feed motion of the laser head perpendicular to the rock surface.

PCT No. PCT / JP97 / 00573 Sec. 371 Date Jan. 12, 1998 Sec. 102(e) Date Jan. 12, 1998 PCT Filed Feb. 27, 1997 PCT Pub. No. WO97 / 32161 PCT Pub. Date Sep. 4, 1997According to the present invention, boiler water is pressurized so that its boiling point is set at approximately 200 DEG C. to 320 DEG C. The boiler water is heated in at least two stages. Thermal energy of gases containing chlorine compounds is used to heat the water to its boiling point. Thermal energy of gases which do not contain chlorine compounds is used to heat the water from its boiling point until superheated steam of a given temperature is generated. The heating which uses the thermal energy of gases containing chlorine compounds is accomplished using the thermal energy from the combustion of pyrolysis gases obtained from a pyrolysis means in which waste material is supplied into a chamber containing a fluidized bed medium which has been heated to at least 300 DEG C., and a pyrolytic reaction is induced. The heating which uses the thermal energy of gases which do not contain chlorine compounds is accomplished using the thermal energy obtained from a char combustion means to combust char in which a char mixture consisting of unpyrolyzed residue and fluidized bed medium removed from the pyrolysis means is fluidized by a stream of air, and the unpyrolyzed residue is combusted.

Disclosed is a contaminated waste steam heat recovery apparatus 10 and method therefore which includes a primary condensing unit 38, a low pressure water washing unit 26, a liquid to liquid heat exchanger 36 and a vent fan 31. Waste gas is ducted from fryer 11 to a de-super-heating chamber 14 wherein superheated steam is converted to saturated steam by spraying water into the steam using spray nozzles 15. The gas is then introduced into a vertically disposed air to liquid heat exchanger 16 and is drafted downward therethrough. As heat is removed from the waste gas, water vapor in the steam condenses and in the process, collects some of the oil and hydrocarbons present. A plurality of condensate trays 19 are disposed below the bottom end of heat exchanger 16 in a cascading fashion to collect hold the condensate in the airflow path such that it will absorb some of the heat still present in the remaining waste gas. An oil outlet 22 is provided at the top of collection basin 22 for drawing off concentrated oil 23. The waste gas is pulled into a low pressure water washer 26 where it is washed by a second set of spray nozzles 15. Waste gas and water are sucked downward through a set of turbulence inducing baffles 28. The remaining waste gas is sucked out though exhaust tube 30, using vent fan 31, and vented to the atmosphere.

Systems and processes for producing syngas and power therefrom are provided. One or more feedstocks and one or more oxidants can be combined in a fluidized reaction zone operated at a temperature from 550° C. to 1,050° C. to provide a syngas. Heat can be indirectly exchanged in a first zone from the syngas to a condensate to provide steam. Heat can also be indirectly exchanged in a second zone from the syngas to the steam to provide superheated steam. Heat can then be indirectly exchanged in a third zone from the syngas to provide a cooled syngas and the condensate for the first zone. At least a portion of the superheated steam can be directly supplied to one or more steam turbines to produce power.

A portable, steam weed killing apparatus designed to be environmentally friendly, economical, fast acting and used by an individual standing in an upright position. The apparatus is intended for killing weeds and unwanted plants in gardens, flower beds and along sidewalks by application of concentrated heated water or steam thereto. The apparatus includes electrically powered, portable steam generating unit containing a water reservoir, an electric pump and an electric steam heater. The apparatus also includes an elongated, rigid guide bar with a weed cover attached to its distal end. A flexible hose delivers steam from the steam generating unit to the weed cover. During use, the weed cover is placed over the undesired plant and the steam generating unit is operated to deliver a concentrated amount of steam to the plant located inside the weed cover. In another embodiment of the invention, the steam generating unit includes a super-heating steam unit which provides saturated, super-heated steam for greater killing effect.

A process and apparatus for synthesizing a nanopowder is presented. In particular, a process for the synthesis of nanopowders of various materials such as metals, alloys, ceramics and composites by induction plasma technology, using organometallic compounds, chlorides, bromides, fluorides, iodides, nitrites, nitrates, oxalates and carbonates as precursors is disclosed. The process comprises feeding a reactant material into a plasma torch in which is generated a plasma flow having a temperature sufficiently high to yield a superheated vapour of the material; transporting said vapour by means of the plasma flow into a quenching zone; injecting a cold quench gas into the plasma flow in the quenching zone to form a renewable gaseous cold front; and forming a nanopowder at the interface between the renewable gaseous cold front and the plasma flow.

Apparatus and methods of using lasers are provided for spalling and drilling holes into rocks. A rock removal process is provided that utilizes a combination of laser-induced thermal stress and laser induced superheated steam explosions just below the surface of the laser / rock interaction to spall the rock into small fragments that can then be easily removed by a purging flow. Single laser beams of given irradiance spall rock and create holes having diameter and depth approximately equal to the beam spot size. A group of the single laser beams are steered in a controllable manner by an electro-optic laser beam switch to locations on the surface of the rock, creating multiple overlapping spalled holes thereby removing a layer of rock of a desired diameter. Drilling of a deep hole is achieved by spalling consecutive layers with an intermittent feed motion of the laser head perpendicular to the rock surface.

Methods and apparatus for control of NOx in catalytic combustion systems, and more particularly to control of thermal or / and prompt NOx produced during combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels in the combustor sections of catalytic combustor-type gas turbines, by controlled injection of water in liquid or vapor form at selected locations, orientations, amounts, rates, temperatures, phases, forms and manners in the compressor and combustor sections of gas turbines. The ratio of thermal NOx ppm reduction to water addition, in weight %, is on the order of 4-20, with % NOx reduction on the order of up to about 50-80% and NOx of below 2 ppm. Liquid water, steam or superheated steam can be used to reduce NOx in combustion systems operating at reaction zone temperatures above 900° C., preferably 1400° C. to 1700° C. The amount of water added is sufficient to provide a concentration of water in the range of from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of the total air and fuel mixture flowing into the post catalyst reaction zone. Water is introduced simultaneously or sequentially in a plurality of locations, at selected rates, amounts, temperatures, forms, and purity, preferably in accord with a suitable control algorithm.

The invention discloses a shunting-type isothermal sulfur-tolerant conversion process. The process comprises the following steps: shunting raw coal gas from exterior into at least two parts; leading overheat stream in the first part of the raw coal gas to increase the temperature to 200-300 DEG C; and then entering a first-stage conversion reaction step to carry out a conversion reaction and generate first conversion gas; and conveying the other part of the raw coal gas to next-stage conversion reaction step to carry out a conversion reaction. The catalyst bed of a shift converter has the advantages of stable temperature, simple control, convenient operation and low output CO content. The invention has the advantages of short conversion flows, few equipment, reduced resistance, great byproduct stream amount, high overheat temperature, stream pressure and heat recovery rate, and the like, thereby achieving the aims of reducing conversion stages, equipment number and resistance fall, decreasing investment, having great byproduct stream amount and high overheat temperature, stream pressure and heat recovery rate, reducing conversion stream consumption and outward wastewater discharge, protecting the environment and easily maximizing the device equipment. The invention also discloses shunting-type isothermal sulfur-tolerant conversion equipment used by the process.

In some embodiments, three integrated phases may be used to reduce emissions, convert thermal energy into electricity, and cool inlet combustion air. An ammonia injection system may be designed to eliminate extraneous equipment and hazardous re-circulation lines by directly vaporizing, injecting, and mixing ammonia using a specially designed nozzle. The second phase may include using a preheat / vaporizer / superheater exchanger to convert ammonia liquid into a superheated vapor that is then passed through a turbo-expander / generator to produce power. In some embodiments, the third phase may include inlet combustion air chilling.

A method and system are described for making ammonia using hydrogen from a gasification process and for integrating the steam systems of the two processes. The gasification process provides high-pressure, purified hydrogen and high-pressure, saturated steam. The high pressure hydrogen lowers the overall compression requirement for the ammonia process. In addition, the high-pressure, saturated steam can be converted into superheated steam by recovering heat from ammonia synthesis and used to power steam turbines for compression and refrigeration needs.

A power plant is provided and includes a gas turbine engine to generate power, a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) to produce steam from high energy fluids produced from the generation of power in the gas turbine engine, a steam turbine engine to generate additional power from the steam produced in the HRSG and a thermal load reduction system to reduce thermal loading of components of the HRSG and / or the steam turbine engine during at least startup and / or part load operations, which includes an eductor by which a mixture of compressor discharge air and entrained ambient air is injectable into the HRSG and / or an attemperator to cool superheated steam to be transmitted to the steam turbine engine and a detector disposed within the HRSG to facilitate identification of hot spots therein.

A system is provided for converting thermal energy derived from a solar field into electricity. The system is adapted to operate in accordance with at least two modes of operation, depending upon the thermal energy intake, and comprises: a first power generation sub-system comprising means to heat water into superheated steam by exchanging heat with a first heat transfer fluid being heated at the solar radiation collecting field, and a back pressure turbine for producing electricity; a second power generation sub-system comprising means to heat a second working fluid, and the second working fluid is used to operate a second turbine for producing electricity; and wherein the system is characterized in that when the thermal energy received at the first power generation sub-system exceeds a predetermined threshold of a selected criterion, both power generation sub-systems are operative to produce electricity and at least part of the heat required to heat the second working fluid is derived from exhaust steam being produced at the first power generation sub-system, whereas when the thermal energy received at the first power generation sub-system does not exceed that threshold, the thermal energy conveyed by the first heat transfer fluid is used essentially to heat the second working fluid and the electricity is generated only by the second power generation sub-system.

The invention relates to a method for reducing the polymer content in the wastewater from dewatering of two-phase liquid mixtures comprising a thermoplastic plastic melt and an aqueous phase by coagulating the plastic melt and pressing the water out of the melt cake in an extruder system, characterized in that superheated steam with a temperature of at least 280° C. is injected immediately after introduction of the two-phase liquid mixture into the extruder system.

The invention provides a treatment method of oily sludge, which comprises the steps of: introducing overheated vapor into a high temperature treatment groove to roast the oily sludge so as to evaporate the liquid containing oil and water in the oily sludge to gas; separating the solid granules from the oily sludge and contained in the gas in a gas-solid separator, and conveying the solid granules to a drying machine to be dried and burnt so as to be discharged; condensing the gas separated from the gas-solid separator to liquid state oil and water, separating the liquid state oil and water in an oil-water separator to be respectively recycled, wherein the oily sludge is introduced into the high temperature treatment groove in a pumping manner, the overheated vapor is introduced into the high temperature treatment groove by supersonic jet flow and is vertically collided with the oily sludge. The invention further provides a treatment apparatus of oily sludge for executing the method; the treatment method and treatment apparatus provided by the invention have the advantages of guaranteeing high crude oil recovery, and small water content and oil content of finally generated dry residues.

A novel improved process and apparatus is disclosed for producing low oil potato chip products having less than 30 percent by weight oil based on the total weight of an unseasoned chip. The process requires contacting the chip with a brine solution, frying the chip, and concurrently dehydrating and de-oiling the chip with superheated steam in a single unit operation.

An offshore vessel embodies a mobile buoyant energy recovery system enabled to extract energy from solar power. An exemplary energy recovery system comprises concentrating solar thermal power systems (CSP) or concentrating photovoltaic power (CPV) systems on the deck of the vessel. Within the vessel hull, ballast water serves multiple purposes. The ballast not only stabilizes the vessel, but also provides reactant for hydrogen electrolysis or ammonia synthesis, or steam for a turbine. For CPV systems the ballast conducts heat as a coolant improving the efficiency and durability of photovoltaic cells. For CSP systems the ballast water becomes superheated steam through a primary heat exchanger in the concentrator. In some embodiments, some steam from the CSP primary heat exchanger or from the CPV coolant system undergoes high-pressure electrolysis of enhanced efficiency due to its high temperature. In some embodiments, the remaining steam that did not undergo electrolysis drives a steam turbine providing electrical current for electrolysis. A secondary heat exchanger takes heat from the steam expelled from an energy storage process to efficiently distill ballast water at a lower temperature thus minimizing corrosion and build-up of scale. A remote control Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA) determines position, navigation, configuration, and operation of the preferably unmanned modular mobile buoyant energy recovery structure based on Geospatial Information Systems (GIS), Velocity Performance Prediction (VPP) models, Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) and various onboard sensors and controls.

The invention relates to the physical heat recovery field of solid high temperature materials. The system can be applied in the waste heat recovery of extra-large high-temperature particles such as high-temperature sintering ore and the like and the process is as follows: the high-temperature sintering ore from a sintering machine falls into a cold sinter furnace through a feeding system, gradually falls with ore discharge and enters a cooling section to radiate heat. The cooled sintering ore enters a vibrator feeder discharging system through a blanking hopper and a regulating gate. The process can be adopted to cool the sintering ore from about 700-800 DEG C to about 100 DEG C. Cold air provided by an air blower enters the cold sinter furnace through an air inlet and a blast cap, absorbs heat in the cooling section and then enters an annular channel, the high-temperature gas from the annular channel enters a waste heat boiler through a dust remover, the heat is transferred to a working medium and then pumped by the draft fan through the dust remover, and the gas is discharged in a chimney when reaching the dedusting standard. The heat-absorbing working medium (usually water) is converted to superheated steam with a certain parameter in the waste heat boiler to do work in a turbine and drive a generator to generate power. Dead steam after doing work enters a condenser and is sent back to the waste heat boiler through a circulating water pump, thus, a thermal cycle is completed.