Steam Generator Preheating Coil Waste Heat Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steam generators waste excess heat and do not efficiently produce high-pressure, high-temperature steam, as they exhaust it to the atmosphere rather than utilizing it for power generation.
Innovation Solution
A steam generator design that includes a combustion chamber, a steam chamber, and a heat-exchanging chamber with a preheating coil and injector, which preheats fluid under pressure to a super-heated state before injecting it into the steam chamber for instantaneous vaporization and super-heating, utilizing residual heat for efficient steam production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If excess heat is exhausted to atmosphere in basic steam generators, then the steam generation process is simple, but energy is wasted and efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful waste heat that was being exhausted to atmosphere into a beneficial resource by routing it through a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger captures this excess thermal energy and uses it to preheat the feedwater before it enters the boiler, thereby reducing the fuel consumption required to generate steam and improving overall system efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by preheating the feedwater in the heat exchanger using waste heat before the water enters the boiler. This preheating process prepares the water in advance, reducing the energy burden on the boiler and enabling more efficient steam generation while utilizing otherwise wasted thermal energy.
2Productivity
If high-pressure, high-temperature steam is produced rapidly, then power generation responsiveness is improved, but energy efficiency decreases without heat recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful waste heat that would otherwise be lost during rapid steam production into a beneficial resource. The heat exchanger captures this thermal energy and uses it to preheat feedwater, enabling the system to maintain high productivity while improving energy efficiency through waste heat recovery.
3Use of energy by moving object
If spent steam is exhausted without reuse, then the system operation is simple, but energy conversion efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements discarding and recovering by capturing spent steam that would normally be exhausted and routing it back through the heat exchanger. This allows the system to recover thermal energy from the spent steam to preheat incoming feedwater, creating a closed-loop system that improves energy conversion efficiency while managing the complexity of additional system components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enables immediate availability of high-pressure, super-heated steam for power generation and allows for a closed-loop system where spent steam is reheated and reused, optimizing energy conversion and reducing waste.
Implementation Method 1
a combustion chamber for receiving a combustion fuel into the heating chamber to generate heat within the combustion chamber
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanging chamber surrounding and heated by residual heat of the steam chamber; preheating coil disposed within the heat exchanging chamber and having a fluid inlet for receiving the fluid under pressure into the preheating coil for preheating the fluid within the heat exchanging chamber
Implementation Method 3
an injector communicating with the preheating coil and the steam chamber for injecting a controlled flow of the preheated fluid under pressure into the steam chamber where it flashes to steam
Implementation Method 4
injecting a controlled flow of the preheated fluid under pressure into the steam chamber where it flashes to steam and is super-heated to the temperature within the steam chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A steam generator for converting a fluid to steam includes a combustion chamber for receiving a combustion fuel into the combustion chamber. A steam chamber surrounds and is heated by the combustion chamber to a temperature exceeding a vaporization temperature of the fluid. A heat exchanging chamber surrounds and is heated by residual heat of the steam chamber. A preheating coil is disposed within the heat exchanging chamber and has a fluid inlet for receiving the fluid under pressure into the preheating coil for preheating the fluid within the heat exchanging chamber. An injector communicates with the preheating coil and the steam chamber for injecting a controlled flow of the preheated fluid under pressure into the steam chamber where it flashes to steam and is super-heated to the temperature of the steam chamber. A steam outlet conveys the super-heated steam externally of the steam generator.