Claims
- 1. A stratified vapor generator, comprising:
a first heating section having an inlet and an outlet; a second heating section having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of said second heating section being operatively associated with the outlet of said first heating section; a separator operatively associated with the outlet of said second heating section, said separator having a vapor outlet and a liquid outlet; and a cooling section having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of said cooling section being operatively associated with the liquid outlet of said separator, the outlet of said cooling section being operatively associated with the inlet of said second heating section.
- 2. The stratified vapor generator of claim 1, wherein said first and second heating sections comprise portions of a heat exchanger.
- 3. The stratified vapor generator of claim 2, wherein said heat exchanger includes a heating fluid inlet and a heating fluid outlet.
- 4. The stratified vapor generator of claim 3, wherein said heat exchanger comprises a tube and shell heat exchanger.
- 5. The stratified vapor generator of claim 1, wherein said first and second heating sections comprise adjacent portions of a countercurrent heat exchanger so as to define a mixing region there between, the outlet of said cooling section being operatively associated with the mixing region.
- 6. The stratified vapor generator of claim 5, wherein said countercurrent heat exchanger includes a heating fluid inlet and a heating fluid outlet, the heating fluid inlet of said countercurrent heat exchanger being thermally adjacent to the outlet of said second heating section, the heating fluid outlet of said countercurrent heat exchanger being thermally adjacent the inlet end of said first heating section.
- 7. The stratified vapor generator of claim 6, wherein said countercurrent heat exchanger comprises a tube and shell heat exchanger.
- 8. A stratified vapor generator, comprising:
first heating means for heating a mixed fluid; second heating means operatively associated with said first heating means for receiving heated mixed fluid from said first heating means and additionally heating the heated mixed fluid; separating means operatively associated with said second heating means for separating a liquid component from additionally heated mixed fluid from said second heating means; and cooling means operatively associated with said separating means and said second heating means for cooling the liquid component from said separating means and for directing a cooled liquid component into said second heating means, wherein the cooled liquid component mixes with a portion of the mixed fluid to be heated in said second heating means.
- 9. A method for vaporizing a mixed fluid stream, comprising:
heating the mixed fluid stream to produce a heated mixture having a vapor component and a liquid component; separating the liquid component from the vapor component; cooling the liquid component to produce a cooled liquid component; and mixing the cooled liquid component with a portion of the mixed fluid stream being heated.
- 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the mixed fluid stream comprises a bubble point and wherein the step of mixing the cooled liquid component with a portion of the mixed fluid stream is done so that a resulting mixture is at about the bubble point of the mixed fluid stream.
- 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of heating the mixed fluid stream is terminated when a vapor volume fraction of the heated mixture is within a predetermined range of vapor volume fractions.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined range of vapor volume fractions is in the range of about 10% to about 30%.
- 13. The method of claim 9, further comprising additionally heating a resulting mixture of the cooled liquid component and the portion of the mixed fluid stream being heated.
- 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of additionally heating is conducted so that a vapor volume fraction of the resulting mixture is maintained within a predetermined range of vapor volume fractions.
- 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined range of vapor volume fractions is in the range of about 10% to about 30%.
- 16. A method for vaporizing a mixed fluid stream, comprising:
heating a mixed fluid in a heat exchanger to produce a vapor component and a liquid component; separating the liquid component from the vapor component; cooling the liquid component to produce a cooled liquid component; and mixing, in an intermediate section of the heat exchanger, the cooled liquid component with a portion of the mixed fluid being heated in the heat exchanger.
- 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of heating the mixed fluid stream is terminated when a vapor volume fraction of the heated mixture is within a predetermined range of vapor volume fractions.
- 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the predetermined range of vapor volume fractions is in the range of about 10% to about 30%.
- 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the mixed fluid stream comprises a bubble point and wherein the step of mixing the cooled liquid component with a portion of the mixed fluid stream is done so that a resulting mixture is at about the bubble point of the mixed working fluid.
- 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of additionally heating the resulting mixture, said step of additionally heating being terminated when a vapor volume fraction of the resulting mixture is within a predetermined range of vapor volume fractions.
CONTRACTUAL ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The United States Government has rights in this invention under Contract No. DE-AC36-99GO10377 between the United States Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a division of the Midwest Research Institute.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US01/19415 |
6/12/2001 |
WO |
|