DIRECT CONTACT ROTATING STEAM GENERATOR USING LOW QUALITY WATER WITH ZERO LIQUID DISCHARGE

• US 20100037835A1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ex-Tar Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ex-Tar Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: BETZER TSILEVICH, Maoz
• Granted Patent: US 8,468,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 122/11
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/1853 coming in direct contact with water in bulk or in sprays

Abstract

The present invention is a system for generating a mixture of steam and combustion gas in a direct contact rotating steam generator, using high solids content water and without waste liquid discharge. The invention includes a longitudinally pressurized rotatable drum, being mounted at a slope and having an energy injection section, a steam producing section, a water injection section and a discharge section. The discharge section is placed at an opposite end of the steam producing section and opposite the water injection section. There is an inlet in the combustion section of the rotatable drum, an outlet at an end of the rotatable drum, an injector for water at the highest point of the rotatable drum. There is also a discharge located at an end opposite said end of the rotatable drum. There are also pluralities of chains hanging within the rotatable drum.

Claims

1. A system for generating a mixture of steam and combustion gas in a direct contact rotating steam generator, using high solids content water and without waste liquid discharge, said system comprising:

a longitudinally rotatable drum, being mounted at a slope and pressurized and having a combustion gas injection section, a water injection section, a steam producing section, and a discharge section, said discharge section being placed at an opposite end of said steam producing section, opposite said water injection section;

an inlet in said combustion section of the rotatable drum;

an outlet at an end of the rotatable drum;

a means for injecting water at a highest point of the rotatable drum;

a means for discharge located at an end opposite said end of the rotatable drum; and

a plurality of chains hanging within the rotatable drum.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a solid-rich gas discharge means, extending from a bottom of the rotatable drum; and

a plurality of partitions being placed between said combustion section and said steam producing section and between said homogenizing section and said steam producing section, said partitions partially separating said combustion section from said steam producing section and separating said homogenizing section from said steam producing section.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said chains are comprised of steel and positioned in said steam generation section.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a fixed horizontal pressure combustor in said combustion section; and

a plurality of pressurized and fixed water injection pipes aligned to said combustion section, so that water injects outside and around said combustion section.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a solid-removing separator means to separate solids from the rotating chamber discharge line;

a wet scrubber pressure vessel with saturated steam generated therefrom; and

a discharge line from the scrubbing vessel bottom, scrubbed solids slurry being recycled back to the rotating steam generator by said discharge line, wherein a heat exchange occurs with the discharged saturated steam, the wet scrubber vessel and discharge hot flow leaving the rotating steam generator.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a slurry-removing separator to separate slurry from the rotating chamber discharge line;

a heat exchanger to recover the heat from the discharged slurry;

a plurality of pressure drop chamber means to reduce the pressure of the slurry to atmospheric pressure;

a wet scrubber pressure vessel with saturated steam generated therefrom; and

a discharge line from the scrubbing vessel bottom, scrubbed solids slurry being recycled back to the steam generator by said discharge line, wherein a heat exchange occurs with the discharged saturated steam, the wet scrubber vessel and discharge hot flow leaving the rotating steam generator.

7. A reaction chamber apparatus of a direct contact rotating steam generator, comprising:

a fixed combustion vessel;

a rotatable steam generating vessel in fluid communication with said combustion vessel, said rotatable steam generating vessel being pressurized and partially filled with a plurality of chains and having a water injection section, a steam producing section and a solids discharge section, said steam generation section being placed at a middle of the rotatable vessel, the rotatable vessel having an injection means for water;

an inlet in said fixed combustion vessel;

a connection element between said fixed combustion vessel and said rotatable steam generating vessel;

an outlet at an end of said rotatable steam generating vessel;

a plurality of chains located in said rotatable steam generating vessel; and

a plurality of partitions being placed between said homogenizing section and said steam producing section.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, said fixed combustion vessel having a solids discharge outlet at a bottom thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, said fixed combustion vessel being comprised of a down-flow gasifier generating -syngas, the gasifier having a bottom with a quenching water, said bottom having a liquid discharge outlet, said quenching water being discharged and recycled.

10. A method for generating steam and combustion gas mixture without liquid waste discharge, said method comprising the steps of:

mixing a carbon fuel with an oxidation gas, said fuel being selected from a group consisting of hydrocarbon gas, hydrocarbon liquid, coal, heavy bitumen, vacuum residuals, asphaltin and coke, said oxidation gas selected from a group consisting of oxygen, oxygen-enriched air, and air;

combusting the mixture under pressure and elevated temperatures in a combustion section, said combustion section being in fluid connection with a rotating pressurized drum with plurality of chains therein, said chains transferring heat between different phases and having a regenerated surface by grinding solid deposits and facilitating mixture and heat transfer;

recovering a portion of the combustion heat energy in anon-direct heat exchanger for generating superheated steam mixture for injection into an oil formation for oil recover; and

mixing water containing solids to generate steam and solid waste in a rotating drum.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transferring a liquid phase to a gas phase, said gas phase containing steam and combustion gas; and

separating solids from said gas phase.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transferring a liquid phase to a slurry phase, said gas phase containing steam and combustion gas; and

separating slurry from said gas phase.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

cleaning said gas and said steam from solids particles in a separator;

mixing said gas and said steam in a flow with heated and pressurized saturated water to produce a saturated wet steam and gas mixture;

scrubbing any remaining solids from said gas;

separating the liquid phase from said gas phase; and

recycling said water with scrubbed solids back to a rotating steam generation drum.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

removing corrosive, contaminating gas from said gas phase; and

injecting additives to said gas phase, protecting said pipe from corrosion.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

reducing the pressure of clean wet steam and combustion gas mixture to an injection pressure, so as to produce dry stream in order to prevent condensation.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

adding heat to the steam and combustion gas through a heat exchanger so as to produce a superheated dry steam and gas mixture.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

injecting the superheated dry steam and gas mixture into an underground reservoir through an injection well.

18. A method for generating steam without liquid waste discharge, said method comprising the steps of:

mixing fuel with an oxidation gas, in a steam generating boiler for generating steam;

mixing fuel with an oxidation gas and combusting the mixture under pressure and elevated temperatures in a rotating drum with a combustion section, said combustion section being in fluid connection with a rotating pressurized drum with plurality of chains therein, said chains transferring heat between different phases and having a regenerated surface by grinding solids and facilitating mixture and heat transfer;

mixing water containing solids to generate steam and solid waste in a rotating drum;

separating the solids;

mixing said combustion gas and said steam in a saturate pressurized water to produce a saturated wet steam and gas mixture;

recycling said water with scrubbed solids back to a rotating drum;

recovering the condensation heat and the steam from the saturated steam to generate high pressure heated water flow;

using the heated water as a boiler feed water to generate high pressure steam in the boiler; and

injecting the steam into an underground reservoir through an injection well.