FLUID BED DIRECT CONTACT STEAM GENERATOR SYSTEM AND PROCESS
First Claim
1. A method for vertically producing a steam and combustion gas mixture, the method comprising the following steps:
- mixing a carbon or hydrocarbon fuel and an oxidation gas containing oxygen;
combusting the mixture under high pressure and temperature so as to convert the fuel to a gas and solid byproducts such as slag, fly ash and char, said solid byproducts being in solid or liquid form;
injecting and mixing liquid water to the flowing combustion gas, said liquid water having suspended and dissolved solids and organics and being injected in an amount such that all the liquid water is converted into steam, remaining solid particles being mixed with the gas flow;
converting all liquids to gas and solids so as to generate steam and solid waste;
injecting and flowing cold gas through a fluid bed section at a bottom of the vessel so as to increase the heat exchange duration and to cool combustion solid particles where said injected cold gas is recycled produced steam and gas at a temperature close to the discharge temperature; and
discharging the produced steam, gas and solid mixture.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a method and system for vertically producing a steam and combustion gas mixture, typically used in enhanced oil recovery processes. The system is a fluid bed up-flow combustor system, including a vertical vessel with fours sections. In a first section, fuel, oxidizer, and possibly water are supplied to the high pressure combustor at a combustion section of a vertical vessel. The combustion gas from the first section flows to a second section for steam generation, where low quality water is injected and turned into steam. Next, the third section is a homogenizer vessel, where any remaining water drops are converted to steam and solid particles and discharged from the vessel. The fourth section located at the bottom of the vessel is a fluid bed, receiving and processing the falling solids from the combustion and the steam generation sections.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for vertically producing a steam and combustion gas mixture, the method comprising the following steps:
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mixing a carbon or hydrocarbon fuel and an oxidation gas containing oxygen; combusting the mixture under high pressure and temperature so as to convert the fuel to a gas and solid byproducts such as slag, fly ash and char, said solid byproducts being in solid or liquid form; injecting and mixing liquid water to the flowing combustion gas, said liquid water having suspended and dissolved solids and organics and being injected in an amount such that all the liquid water is converted into steam, remaining solid particles being mixed with the gas flow; converting all liquids to gas and solids so as to generate steam and solid waste; injecting and flowing cold gas through a fluid bed section at a bottom of the vessel so as to increase the heat exchange duration and to cool combustion solid particles where said injected cold gas is recycled produced steam and gas at a temperature close to the discharge temperature; and discharging the produced steam, gas and solid mixture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13)
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11. A method for producing a high-pressure steam mixture for enhanced oil recovery comprising the steps of:
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mixing fuel with oxidation gases in a high pressure reactor to form a mixture; combusting the mixture under high pressures and temperatures in a vertical pressurized vessel reactor to generate combustion gases; mixing the combustion gases with water in the high pressure reactor having a high level of solids therein to form a combustion gas mixture; evaporating the water in the combustion gas mixture to leave the solids in a dry form; recycling a portion of the generated steam and combustion gas mixture to the bottom of the vertical pressurized vessel reactor to generate fluid bed up-flow gas; transferring the combustion gases to a dry-solid separator unit; and removing the dry form solids from the dry-solid separator unit. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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14. A system for vertically producing a steam and combustion gas mixture, the system comprising:
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a first section being comprised of a burner means for mixing carbon or hydrocarbon fuel and oxidation gas containing oxygen in stoichiometric ratio, and combusting the mixture under high pressure and temperature, wherein said fuel being is selected from a group consisting of coal, pet-coke, asphaltin, vacuum residuals (VR), untreated liquid crude oil and gas carbon fuel, said oxidation gas being selected from a group consisting of oxygen, oxygen-enriched air, and air; a second section being adjustably engaged to said first section and being comprised of a means for injecting low quality liquid water to flowing combustion gas, said low quality water containing levels of suspended and dissolved solids and organics and having an amount, such that all water converts into steam, said low quality water being selected from a group consisting of tailing pond water with levels of TSS, TDS and organics, brackish water, and sewage effluent water; a third section being adjustable engaged to said second section being comprised of produced steam, gas and solid mixture discharge means in a vertical vessel with flow deflectors, ensuring flow mixture and preventing liquid remains and heavy solid particles from flowing with produced steam, gas and solid mixture and depositing; and a fourth section being a fluid bed section at a bottom of the vessel of the first section, said fluid bed section having a gas injector and dispenser and containing solids generated from the fuel and from the water turning into steam, the fluid bed solids being maintained at relatively cold temperature by the cold gas up-flow and being eventually removed from the system by the solid discharge from said bottom of the vessel for heavy solid particles that fall through the fluid bed up-flow. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification