Patent ID: 9746174
Date: 2017-08-29
CPC Classifications: F22B,F22D,F28D,F28F,Y10T

Claim:
1. A once-through evaporator for carrying a working fluid comprising: an inlet manifold; a plurality of inlet headers in fluid communication with the inlet manifold; a plurality of tube stacks, where each tube stack comprises one or more substantially horizontal evaporator tubes; each of the tube stacks being in fluid communication with one of the plurality of inlet headers; a plurality of outlet headers, each outlet header being in fluid communication with one of the tube stacks; an outlet manifold in fluid communication with each of the plurality of outlet headers; each of the plurality of tube stacks aligned one above another in a direction perpendicular to a length of the evaporator tubes; a plurality of flow control devices to dynamically control the flow of a working fluid to a respective inlet header; a plurality of pressure sensors, each pressure sensor coupled to one of the tube stacks near a center thereof, each pressure sensor in fluid communication with a working fluid carried within the tube stack; a plurality of temperature sensors, one of the temperature sensors located in each of the outlet headers for monitoring the temperature of a working fluid within the outlet header; a controller in operative communication with the flow control devices, the pressure sensors and the temperature sensors, the controller being configured to achieve a balanced pressure drop in a working fluid to balance flow distribution between the plurality of tube stacks.