Patent ID: 6039008
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: F22B

Abstract:
A steam generator for generating steam by the combustion of a fuel, comprising:a combustion chamber;a hot solids-gas separator having a gas outlet duct for outward flow of the predominantly gas exit stream out of the separation chamber, the gas outlet duct having at least one entrance within the separation chamber for the passage of the predominantly gas exit stream thereinto and the gas outlet duct having an extent from at least its entrance to an exterior interface between the gas outlet duct and the separation chamber beyond which the gas outlet duct is communicated with an area exterior of the separation chamber, the separator being disposed on one lateral side of the combustion chamber and having a chamber side face in facing relation to the combustion chamber, the chamber and the separator each having a predetermined lateral extent;heat exchanger means for receiving cleaned gas which has exited the hot solids-gas separator through the gas outlet duct, the heat exchanger means having a principal heat exchange region defined by that portion of the heat exchanger means in which more than half of the heat exchange duty of the heat exchange means is performed, the principal heat exchange region having a predetermined lateral extent and a center of gravity and the center of gravity being at a lateral spacing from a chamber side face of the hot solids-gas separator no greater than one hundred and twenty five percent (125%) of the predetermined lateral extent of the hot solids-gas separator and having a height as measured in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the lateral direction no higher than the exterior interface of the gas outlet duct of the hot solids-gas separator; anda support structure for supporting the steam generating apparatus, the support structure including a load bearing assembly for supporting the hot solids-gas separator and the support structure being characterized by the absence of any load bearing members for supporting heat exchange surface which support heat exchange surface (a) at a height greater than the height of the exterior interface of the gas outlet duct of the hot solids-gas separator and (b) within a predetermined lateral extent extending from a location on the hot solids-gas separator laterally opposite the chamber side face thereof to a width no greater than the lateral extent of the hot solids-gas separator.