Patent ID: 6619041
Filing Date: 2003-09-16
Classification: F22B,Y02E

Abstract:
A steam generation apparatus dedicated to combustion of a fuel with an oxygen-enriched oxidant, wherein the oxygen concentration of the oxidant may range from just above 21 percent to 100 percent, the apparatus comprising:a) an oxidant preheater for exchanging heat with a flue gas, the preheater having a geometry, a size and a heat transfer area to take advantage of i) a flue gas flow rate that is lower, and ii) a flue gas temperature that is higher, due to oxidant/fuel combustion, than a comparable power air/fuel combustion boiler base case; b) means for introducing a fuel and the oxidant into a combustion space within a furnace of the boiler and combusting the fuel in the presence of the oxidant in order to generate the flue gas; c) the furnace having a radiant heat transfer section with a plurality of radiant heat transfer section tubes, said tubes having reduced heat transfer area compared to the base case; and d) a convection heat transfer section having a plurality of convection heat transfer section tubes positioned so as to afford increased heat transfer between the flue gas and boiler feed water traversing therethrough while using less heat transfer area over the base case of air/fuel combustion.