Abstract:
Described is a method and device for generating steam and low oxygen gas. The device includes a burner assembly adapted to generate a hot combustion gas. A combustion chamber is included that has a series of water-filled coils positioned therein. Feedwater that passes through the water-filled coils is turned into steam by heat from the combustion gas. The steam exits the device for transport to a steam system for use therein. A water pool is positioned beneath the combustion chamber to cool combustion gases from the combustion chamber. A cooling water system is included that provides cooling water to the water pool. A demisting filter is positioned above the water pool to remove water droplets from the combustion gas. Finally, an exhaust opening is positioned downstream from the demisting filter to allow the combustion gas to exit the device for use elsewhere.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This is a non-provisional application of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/444,086, filed on Feb. 17, 2011, and entitled, “Method and Apparatus for Generating Steam and Low Oxygen Gas.” 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    (1) Field of Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a steam and gas generation system and, more particularly, to equipment that simultaneously generates useful steam while producing low oxygen gas. 
         [0004]    (2) Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Steam is used aboard ships and, other floating vessels for heating, electricity generation, to drive turbines, and other applications. In order to generate the steam, most vessels utilize a fuel-powered steam engine or steam generator. As the cost of fuel (especially marine diesel fuel) has increased, the cost of generating steam in traditional equipment has increased. 
         [0006]    In a different art, international and U.S. Federal regulations require internationally trading cargo ships and other vessels to disinfect ballast water prior to discharge. In doing so, many vessels treat the ballast water with a low oxygen gas to suffocate and kill marine invasive species that are present in the ballast water. To treat the ballast water, some vessels include a low oxygen generation system. As can be appreciated, operating both a steam engine and low oxygen generation system can require a significant amount of fuel. 
         [0007]    Thus, a continuing need exists for a device that simultaneously generates useful steam while producing low oxygen gas. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention is directed to a method and device for generating steam and low oxygen gas. The device includes a burner assembly that is adapted to generate a hot combustion gas. A combustion chamber is included that has a series of water-filled coils positioned therein. Feedwater that passes through the water-filled coils is turned into steam by heat from the combustion gas. The steam exits the device for transport to a steam system for use therein. 
         [0009]    A water pool is positioned beneath the combustion chamber to cool combustion gases from the combustion chamber. A cooling water system is included that provides cooling water to the water pool. A demisting filter is positioned above the water pool to remove water droplets from the combustion gas. Finally, an exhaust opening is positioned downstream from the demisting filter to allow the combustion gas to exit the device for use elsewhere (e.g., for transport to a water treatment system for use therein). 
         [0010]    In another aspect, the combustion chamber includes walls such that the water-filled coils pass through (are positioned within) the walls of the combustion chamber. 
         [0011]    In yet another aspect, the cooling water system further comprises a packing material positioned in the cooling water system between the demisting filter and above the water pool. Spray nozzles are also included for introducing the cooling water into the cooling water system. The spray nozzles are positioned between the packing material and the demisting filter. 
         [0012]    Additionally, a float valve is fluidicly connected with the water pool. The float valve is adapted to maintain the cooling water at a level higher than a bottom of the walls of the combustion chamber. 
         [0013]    In yet another aspect, the cooling water system concentrically surrounds the combustion chamber. 
         [0014]    In another aspect, the combustion chamber includes a top portion and a bottom portion, where the top portion is formed in a conical shape while the bottom portion is cylindrically-shaped. 
         [0015]    Finally, as can be appreciated by one in the art, the present invention also comprises a method for forming and using the invention described herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed descriptions of the various aspects of the invention in conjunction with reference to the following drawings, where: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional side-view illustration of an, apparatus according to the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is top-view illustration of the apparatus according to the present invention; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a side, interior-view illustration of a vessel incorporating the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    The present invention relates to a steam and gas generation system and, more particularly, to equipment, that simultaneously generates useful steam while producing low oxygen gas. The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and to incorporate it in the context of particular applications. Various modifications, as well as a variety of uses in different applications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to a wide range of embodiments. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments presented, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. 
         [0021]    In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without necessarily being limited to these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the present invention. 
         [0022]    The reader&#39;s attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with this specification and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference. All the features disclosed in this specification, (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 
         [0023]    Furthermore, any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function, is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. Section 112, Paragraph 6. In particular, the use of “step of” or “act of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, Paragraph 6. 
         [0024]    Please note, the labels left, right, front, back, top, bottom, forward, reverse, clockwise and counter clockwise have been used for convenience purposes only and are not intended to imply any particular fixed direction. Instead, they are used to reflect relative locations and/or directions between various portions of an object. 
         [0025]    (1) Description 
         [0026]    Steam is used aboard ships and other floating vessels for heating, electrical generation, to drive turbines, and other applications. Thus, most vessels include a steam engine to generate the steam. Alternatively, international and U.S. Federal regulations require internationally trading cargo ships and other vessels to disinfect ballast water prior to discharge. In doing so, many vessels treat the ballast water with a low oxygen gas to suffocate and kill marine invasive species that are present in the ballast water. To treat the ballast water, the vessels include a low oxygen generation system. As can be appreciated, operating both a steam engine and low oxygen generation system can require a significant amount of fuel. Thus, the present invention improves upon the prior art by providing a device that simultaneously generates useful steam while producing low oxygen gas. In doing so, the invention effectively replaces two pieces of equipment with a single device, thereby reducing the total fuel consumption of a vessel. Specific details of the present invention are provided below. 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the present invention is directed to a device  10  for generating steam and low oxygen gas for use in a variety of vessels. The device  10  can be designed to fit the requirements of a wide range of vessels, non-limiting examples of which include cargo vessels, tankers, passenger vessels, oil production platforms, and container ships. 
         [0028]    As shown in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 1 , combustion air  12  is introduced to a burner assembly  14  that burns a fuel that is introduced into the burner assembly  14  via a fuel line  40 . The fuel is any suitable fuel, non-limiting examples of which include marine diesel or any other suitable fuel. Although the burner or burners (of the burner assembly  14 ) are depicted as being located on the top of the equipment, it should be understood that a similar function can be achieved if the burners are located on the bottom, or any other suitable location, such as the sides, on a slope, etc. The burner assembly  14  includes one or more burners that burn the fuel to generate the hot combustion gases. Combustion by-products (i.e., combustion gases) are introduced into the combustion chamber  16  where the flow of gas is downward from top to bottom. 
         [0029]    In a desired aspect, a top portion  15  of the combustion chamber  16  is formed in a conical shape as depicted). However, it should be understood that the present invention is not intended to be limited thereto as the top portion  15  of the combustion chamber  16  can be formed in any suitable shape to achieve a similar function. 
         [0030]    After combustion, combustion gases move through the combustion chamber  16 , passing through (over and around) a series of water-filled coils  18  that are positioned in a bottom portion  19  of the combustion chamber  16 . Although the bottom portion  19  of the combustion chamber  16  is depicted as being formed in a vertical cylindrical shape, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto as it can be formed in any suitable shape. 
         [0031]    It should also be noted that the coils  18  can be formed in the walls  17  of the combustion chamber  16 . Desirably, the coils  18  are formed in the walls  17  of both the cylindrical-shaped and conical-shaped portions of the combustion chamber  16 . In this aspect, not only are the coils  18  within the combustion chamber  16 , but they also surround the combustion chamber  16  through incorporation into the walls  17  of the combustion chamber  16 . 
         [0032]    Suitable feedwater  20  is introduced into the water-filled coils  18 . Desirably, the Feedwater-moves through the coils  18  from the bottom of the apparatus  10  towards its top (in the direction opposite to the flow of gas). Contact between the coils  18  and combustion gas (in the combustion chamber  16 ) transfers heat (through the walls of the coils  18 ) from the combustion gas to the water, transforming it into steam. The size of the chamber  16  and the total length of the steam coil is provided to assure enough contact time between the gas and coils  18  to produce useful steam. Useful steam  22  exits the device to be conveyed to another location within the ship. Thus, the useful steam  22  is provided to any suitable steam system that utilizes hot steam, non-limiting examples of which include heating systems, electricity generation, and to drive turbines, etc. 
         [0033]    After passing through the steam-generating coils  18 , partially cooled combustion gas exits the combustion chamber in a radial manner. As this occurs the gas comes into contact with cooling water  24  that is pooled in a water pool  25 . The cooling water  24  is maintained in the water pool  25  at a level approximately even with, but slightly higher than, the combustion chamber  16 . As a non-limiting example, the cooling water  24  is maintained at a level slightly higher than the bottom of the walls  17  of the combustion chamber  16 . Cooling water level is automatically maintained by a float valve  26 . 
         [0034]    After passing through the pooled cooling water  24 , the gas passes through a counter-current cooling water system  28  filled with water spray diffusion packing (i.e., demisting filter  32 ). Counter-current contact between the gas and cooling water continues to reduce the temperature of the gas. The counter-current cooling water system  28  uses cooling water  42  that is introduced to a cooling chamber  44  through spray nozzles  30  and drains through a packing material  45  flowing downward to the pooled cooling water  24 . The packing material  45  is any suitable material that provides a cooling water diffusion, a non-limiting example of which includes the Metal Q-PAC product as sold by Lantec Products, Inc., located at 5302 Deny Ave, #G, Agoura Hills, Calif. 91301. 
         [0035]    Cooled gas passes upward through a demisting filter  32  to remove water droplets from the gas. The demisting filter  32  is any suitable demister or mist eliminator that removes the liquid droplets from the gas, a non-limiting example of which includes the demister pads as sold by NCS Associates, located at 1009, Mettupalayam Road, IInd Floor, Coimbatore-641 002, India. After the combustion gas passes through the cooling water  24 , the packing material  45 , and demisting filter  32 , it is largely a cooled gas. Thereafter, the cooled gas exits the device through one or more exhaust openings  34 , from which the gas (i.e., low oxygen gas) is conveyed to another location in the vessel for use elsewhere, such as ballast water treatment, etc. It is to be understood that this produced gas (e.g., low oxygen gas) could be useful for purposes other than ballast water treatment, such as inerting oil cargo tanks to provide an explosion proof atmosphere, or to remove oxygen from other tanks and spaces aboard vessels to reduce steel corrosion. As such, the present is not limited to use of the gas in a ballast water treatment system as that is but one non-limiting example of a use thereof. 
         [0036]    As shown in the top-view of  FIG. 2 , the cooling water section  28  of the device  10  concentrically surrounds the outside of the combustion chamber  16 . This form allows the combustion gases to exit the combustion chamber  16  radially into the water cooling section  28 . Although the radial dispersion of the combustion gases is not required, it is desirable for space conservation. 
         [0037]    Also shown in this top-view is the burner assembly  14  that is fed via a fuel line  40  and combustion air  12  (air intake) to generate the combustion gases. Further, the feedwater  20  line is shown that introduces feedwater  20  to the coils (not shown), which is heated into steam (by the combustion gases) and exits via the steam  22  line. The combustion gases are cooled through water that is introduced to the device  10  via the cooling water  42  line. After passing through a demisting filter, the gases then exit the device through an exhaust opening  34 . As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art and based on the description above, the device  10  according to the present invention effectively generates steam while simulataneously forming a low oxygen gas that can be used in the vessel (e.g., to treat ballast water). 
         [0038]    Therefore and as shown in  FIG. 3 , the present invention also includes a vessel  50  having the device  10  attached therewith. In this aspect, the device  10  is fluidicly connected to a steam system  52  via the steam  22  line. As noted above, the steam system  52  is any suitable vessel bound system that utilizes steam, such as a heating system, electrical generation, etc. Separately, the device  10  is fluidicly connected to a low-oxygen gas usage system  54  via the exhaust opening  34 . The low-oxygen gas usage system  54  is any suitable vessel-bound system that utilizes low-oxygen gas, a non-limiting example of which includes a ballast water treatment system. An example of a suitable ballast water treatment system includes the System and Method of Water Treatment as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 6,840,983, which is incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein. Thus, through incorporation with a steam system  42  and ballast water treatment system, the present invention effectively replaces two pieces of equipment with a single device, thereby reducing the total fuel consumption of a vessel. Finally, it should be understood that the device  10  of the present invention can be applied to any suitable application that requires both steam and low oxygen gas and, as such, it is not specifically limited to vessels.