Patent ID: 7690201

Claim:
A method of improving performance of a steam cycle comprising the steps of a) injecting an amount of partially expended turbine steam into a fuel stream or a portion of the fuel stream before entering a boiler furnace of the steam cycle by mixing the steam and the fuel stream, b) forming a mixture, in a pipe or a fuel injector, wherein the pipe or the fuel injector is located in or on the wall of the boiler furnace or proximally disposed to the boiler furnace, c) subjecting the mixture to heat generated by one or more adjacent boiler furnace burners, forming a heated mixture of hydrocarbons and steam, wherein the heated mixture is held in the boiler furnace for an appropriate time to form a times heated mixture in an amount of carbon oxide and hydrogen in excess of twenty percent in relation to a molar amount of the heated mixture, the timed heated mixture being mixed with combustion air and or oxygen in an amount to achieve near completed combustion before exiting the boiler furnace; and d) directing an exit gas from the boiler into a vessel containing a water sprayer and a water-to-water heat exchanger, the water-to-water heat exchanger heats a feed water stream to the boiler furnace.