Apparatus and method for operating a vapor generator at subcritical and supercritical pressures

Claim 1

A ONCE-THROUGH FORCED FLOW TYPE VAPOR GENERATOR ORGANIZED FOR OPERATION ALTERNATIVELY AT SUPERCRITICAL PRESSURE AND AT SUBCRITICAL PRESSURE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A WORKING FLUID PREHEATING MEANS; A FLUID SEPARATING AND MIXING VESSEL; A WORKING FLUID RADIANT HEATING MEANS; A WORKING FLUID SUPERHEATING MEANS; MEANS FOR PASSING A THROUGH-FLOW QUANTITY OF THE WORKING FLUID THROUGH SAID PREHEATING MEANS, SAID FLUID SEPARATING AND MIXING VESSEL AND SAID RADIANT HEATING MEANS IN THE ORDER NAMED; MEANS FOR PASSING AN ADDITIONAL QUANTITY OF SAID WORKING FLUID THROUGH SAID SEPARATING AND MIXING VESSEL AND SAID RADIANT HEATING MEANS AND FOR RETURNING SAID ADDITIONAL QUANTITY TO SAID SEPARATING AND MIXING VESSEL; FIRST CONDUIT MEANS FOR PASSING ONLY A QUANTITY OF SAID WORKING FLUID THAT IS EQUAL TO SAID THROUGH FLOW QUANTITY FROM SAID RADIANT HEATING MEANS TO SAID SUPERHEATING MEANS; SECOND CONDUIT MEANS FOR PASSING ONLY A QUANTITY THAT IS EQUAL TO SAID THROUGH FLOW QUANTITY FROM SAID SEPARATING AND MIXING VESSEL TO SAID SUPERHEATING MEANS; VALVE MEANS IN SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS AND IN SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS; A FIRST POSITION OF SAID VALVE MEANS WHEREBY WHEN OPERATING AT SUPERCRITICAL PRESSURE AND VALVE MEANS ARE OPENED FOR PASSAGE OF SAID THROUGH-FLOW QUANTITY THROUGH SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS, AND ARE CLOSED FOR PREVENTING FLOW THROUGH SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS AND SAID FLUID SEPARATING AND MIXING VESSEL CAN FUNCTION AS A MIXING DEVICE; AND A SECOND POSITION OF SAID VALVE MEANS, WHEREBY WHEN OPERATING AT SUBCRITICAL PRESSURE SAID VALVE MEANS ARE CLOSED FOR PREVENTING FLOW THROUGH SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS, AND ARE OPENED FOR PASSAGE OF SAID THROUGH-FLOW QUANTITY THROUGH SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS AND SAID SEPARATING AND MIXING VESSEL FUNCTIONS AS A SEPARATING DEVICE.