Vapor generator utilizing stacked fluidized bed and a water-cooled heat recovery enclosure

Claim 2

A vapor generator comprising a furnace section, means defining a plurality of vertically aligned fluidized beds in said furnace section, one boundary wall of said furnace section having openings therein for permitting the discharge of effluent gases from said fluidized beds, means including said one boundary wall for defining a heat recovery enclosure adjacent said furnace section for receiving said effluent gases, and a convection enclosure disposed adjacent said heat recovery enclosure for receiving said effluent gases from said heat recovery enclosure and discharging said gases, each of the boundary walls of said furnace section, said heat recovery enclosure and said convection enclosure being formed by a plurality of interconnected tubes, and means for passing fluid through said boundary walls in a predetermined sequence to transfer heat from said fluidized beds to said fluid.

Claim 3

The vapor generator of claim 1, wherein two walls of said furnace section, said heat recovery enclosure and said convection enclosure are formed by two continuous walls spanning the depth of said generator.

Claim 4

The vapor generator of claim 1 further comprising heat exchange means submerged in each of said fluidized beds, and means for passing said fluid through said heat exchange means to add additional heat to said fluid.

Claim 5

The vapor generator of claim 1 further comprising heat exchange means disposed in said convection enclosure and means for passing said fluid through said heat exchange means for preheating said fluid before it is passed to said boundary walls.

Claim 6

The vapor generator of claim 1 further comprising means in said heat recovery enclosure for receiving said effluent gases from said beds and separating solid particles from said gases before the gases are passed to said convection enclosure.

Claim 7

The vapor generator of claim 5 further comprising means in said heat recovery enclosure for passing said solid particles back to one of said fluidized beds for burning the carbon in said solid particles.

Claim 8

The vapor generator of claim 1, wherein said furnace section includes a front wall, a rear wall and two sidewalls, said openings being formed in said rear wall.

Claim 9

The vapor generator of claim 7, wherein said heat recovery enclosure is formed by two sidewalls and a rear wall and by said rear wall of said furnace section.

Claim 10

The vapor generator of claim 8, wherein said convection enclosure is formed by two sidewalls and a rear wall and by said rear wall of said heat recovery enclosure.

Claim 11

The vapor generator of claim 9, wherein said sidewalls of said furnace section, said heat recovery enclosure and said convection enclosure are all formed by two continuous walls each spanning the entire depth of said vapor generator.

Claim 12

The vapor generator of claim 10, wherein the heights of said furnace section of said heat recovery enclosure are substantially the same and are greater than the height of said convection enclosure, with said sidewalls being sized accordingly.

Claim 13

The vapor generator of claim 9, wherein the roof of said furnace section, said heat recovery enclosure and said convection enclosure is formed by a single continuous wall spanning the entire width of said vapor generator.

Claim 14

The vapor generator of claim 1, wherein the area above each fluidized bed is devoid of any heat exchange surfaces other than those provided by said walls.

Claim 15

The vapor generator of claim 1 wherein said convection enclosure shares a common wall with said heat recovery enclosure.

Claim 16

A vapor generator comprising a furnace section, means defining a plurality of vertically aligned fluidized beds in said furnace section, one boundary wall of said furnace section having openings therein for permitting the discharge of effluent gases from said fluidized beds, means including said one boundary wall for defining a heat recovery enclosure adjacent said furnace section for receiving said effluent gases, and a convection enclosure disposed adjacent said heat recovery enclosure for receiving said effluent gases from said heat recovery enclosure and discharging said gases, each of the boundary walls of said furnace section, said heat recovery enclosure and said convection enclosure being formed by a plurality of interconnected tubes, means for passing fluid through said boundary walls in a predetermined sequence to transfer heat from said fluidized beds to said fluid, heat exchange means disposed in said convection enclosure, and means for passing said fluid through said heat exchange means for preheating said fluid before it is passed to said boundary walls.

Claim 17

A vapor generator comprising a furnace section, means defining a plurality of vertically aligned fluidized beds in said furnace section, one boundary wall of said furnace section having openings therein for permitting the discharge of effluent gases from said fluidized beds, means including said one boundary wall for defining a heat recovery enclosure adjacent said furnace section for receiving said effluent gases, and a convection enclosure disposed adjacent said heat recovery enclosure for receiving said effluent gases from said heat recovery enclosure and discharging said gases, each of the boundary walls of said furnace section, said heat recovery enclosure and said convection enclosure being formed by a plurality of interconnected tubes, means for passing fluid through said boundary walls in a predetermined sequence to transfer heat from said fluidized beds to said fluid, heat exchange means disposed in said convection enclosure, and means for passing said fluid through said heat exchange means for preheating said fluid before it is passed to said boundary walls.

Claim 18

A vapor generator comprising a plurality of interconnected boundary walls defining a furnace section, means defining a plurality of vertically aligned fluidized beds in said furnace section, one boundary wall of said furnace section having openings therein for permitting the discharge of effluent gases from said fluidized beds, a plurality of additional boundary walls cooperating with said one boundary wall for defining a heat recovery enclosure adjacent said furnace section for receiving said effluent gases, and a plurality of additional boundary walls cooperating with a boundary wall of said heat recovery enclosure to define a convection enclosure adjacent said heat recovery enclosure for receiving said effluent gases from said heat recovery enclosure and discharging said gases, each of the boundary walls of said furnace section, said heat recovery enclosure and said convection enclosure being formed by a plurality of interconnected tubes, and means for passing fluid through said boundary walls in a predetermined sequence to transfer heat from said fluidized beds to said fluid.

Claim 19

A vapor generator comprising a plurality of interconnected boundary walls defining a furnace section, means defining a plurality of vertically aligned fluidized beds in said furnace section, one boundary wall of said furnace section having openings therein for permitting the discharge of effluent gases from said fluidized beds, a plurality of additional boundary walls cooperating with said one boundary wall for defining a heat recovery enclosure adjacent said furnace section for receiving said effluent gases, and a plurality of additional boundary walls cooperating with a boundary wall of said heat recovery enclosure to define a convection enclosure adjacent said heat recovery enclosure for receiving said effluent gases from said heat recovery enclosure and discharging said gases, each of the boundary walls of said furnace section, said heat recovery enclosure and said convection enclosure being formed by a plurality of interconnected tubes, and means for passing fluid through said boundary walls in a predetermined sequence to transfer heat from said fluidized beds to said fluid.

Claim 20

The vapor generator of claim 16, wherein two boundary walls of said furnace section, said heat recovery enclosure and said convection enclosure are formed by two continuous walls spanning the depth of said generator.

Claim 21

The vapor generator of claim 16 further comprising heat exchange means disposed in said convection enclosure and means for passing said fluid through said heat exchange means for preheating said fluid before it is passed to said boundary walls.

Claim 22

The vapor generator of claim 16 further comprising means in said heat recovery enclosure for receiving said effluent gases from said beds and separating solid particles from said gases before the gases are passed to said convection enclosure.

Claim 23

The vapor generator of claim 19 further comprising means in said heat recovery enclosure for passing said solid particles back to one of said fluidized beds for burning the carbon in said solid particles.

Claim 24

The vapor generator of claim 16 wherein said boundary walls defining said furnace section includes a front wall, a rear wall and two sidewalls, said openings being formed in said rear wall.

Claim 25

The vapor generator of claim 21 wherein said boundary walls defining said heat recovery enclosure include two sidewalls connected to said rear wall of said furnace section and a rear wall connected to said latter sidewalls.

Claim 26

The vapor generator of claim 22 wherein said boundary walls defining said convection enclosure include two sidewalls connected to said rear wall of said heat recovery enclosure and a rear wall connected to said latter sidewalls.

Claim 27

The vapor generator of claim 23, wherein said sidewalls of said furnace section, said heat recovery enclosure and said convection enclosure are all formed by two continuous walls each spanning the entire depth of said vapor generator.

Claim 28

The vapor generator of claim 24 wherein the heights of said furnace section of said heat recovery enclosure are substantially the same and are greater than the height of said convection enclosure, with said sidewalls being sized accordingly.

Claim 29

The vapor generator of claim 23 wherein the roof of said furnace section, said heat recovery enclosure and said convection enclosure is formed by a single continuous wall spanning the entire width of said vapor generator.

Claim 30

The vapor generator of claim 16 wherein the area above each fluidized bed is devoid of any heat exchange surfaces other than those provided by said walls.