STEAM GENERATOR

摘要

A steam generator operating in a closed loop configuration is disclosed. The steam generator includes two segregable compartments, a burner compartment and an economizer compartment. The periphery of the burner compartment includes a spiral passageway for venting air to the burner. The burning gases travel through a perforated sleeve and circulate about a plurality of interconnected, helically arranged water pipes, heating the water therein, and then enter an exhaust manifold for venting to the atmosphere. The water flow within the helically arranged pipes is counter to the flow of burning gases, which arrangement aids in producing superheated steam. The economizer compartment includes a plurality of concentric pipes spirally wound about a central cavity. The steam generated in the burner compartment and passed through an expander, such as a turbine, is vented into the outer of the concentric pipes. Water is introduced into the inner of the concentric pipes and flows in a direction reverse to that of the exhaust steam through the outer concentric pipes. In this manner, the water, prior to being conveyed to the burner compartment, is preheated by the exhaust steam. The air intake for the burner compartment passes through the central cavity within the economizer, around and about the plurality of concentric pipes, through tubes passing through the exhaust manifold and is vented into a passage about the burner itself. In this manner, the air intake is first heated by the exhaust steam passing through the outer of the concentric pipes and is further heated by the exhaust gases passing through the exhaust manifold. The exhaust system vented through the economizer is converted to a mixture of steam and water. The water is conveyed to a sump connected to a water pump which pumps the water into the inner of the sets of concentric pipes within the economizer. The burner within the steam generator includes a generator for producing a fixed frequency vibration within both the burner compartment and the economizer. The oscillations produced thereby increase heat transfer by reducing the boundary layer effects and act as a scrubber to inhibit deposition of particulate matter and corrosion about the outer surfaces of the pipes. Each of the pipes also includes means, such as a wire, helically wound about the pipe to aid in directing the surrounding medium about the full length of the pipe rather than just a limited portion of the pipe.