THROTTLING BOILER FOR FOULING MITIGATION

摘要

Methods and systems generate steam for thermal oil recovery, such as a steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operation. Feedwater is first pressurized to a pressure above that desired for steam injection in the SAGD operation before being heated to avoid at least some nucleate boiling. After being throttled, the local boiling regime is beyond the nucleate boiling regime due to the local pressure drop and the enhanced mixing caused by the throttling process. Two-phase liquid may continue through the boiler generating higher quality steam.