IP Library Granted Patent US 11,415,314
Granted Patent B2
US 11,415,314 · App. 16/445,721 · Granted Aug 16, 2022

Natural circulation multi-circulation package boiler with superheat for steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process including superheat

Inventors: Melvin J Albrecht (Homeworth, OH); Jason M Marshall (Wadsworth, OH); Jeremy L Remus (Uniontown, OH)
Assignee: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
F22B1/22F22B21/34F22G7/14
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,415,314
App. No.
16/445,721
Granted
Aug 16, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A boiler includes an upper steam drum, an optional intermediate drum, and a lower drum. Each drum is divided by an internal divider into a clean section and a concentrated section. Downcomers connect the upper steam drum to the lower drum, and tubes are connected to convey a heated steam-water mixture from the lower drum into the upper steam drum (through the optional intermediate drum, if provided). An optional superheater has an input terminal connected to receive steam from the clean section of the upper steam drum. An attemperator may be provided to attemperate superheated steam output from an output terminal of the superheater, and the attemperation fluid may optionally be provided from the concentrated side of the upper steam drum.

Claims (62)

1. A boiler comprising:

an upper steam drum having an internal divider which divides the upper steam drum into a clean section and a concentrated section;

a lower drum having an internal divider which divides the lower drum into a clean section and a concentrated section;

clean downcomers connecting the clean section of the upper steam drum to the clean section of the lower drum;

concentrated downcomers connecting the concentrated section of the upper steam drum to the concentrated section of the lower drum;

steam-water tubes connected to convey a steam-water mixture from the lower drum into the upper steam drum;

a superheater having an input terminal connected to receive steam from the clean section of the upper steam drum and an output terminal connected to a delivery steam pipe that delivers superheated steam flow output from the superheater to an injection well of a Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) process or to a turbine; and

a temperature control device comprising an attemperator connected with the output terminal of the superheater and an actuated valve, the attemperator configured to inject attemperation fluid into the superheated steam flow output from the output terminal of the superheater and the actuated valve controlling a flow rate of the attemperation fluid into the superheated steam flow to provide temperature control.

2. The boiler of claim 1 wherein:

the attemperator is configured to inject the attemperation fluid comprising steam into the superheated steam flow output from the output terminal of the superheater.

3. The boiler of claim 1 wherein:

the attemperator is connected with the concentrated section of the upper steam drum to receive the attemperation fluid comprising concentrated steam from the concentrated section of the upper steam drum.

4. The boiler of claim 1 wherein the boiler includes a furnace section and a boiler section defining a heated gas flow path along which heated gas passes through the furnace section and then through the boiler section, the steam-water tubes being disposed in the boiler section, and the superheater being disposed in the boiler section.

5. The boiler of claim 1 wherein:

the boiler includes a furnace section and a boiler section defining a heated gas flow path along which heated gas passes through the furnace section and then through the boiler section, the steam-water tubes being disposed in the boiler section; and

the steam-water tubes are arranged into a plurality of banks of steam-water tubes in the boiler section with the banks spaced apart along the heated gas flow path, and the superheater is disposed in the boiler section and replaces at least the inner tubes of a bank of steam-water tubes in the boiler section.

6. The boiler of claim 1 wherein the boiler includes a furnace section and a boiler section defining a heated gas flow path along which heated gas passes through the furnace section and then through the boiler section, the steam-water tubes being disposed in the boiler section, and the superheater is disposed in the furnace section.

7. The boiler of claim 1 wherein the boiler includes a furnace section and a boiler section defining a heated gas flow path along which heated gas passes through the furnace section and then through the boiler section, the steam-water tubes being disposed in the boiler section, and the boiler further comprises:

a superheater module housing containing the superheater, the superheater module housing connected with an outlet of the heated gas flow path, the superheater module housing defining a sealed conduit continuing the heated gas flow path past the outlet.

8. The boiler of claim 7 wherein the sealed conduit defined by the superheater module housing connects the outlet with an economizer.

9. The boiler of claim 1 wherein the superheater does not have an input terminal connected with the lower drum.

10. The boiler of claim 9 further comprising:

an intermediate drum;

wherein the steam-water tubes connect the lower drum with the intermediate drum and the intermediate drum is connected with the upper steam drum by risers whereby the steam-water tubes are connected to convey a steam-water mixture from the lower drum into the upper steam drum via the intermediate drum;

wherein the superheater does not have an input terminal connected with the intermediate drum.

11. A boiler comprising:

an upper steam drum that includes an internal divider which divides the upper steam drum into a clean section and a concentrated section;

a lower drum;

downcomers connecting the upper steam drum to the lower drum;

steam-water tubes connecting the lower drum with one of:

(i) an intermediate drum connected with the upper steam drum by risers; or

(ii) the upper steam drum wherein the boiler does not include an intermediate drum connected with the upper steam drum by risers;

a superheater having an input terminal connected to receive steam from the clean section of the upper steam drum and an output terminal connected to a delivery steam pipe that delivers superheated steam flow output from the superheater to an injection well of a Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) process or to a turbine; and

a temperature control device comprising an attemperator connected with the output terminal of the superheater and an actuated valve, the attemperator further connected with the concentrated steam section of the upper steam drum to inject concentrated steam from the concentrated steam section of the upper steam drum into the superheated steam flow output from the output terminal of the superheater, and the actuated valve controlling a flow rate of the concentrated steam from the concentrated steam section of the upper steam drum into the superheated steam flow to provide temperature control.

12. The boiler of claim 11 wherein the boiler includes a furnace section and a boiler section defining a heated gas flow path along which heated gas passes through the furnace section and then through the boiler section, the steam-water tubes being disposed in the boiler section, and the superheater is disposed in the boiler section.

13. The boiler of claim 11 wherein:

the boiler includes a furnace section and a boiler section defining a heated gas flow path along which heated gas passes through the furnace section and then through the boiler section, the steam-water tubes being disposed in the boiler section;

the steam-water tubes are arranged into a plurality of banks of tubes in the boiler section with the banks spaced apart along the heated gas flow path; and

the superheater is disposed in the boiler section and replaces at least the inner tubes of a bank in the boiler section.

14. The boiler of claim 11 wherein the boiler includes a furnace section and a boiler section defining a heated gas flow path along which heated gas passes through the furnace section and then through the boiler section, the steam-water tubes being disposed in the boiler section, and the superheater is disposed in the furnace section.

15. The boiler of claim 11 wherein the boiler includes a furnace section and a boiler section defining a heated gas flow path along which heated gas passes through the furnace section and then through the boiler section, the steam-water tubes being disposed in the boiler section, and the boiler further comprises:

a superheater module housing containing the superheater, the superheater module housing connected with an outlet of the heated gas flow path, the superheater module housing defining a sealed conduit continuing the heated gas flow path past the outlet.

16. The boiler of claim 15 wherein the sealed conduit defined by the superheater module housing connects the outlet with an economizer.

17. The boiler of claim 11 wherein the superheater does not have an input terminal connected with the lower drum.

18. The boiler of claim 17 wherein the steam-water tubes connect the lower drum with an intermediate drum and the intermediate drum is connected with the upper steam drum by risers, and the superheater does not have an input terminal connected with the intermediate drum.

19. The boiler of claim 18 wherein the upper steam drum, the intermediate drum, and the lower drum are vertically aligned with each other.

20. A boiler comprising:

an upper steam drum having an internal divider which divides the upper steam drum into a clean section and a concentrated section;

a clean lower drum;

a concentrated lower drum;

clean downcomers connecting the clean section of the upper steam drum to the clean lower drum;

concentrated downcomers connecting the concentrated section of the upper steam drum to the concentrated lower drum;

steam-water tubes connected to convey a steam-water mixture from the clean lower drum to the clean section of the upper steam drum and to convey a steam-water mixture from the concentrated lower drum to the clean section of the upper steam drum; and

a superheater having an input terminal connected to receive steam from the clean section of the upper steam drum, the superheater being interspersed among the steam-water tubes.

21. The boiler of claim 20 further comprising:

a clean intermediate drum; and

a concentrated intermediate drum;

wherein the steam-water tubes connect the clean lower drum with the clean intermediate drum and the clean intermediate drum is connected with the clean section of the upper steam drum by risers whereby the steam-water tubes are connected to convey a steam-water mixture from the clean lower drum into the clean section of the upper steam drum via the clean intermediate drum; and

wherein the steam-water tubes connect the concentrated lower drum with the concentrated intermediate drum and the concentrated intermediate drum is connected with the concentrated section of the upper steam drum by risers whereby the steam-water tubes are connected to convey a steam-water mixture from the concentrated lower drum into the concentrated section of the upper steam drum via the concentrated intermediate drum.

22. The boiler of claim 20 wherein the superheater further has an output terminal connected to a delivery steam pipe that delivers superheated steam flow output from the superheater to an injection well of a Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) process or to a turbine, and the boiler further comprises:

a temperature control device comprising an attemperator connected with the output terminal of the superheater and an actuated valve, the attemperator configured to inject attemperation fluid into the superheated steam flow output from the output terminal of the superheater and the actuated valve controlling a flow rate of the attemperation fluid into the superheated steam flow to provide temperature control.

23. The boiler of claim 22 wherein the attemperator is connected with the concentrated section of the upper steam drum to receive the attemperation fluid comprising concentrated steam from the concentrated section of the upper steam drum.

Assignments (8)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2025
From: BABCOCK & WILCOX ENTERPRISES, INC.; THE BABCOCK & WILCOX COMPANY; DIAMOND POWER INTERNATIONAL, LLC; BABCOCK & WILCOX SPIG, INC.; BABCOCK & WILCOX CANADA CORP.; BABCOCK & WILCOX FPS INC.
To: B. RILEY FINANCIAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 072053/0943 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 23, 2025
From: BABCOCK & WILCOX ENTERPRISES, INC.; THE BABCOCK & WILCOX COMPANY; DIAMOND POWER INTERNATIONAL, LLC; BABCOCK & WILCOX SPIG, INC.; BABCOCK & WILCOX CANADA CORP.; BABCOCK & WILCOX FPS INC.
To: GLAS TRUST COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071371/0835 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2025
From: BABCOCK & WILCOX ENTERPRISES, INC.; THE BABCOCK & WILCOX COMPANY; DIAMOND POWER INTERNATIONAL, LLC; BABCOCK & WILCOX SPIG, INC.; BABCOCK & WILCOX CANADA CORP.; BABCOCK & WILCOX FPS INC.
To: PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 070380/0647 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2024
From: MSD PCOF PARTNERS XLV, LLC
To: THE BABCOCK & WILCOX COMPANY; DIAMOND POWER INTERNATIONAL, LLC; AMERICON LLC
Reel/Frame 069017/0362 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 19, 2024
From: BABCOCK & WILCOX ENTERPRISES, INC.; THE BABCOCK & WILCOX COMPANY; DIAMOND POWER INTERNATIONAL, LLC; BABCOCK & WILCOX SPIG, INC.; BABCOCK & WILCOX CANADA CORP.; BABCOCK & WILCOX FPS INC.
To: AXOS BANK, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 066354/0765 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: ALBRECHT, MELVIN J.; MARSHALL, JASON M.; REMUS, JEREMY L.
To: THE BABCOCK & WILCOX COMPANY
Reel/Frame 060171/0504 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 22, 2021
From: THE BABCOCK & WILCOX COMPANY (F/K/A BABCOCK & WILCOX POWER GENERATION GROUP, INC.); BABCOCK & WILCOX SPIG, INC.; BABCOCK & WILCOX TECHNOLOGY, LLC; DIAMOND POWER INTERNATIONAL, LLC (F/K/A DIAMOND POWER INTERNATIONAL, INC.)
To: MSD PCOF PARTNERS XLV, LLC, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 056962/0486 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 1, 2021
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: DIAMOND POWER INTERNATIONAL, LLC (F/K/A DIAMOND POWER INTERNATIONAL, INC.); MEGTEC TURBOSONIC TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; THE BABCOCK & WILCOX COMPANY (F/K/A BABCOCK & WILCOX POWER GENERATION GROUP, INC.); BABCOCK & WILCOX SPIG, INC.; BABCOCK & WILCOX TECHNOLOGY, LLC (F/K/A MCDERMOTT TECHNOLOGY, INC.); SOFCO-EFS HOLDINGS LLC; BABCOCK & WILCOX MEGTEC, LLC
Reel/Frame 057337/0823 →