Systems and methods for selectively producing steam from solar collectors and heaters, for processes including enhanced oil recovery. A representative system includes a water source, a solar collector that includes a collector inlet, a collector outlet, and a plurality of solar concentrators positioned to heat water passing from the collector inlet to the collector outlet, a fuel-fired heater, a steam outlet connected to an oil field injection well, and a water flow network coupled among the water source, the solar collector, the heater, and the steam outlet. The system can further include a controller operatively coupled to the water flow network and programmed with instructions that, when executed, direct at least one portion of the flow through the solar collector and the fuel-fired heater in a first sequence, and direct the at least one portion or a different portion of the flow through the solar collector and the fuel-fired heater in a second sequence different than the first sequence.

A solute concentration decision method for deciding a planned value C.sub.I of a concentration of a solute in a solution to be supplied to a first drum among one or more steam drums for temporarily containing steam generated in a boiler of a steam turbine plant includes a step of deciding the planned value C.sub.I of the concentration of the solute in the solution to be supplied to the first drum, on the basis of a target concentration of the solute in the solution in the first drum and a capacity coefficient of the solute in a drum unit including the first drum and an evaporator for generating steam contained in the first drum.

A low-carbon energy utilization system for steam and power cogeneration of oil field is provided, which includes a first water pump device, a second water pump device, electric heating devices, a liquid mixer, a fossil-fuel steam injection boiler, a steam mixer, a super-heater, and a new energy generation station. The electric heating devices are connected to the first water pump device. The liquid mixer is connected to the second water pump device and the electric heating devices. The fossil-fuel steam injection boiler is connected to the liquid mixer. The steam mixer is connected to the electric heating devices and the fossil-fuel steam injection boiler. The super-heater is connected to the steam mixer. The new energy generation station is used for supplying power to the electric heating devices.

A boiler system equipped with a boiler group mixedly provided with a step value control boiler and a proportional control boiler. A boiler number control device is configured to control the number of boilers in the boiler group, and includes an output controller configured to control a combustion state of the boiler group so as to cause the proportional control boiler to output steam equivalent to a required steam flow according to a required load, and an output switcher configured to switch, under a condition that a steam flow outputted from the proportional control boiler reaches a predetermined steam flow exceeding a steam flow at a possible combustion point of the step value control boiler, output of the steam flow at the combustion point from the proportional control boiler to the step value control boiler.

Systems and methods for selectively producing steam from solar collectors and heaters, for processes including enhanced oil recovery. A representative system in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a water source, a solar collector that includes a collector inlet, a collector outlet, and a plurality of solar concentrators positioned to heat water passing from the collector inlet to the collector outlet, a fuel-fired heater, a steam outlet connected to an oil field injection well, and a water flow network coupled among the water source, the solar collector, the heater, and the steam outlet. The system can further include a controller operatively coupled to the water flow network and programmed with instructions that, when executed, direct at least one portion of the flow through the solar collector and the fuel-fired heater in a first sequence, and direct the at least one portion or a different portion of the flow through the solar collector and the fuel-fired heater in a second sequence different than the first sequence.

An energy exchange system employing a hot water loop, a chilled water loop, an energy exchanger, a boiler plant for heating water flowing through the hot water loop and for heating water flowing through the chilled water loop via the energy exchanger, a chiller plant for chilling the water flowing through the chilled water loop and for chilling the water flowing through the hot water loop via the energy exchanger, and a control for calculating a hot energy load for operating the at least one boiler to heat the water flowing through the hot water loop and for heating the water flowing through the chilled water loop via the energy exchanger, and for calculating a chilled water energy load for operating the at least one chiller to chill the water flowing through the chilled water loop and for chilling the water flowing through the hot water loop via the energy exchanger.

A method of operating a heat releasing reactor producing product gas. The method includes steps of (a) monitoring a current load of the reactor, (b) finding such a numerical value for a current computational maximum momentary load for which at least one product gas factor computed using currently monitored process data with a numerical model of the reactor fulfills an acceptance condition, and selecting the numerical value as the current computational maximum momentary load, (c) indicating the current computational maximum momentary load to the operator and/or, if the current load is (c1) less than the current computational maximum momentary load, (c1i) indicating the operator that the load may be increased, and/or (c1ii) automatically increasing the load, and/or (c2) greater than the current computational maximum momentary load, (c2i) indicating the operator that the load exceeds the current computational maximum boiler momentary load, and/or (c2ii) automatically reducing the boiler load.

A networked boiler system includes a first boiler, at least one secondary boiler in operative connection with the first boiler and having a plurality of internal sub boilers, a boiler control connected to one of the first or secondary boilers, and an external control connected to one of the first or secondary boilers. The boiler control enables the first boiler to control a boiler parameter of the first boiler, the at least one secondary boiler, and the plurality of internal sub boilers of the at least one secondary boiler.

The invention improves system efficiency with no waste of heat held by a stopped boiler. A boiler system includes a boiler group having a plurality of boilers and a controller for controlling a combustion state of the boiler group. The controller includes a heat release determiner for determining whether or not the plurality of boilers includes a boiler releasing heat, a boiler increase determiner for determining, when the heat releasing boiler starts combustion and the heat releasing boiler and the other combusting boilers are combusted at equal load factors, whether or not the load factor is higher than a predetermined load factor, and an output controller for combusting the heat releasing boiler when the load factor is determined to be higher than the predetermined load factor.

A combustion boiler control method includes steps of (a) monitoring the current load of a combustion boiler, (b) finding a numerical value for a current computational maximum boiler momentary load for which at least one flue gas factor computed using currently monitored process data with a numerical model of the boiler fulfills an acceptance condition, and selecting the numerical value as the current computational maximum boiler momentary load, (c) indicating the current computational maximum boiler momentary load to an operator and/or, if the current load is (c1) less than the current computational maximum boiler momentary load, (c1i) indicating to the operator that the boiler load may be increased, and/or (c1ii) automatically increasing the boiler load, and/or (c2) greater than the current computational maximum boiler momentary load, (c2i) indicating to the operator that the boiler load exceeds the current computational maximum boiler momentary load, and/or (c2ii) automatically reducing the boiler load.