To provide a superheated steam treatment apparatus capable of efficiently treating an object by superheated steam containing a high concentration of hydroxyl radicals. The superheated steam treatment apparatus includes an induction heating unit 4 configured to generate superheated steam by induction heating saturated stream, a treatment chamber 5 configured to allow the superheated steam generated by the induction heating unit 4 to be introduced thereinto, and a discharge treatment unit 6 located in the treatment chamber 5 and configured to treat the introduced superheated steam by discharge. The discharge treatment unit 6 has a frame serving as a support for the discharge treatment unit, a discharge electrode located at an upper part of the frame, a mesh-like opposite electrode located below the discharge electrode, and a high-frequency power source configured to supply high-frequency, high-voltage power between the discharge electrode and the opposite electrode to cause the discharge, whereby an object immediately below the opposite electrode is allowed to be treated by the superheated steam having an increased hydroxyl radical concentration due to the discharge.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, there are provided a first stage auxiliary burner configured to heat up the exhaust gas in the upstream side of the superheater,

a second stage auxiliary burner configured to heat up the exhaust gas in the upstream side of the evaporator, a fuel supply system configured to distribute fuel so as to be supplied to the first stage auxiliary burner and the second stage auxiliary burner. Distribution of fuel charged to each of the first stage auxiliary burner and the second stage auxiliary burner is controlled in accordance with a predetermined distribution ratio of each charging quantity to whole charging quantity in all the range thereof.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, there are provided a first stage auxiliary burner configured to heat up the exhaust gas in the upstream side of the superheater,

a second stage auxiliary burner configured to heat up the exhaust gas in the upstream side of the evaporator, a fuel supply system configured to distribute fuel so as to be supplied to the first stage auxiliary burner and the second stage auxiliary burner. Distribution of fuel charged to each of the first stage auxiliary burner and the second stage auxiliary burner is controlled in accordance with a predetermined distribution ratio of each charging quantity to whole charging quantity in all the range thereof.

A heat exchanger assembly, comprising: heat exchanger pipework which comprises a plurality of elongate tube elements which extend in spaced relation and a plurality of pipe end couplings which fluidly connect open ends of respective tube elements, wherein the pipe end couplings each comprise a main body part to which the open ends of the respective tube elements are fixed, and an enclosure part which is fixed to the main body part and provides a closed fluid connection between the open ends of the respective tube elements; and a plurality of fins which extend in spaced relation and optionally substantially orthogonally to the tube elements, wherein the fins each comprise a sheet element, optionally a single, continuous sheet element, which includes a plurality of apertures through which extend respective ones of the tube elements, and a plurality of fin coupling elements which are located within respective ones of the fin apertures to interface the tube elements to the sheet elements.

A heat exchanger assembly, comprising: heat exchanger pipework which comprises a plurality of elongate tube elements which extend in spaced relation and a plurality of pipe end couplings which fluidly connect open ends of respective tube elements, wherein the pipe end couplings each comprise a main body part to which the open ends of the respective tube elements are fixed, and an enclosure part which is fixed to the main body part and provides a closed fluid connection between the open ends of the respective tube elements; and a plurality of fins which extend in spaced relation and optionally substantially orthogonally to the tube elements, wherein the fins each comprise a sheet element, optionally a single, continuous sheet element, which includes a plurality of apertures through which extend respective ones of the tube elements, and a plurality of fin coupling elements which are located within respective ones of the fin apertures to interface the tube elements to the sheet elements.

A superheater (e.g., a radiant superheater or a convention superheater) may include carbon nanotubes. A superheater may be arranged to, for example, hang at an upper portion of a furnace of a boiler. The superheater may be substantially planar and may include a first vertical pass, a first connection pass, a second vertical pass, a third vertical pass, a second connection pass, and a fourth vertical pass. Each vertical pass may include an upper end and a lower end. The vertical passes may be connected in series, so that steam to be superheated enters at the upper end of the first vertical pass and flows through the first vertical pass and from the lower end of the first vertical pass via the first connection pass to the lower end of the second vertical pass and through the second vertical pass and from the upper end of the second vertical pass to the upper end of the third vertical pass and through the third vertical pass and from the lower end of the third vertical pass via the second connection pass to the lower end of the fourth vertical pass and through the fourth vertical pass, to be discharged from the upper end of the fourth vertical pass. The first connection pass may be arranged below the second connection pass so as to shield the second connection pass from radiation from the lower portion of the furnace.

A germicidal heating apparatus comprising a water supply part for supplying water, an superheated vapor generation part for generating superheated vapor by using the water supplied from the water supply part, and a blower for blowing the superheated vapor generated by the superheated vapor generation part through a discharge opening, characterized in that the superheated vapor generation part includes an annular vessel for receiving the water from the water supply part, and a spiral sheath heater arranged on the whole inside peripheral surface of the annular vessel, the upper end of the inside wall of the annular vessel being bent closely contacting the outside wall so as both to prevent leakage of the water contained in the annular vessel and to discharge the vapor generated by the heat of the sheath heater.

A germicidal heating apparatus comprising a water supply part for supplying water, an superheated vapor generation part for generating superheated vapor by using the water supplied from the water supply part, and a blower for blowing the superheated vapor generated by the superheated vapor generation part through a discharge opening, characterized in that the superheated vapor generation part includes an annular vessel for receiving the water from the water supply part, and a spiral sheath heater arranged on the whole inside peripheral surface of the annular vessel, the upper end of the inside wall of the annular vessel being bent closely contacting the outside wall so as both to prevent leakage of the water contained in the annular vessel and to discharge the vapor generated by the heat of the sheath heater.

A quench system includes a housing having a longitudinal axis, a gas path for a gas within the housing, a steam input and output, and a dip tube within the housing. The dip tube includes tubing arranged to form a wall. A steam path, separate from the gas path, is disposed within the tubing in a thickness of the wall. The dip tube is configured to allow passage of the gas along the gas path. The steam input is fluidically connected to the steam output by the tubing. The quench system is configured to cool the gas along the gas path and heat steam along the steam path within the tubing of the dip tube.

A quench system includes a housing having a longitudinal axis, a gas path for a gas within the housing, a steam input and output, and a dip tube within the housing. The dip tube includes tubing arranged to form a wall. A steam path, separate from the gas path, is disposed within the tubing in a thickness of the wall. The dip tube is configured to allow passage of the gas along the gas path. The steam input is fluidically connected to the steam output by the tubing. The quench system is configured to cool the gas along the gas path and heat steam along the steam path within the tubing of the dip tube.