A method for improving effectiveness of a steam generator system includes providing air to an air preheater in excess of that required for combustion of fuel and providing the air at a mass flow such that the air preheater has a cold end metal temperature that is no less than a water dew point temperature in the air preheater and such that the cold end metal temperature is less than a sulfuric acid dew point temperature. The method includes mitigating SO.sub.3 in the flue gas which is discharged directly from the air preheater to a particulate removal system and then directly into a flue gas desulfurization system. Flue gas reheat air is fed from the air preheater to heat the flue gas prior to entering a discharge stack to raise the temperature of the flue gas to mitigate visible plume exiting and to mitigate corrosion in the discharge stack.

The invention relates to a melting unit and method in which: a melting chamber is heated by means of combustion, the combustion fumes are used to heat the air used as a heat-transfer gas, the heated air is used to pre-heat the combustion oxygen and/or the gaseous fuel, the tempered air resulting from the pre-heating is compressed, the compressed tempered air is heated by means of heat exchange with the combustion fumes, and the mechanical and/or electrical energy is generated by expansion of the heated compressed air.

A radiant tube recuperative burner assembly having a heat exchanger (13) and a burner (11); said heat exchanger (13) comprises: a first inner tube (15); a second heat exchanger tube (16) coaxial and external to the first tube (15); a third tube (24) coaxial and external to said second tube (16); a fourth tube (35) positioned perpendicular to said first tube (15); a fifth tube (36) coaxial and internal to said fourth tube (35); a flue gas outlet passage (27) positioned inside said fifth tube (36); a first gap (17) between said first tube (15) and said second tube (16); a second gap (25) between said third tube (24) and said second tube (16); a sixth gap (40) between said fourth tube (35) and said fifth tube (36); said first gap (17) communicates with said sixth gap (40); said second gap (25) communicates with said flue gas outlet passage (27); a Venturi tube (41, 52) positioned transverse to said fifth tube (36); the inlet of the Venturi tube (41, 52) communicates with said sixth gap (40); said Venturi tube (41, 52) has an outlet that is in communication with said flue gas outlet passage (27); and with a connection pipe (42) between said heat exchanger (13) and said burner (11).

The present invention discloses a high-temperature fluid transporting pipeline integrating a heat exchange apparatus, wherein heat contained in a high-temperature fluid can be recovered during the transportation thereof. The heat exchange apparatus comprises a hermetic heat exchange cavity, and a heat-receiving fluid coil installed therein. The method of heat exchange is that the high-temperature fluid heats an auxiliary fluid in the cavity via a heat exchange base plate of the heat exchange cavity in contact therewith, and the heated auxiliary fluid then conducts the heat to a heat-receiving fluid in the heat-receiving fluid coil. As an example, the high-temperature fluid is flue gas generated by combustion, an upper part of a flue gas transporting pipeline is replaced by the heat exchange apparatus of the present invention, the auxiliary fluid is an inert gas such as air, and the air heated indirectly by the high-temperature flue gas conducts heat to fuel and/or oxygen-enriched gas flowing in the heat-receiving fluid coil (as an oxidant/combustion aid).

A water heater according to the present invention includes: a heating unit that includes a burner provided to cause a combustion reaction from air and fuel, and that is provided to generate heated water by using heat generated by the combustion reaction; and a humidifier unit that generates water steam by evaporating water using a combustion gas generated by the combustion reaction and discharged from the heating unit, and provides the water steam together with the air to the burner.

A radiant tube recuperative burner assembly having a heat exchanger (13) and a burner (11); said heat exchanger (13) comprises: a first inner tube (15); a second heat exchanger tube (16) coaxial and external to the first tube (15); a third tube (24) coaxial and external to said second tube (16); a fourth tube (35) positioned perpendicular to said first tube (15); a fifth tube (36) coaxial and internal to said fourth tube (35); a flue gas outlet passage (27) positioned inside said fifth tube (36); a first gap (17) between said first tube (15) and said second tube (16); a second gap (25) between said third tube (24) and said second tube (16); a sixth gap (40) between said fourth tube (35) and said fifth tube (36); said first gap (17) communicates with said sixth gap (40); said second gap (25) communicates with said flue gas outlet passage (27); a Venturi tube (41, 52) positioned transverse to said fifth tube (36); the inlet of the Venturi tube (41, 52) communicates with said sixth gap (40); said Venturi tube (41, 52) has an outlet that is in communication with said flue gas outlet passage (27); and with a connection pipe (42) between said heat exchanger (13) and said burner (11).

A double chambers boiler system with oxygen-enriched combustion is provided, relating to fields of thermal power engineering and mechanical manufacturing. The double chambers boiler system includes a boiler furnace subassembly and a combustion control subassembly. The boiler furnace subassembly includes a combustion chamber and a heat exchange chamber. The heat exchange chamber is arranged above the combustion chamber. A high temperature flue gas outlet is arranged between the combustion chamber and the heat exchange chamber. The combustion control subassembly includes a burner, a pure oxygen injector and a fuel injector. The double chambers boiler system with oxygen-enriched combustion is able to simultaneously solve problems of improving a combustion efficiency and reducing an emission concentration of NO.sub.x.

A method for improving effectiveness of a steam generator system includes providing a steam generator system including a steam generator vessel, an air supply system and an air preheater. The air supply system is in communication with the steam generator vessel through the air preheater and the steam generator vessel is in communication with the air preheater. The air supply system provides a first amount of air to the air preheater. At least a portion of the first amount of air is provided to the steam generator vessel. A flue gas mixture is discharged from the steam generator vessel. At least a portion of the flue gas mixture flows into the air preheater. SO.sub.3 in the flue gas mixture is mitigated before the flue gas mixture enters the air preheater.

A method for improving effectiveness of a steam generator system includes providing air to an air preheater at a mass flow such that the air preheater has a cold end outlet temperature defined by the improved air preheater operating with increased heat recovery (HR) of at least 1% calculated according to the equation: HR=100%((TgiTgoAdvX)/(TgiTgoSTD)1). The method requires either reducing the amount of heat that flows into the air preheater from the flue gas and/or increasing the amount of heat extracted from the flue gas. The method includes mitigating SO.sub.3 in the flue gas which is discharged directly from the air preheater to a particulate removal system and then directly into a flue gas desulfurization system. The method includes extracting heat from the Flue gas to create equipment preheat and/or flue gas stack reheat air with the latter being fed to heat the flue gas prior to entering a discharge stack to raise the temperature of the flue gas to mitigate visible plume exiting and to mitigate corrosion in, the discharge stack.

A machine, method of making, and method of using, along with necessary intermediates, illustratively, by way of a method, there can be a method of generating electrical power, the method including: inputting air, including adjusting flow rate of the air; inputting fuel, including throttling flow rate of the fuel, wherein: the fuel flow rate and the air flow rate are in stoichiometric proportions for combustion, and the fuel is comprised of at least one hydrocarbon, alcohol, or both; combusting a mixture of the fuel and a portion of the air with the remainder of the air to produce heat, wherein: prior to the combusting: combining the portion of the air with the fuel to produce the mixture that, when heated, stoichiometrically forms syngas; heating the mixture with the heat from the combusting; heating the remainder of the air with the heat from the combusting; and during the combusting, matching the remainder of the air with at least one of flow rate, pressure drop, and flow velocity of the mixture; generating electromagnetic emissions from the heat; harvesting the electromagnetic emissions with photovoltaic elements to produce electrical power; processing exhaust gasses produced during the combusting, wherein heat released from the processing is transferred into the mixture and the remainder of the air before the combusting, and the processing removes one or more pollutants from the exhaust gasses; measuring the oxygen content of the exhaust gasses before the processing in ensuring the stoichiometric proportions.