FLASH BOILER

Abstract

A flash boiler has a water jacket and a vertically oriented interior passage which includes water tubes or superheating tubes, or both. The interior passage is a hyperboloid surface to induce draft. Water tubes and superheating tubes can be staggered so as to create a helical path for flue gas passing through the boiler. Water tubes and superheating tubes may include, internally or externally or both, heat transfer aids such as pins, fins or vanes, which may also be helicies.

Claims

1. A flash boiler comprising: a reservoir defined by an inner wall, said inner wall comprising a surface of revolution about a central axis, an outer wall comprising a surface of revolution about said central axis, and top and bottom membranes, and a plurality of water tubes residing within said inner wall, said water tubes transverse to and intersecting said central axis and spaced apart along said central axis.

2. The flash boiler of claim 1, wherein said surface of revolution of said inner wall is a hyperboloid surface.

3. The flash boiler of claim 1, wherein said surface of revolution of said outer wall is a hyperboloid surface.

4. The flash boiler of claim 1, further comprising an inlet and cap therefor.

5. The flash boiler of claim 4, wherein said inlet cap further comprises a pressure relief.

6. A flash boiler comprising: a reservoir having an internal passage for flue gas, said passage defined by a surface of revolution about a central axis, a plurality of water tubes disposed within said passage, transverse to and intersecting said central axis, and spaced apart along said central axis, and with each of said water tubes fixed at an angular offset relative to an adjacent water tube such that said plurality of water tubes form a helix as they progress in an axial direction.

7. The flash boiler of claim 6, wherein said water tubes are interconnected to form at least one serpentine flow path within said helix of water tubes.

8. The flash boiler of claim 6, wherein at least one water tube includes an elbow having a cross section residing within two tube diameters of said central axis.

9. A flash boiler comprising: a reservoir having an internal passage for flue gas, said passage defined by a surface of revolution about a central axis, a plurality of water tubes disposed within said passage, of which at least one water tube communicates with said reservoir, and wherein at least one of said water tubes further comprises at least one vane extending in an axial direction from an axis of said water tube.

10. The flash boiler of claim 9, wherein said at least one water tube is oriented perpendicular to said central axis.

11. The flash boiler of claim 9, wherein at least one vane extends radially inward from an interior surface of a water tube.

12. The flash boiler of claim 9, wherein at least one vane extends radially outward from an exterior surface of a water tube.

13. A flash boiler comprising: a reservoir having an internal passage for flue gas, said passage defined by a surface of revolution about a central axis, a plurality of water tubes disposed within said passage, of which at least one water tube communicates with said reservoir, and wherein at least one of said water tubes further comprises at least one fin extending in a radial direction from an axis of said water tube.

14. The flash boiler of claim 13, wherein said at least one water tube is oriented perpendicular to said central axis.

15. The flash boiler of claim 13, wherein said at least one fin is a pin fin extending radially inward from an interior surface of a water tube.

16. The flash boiler of claim 13, wherein said at least one fin extending radially outward from an exterior surface of a water tube.

17. The flash boiler of claim 13, wherein said at least one fin is a helical fin extending threadwise along an exterior surface of a water tube.

18. The flash boiler of claim 13, wherein said at least one fin is a helical fin extending threadwise along an interior surface of a water tube.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of particular embodiments may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to similar components. When reference is made to a reference numeral without specification to an existing sub-label, it is intended to refer to all such multiple similar components.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a cross section elevation of a flash boiler in accordance with the invention.

[0018] FIG. 2a shows an oblique view of a flash boiler in accordance with the invention.

[0019] FIG. 2b shows a bottom view of the flash boiler of FIG. 2a.

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a superheating coil which can be disposed within a flue of a flash boiler in accordance with the invention.

[0021] FIG. 4a shows a helical arrangement of water tubes within a flue of the invention.

[0022] FIG. 4b shows a water tube with both its ends communicating with a water reservoir of a flash boiler in accordance with the invention.

[0023] FIG. 4c shows a top view of an arrangement of water tubes and elbows within a flue of a flash boiler in accordance with the invention.

[0024] FIG. 4d shows a partial stack of planar assemblies of water tubes staggered so as to arrange the tubes into helical arrays.

[0025] FIG. 5a shows a helical arrangement of water tubes within a straight-walled flue of the invention, said water tubes connected to form a serpentine flow path.

[0026] FIG. 5b shows a helical arrangement of water tubes within a venture flue of the invention, said water tubes connected to form a serpentine flow path.

[0027] FIG. 6 shows a top view of a flash boiler of the invention including the helix of water tubes connected to form a serpentine flow path.

[0028] FIG. 7 shows a rocket stove with a flash boiler of the invention positioned atop its chimney.

[0029] FIG. 8 shows a conventional wood stove or pellet stove wherein an embodiment of a flash boiler of the invention is installed in place of a section of common stove pipe.

[0030] FIG. 9a shows an embodiment of a flash boiler in accordance with the invention, designed to be installed in place of a section of common stove pipe.

[0031] FIG. 9b shows a stylized cross-section view of the flash boiler embodiment of FIG. 9a, further depicting a water tube having a serpentine flow path.

[0032] FIG. 10 shows a water tube in accordance with the invention, having internal and external axial fins for heat transfer.

[0033] FIG. 11 shows a water tube in accordance with the invention, having internal and external pin fins for heat transfer.

[0034] FIG. 12a shows a water tube in accordance with the invention, having internal and external helical fins for heat transfer.

[0035] FIG. 12b shows a cross section of water tube shown in FIG. 12a.

[0036] FIG. 12c shows a cross section of an alternate embodiment of a water tube in accordance with the invention, also having internal and external helical fins for heat transfer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

[0037] While various aspects and features of certain embodiments have been summarized above, the following detailed description illustrates a few exemplary embodiments in further detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice such embodiments. The described examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0038] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that other embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. Several embodiments are described herein, and while various features are ascribed to different embodiments, it should be appreciated that the features described with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated with other embodiments as well. By the same token, however, no single feature or features of any described embodiment should be considered essential to every embodiment of the invention, as other embodiments of the invention may omit such features.

[0039] In this application the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise, and use of the terms and and or is equivalent to and/or, also referred to as non-exclusive or unless otherwise indicated. Moreover, the use of the term including, as well as other forms, such as includes and included, should be considered non-exclusive. Also, terms such as element or component encompass both elements and components comprising one unit and elements and components that comprise more than one unit, unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0040] In this specification, the term flue gas means any heated gas which is passed through the flue portion of boiler of the invention so that the heat energy of the gas is available to transfer into the material of the boiler and especially its water tubes and superheating tubes, so that the working fluid contained in the boiler can be evaporated into a vapor or a superheated vapor. Superheated vapor is obtained by raising the temperature of a substance above its saturation temperature while maintaining a constant pressure. In this specification flue gas can be flare gas from a refinery process or a landfill flare, or for smaller constructions of the invention, flue gas may be collected from a campfire or survival-use fire by placing a boiler of the invention above or on top of such a fire.

[0041] Rocket stoves create convection and draft and consume combustible fuels much more efficiently than open pit fires, and the draft created by these devices can be used to direct hot combustion gas through the flue of the invention.

[0042] A flash boiler in accordance with the invention has a water jacket and a vertically oriented interior passage which includes water tubes or superheating tubes, or both. The interior passage is a hyperboloid surface to induce draft. Water tubes and superheating tubes can be staggered so as to create a helical path for flue gas passing through the boiler. Water tubes and superheating tubes may include, internally or externally or both, heat transfer aids such as pins, fins or vanes.

[0043] Referring now to the figures, certain features of the invention may be explained in detail. FIG. 1 shows a cross section elevation of a flash boiler in accordance with the invention. The flash boiler [1] comprises a reservoir for water [4] to be boiled as a working fluid. The reservoir is defined by top and bottom membranes and an inner wall, said inner wall comprising a surface of revolution [2] about a central axis. The reservoir volume is also defined by an outer wall [3] which may be of an arbitrary shape or perimeter, but in a preferred embodiment comprises at least in part a surface of revolution [3] about said central axis.

[0044] A flash boiler of a preferred embodiment has a flue passage for hot gas to pass through and optionally initiate boiling [5] within the reservoir of the invention. The inner wall defines the flue, and in a best mode is a surface of revolution which is a hyperboloid surface. In the best mode the outer wall is also a hyperboloid surface of revolution sized so that the space between inner and outer walls is substantially consistent throughout the volume of the reservoir. In an alternative embodiment within the scope of the invention, the inner surface of revolution can be built up as a stepped series of cones if manufacturing costs are reduced compared to a single trumpet bell hyperboloid surface, which may be made from sheet metal spun on a mandrel.

[0045] The flash boiler of the invention also includes a plurality of water tubes [6] residing within the flue (that is, the space defined within the inner wall.)

[0046] FIG. 2a shows an oblique view of a flash boiler [1] in accordance with the invention. An inlet and a cap [7] therefor emerges from the top surface of the reservoir. The cap includes a pressure relief which can be spring plunger or a disk sealing against the rim of the inlet and backed by a preloaded spring member or a spring force, such that if internal pressure of the reservoir is exceeded the disk can separate from the rim in whole or in part, and allow a gap for steam to escape until the pressure returns to a predetermined safe maximum. Some of the water tubes [6] are visible within the flue passage of the reservoir. FIG. 2b shows a bottom view of the flash boiler of FIG. 2a, with straight sections of water tube [6] arranged in a helix of decreasing diameter complementary to the hyperboloid inner surface of the reservoir.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a superheating coil [10] which can be disposed within a flue of a flash boiler in accordance with the invention. The superheat coil is connected to the reservoir at its inlet [11] and is formed into a spiral [12] which occludes most of the cross section of the flue where it is located, so as to pick up heat from the gas passing through the flue. Superheated steam leaves the coil by an exit manifold [13.]

[0048] FIG. 4a shows a helical arrangement of water tubes [22] within a flue [20] of the invention. In this figure the flue is an internal passage for flue gas which is a cylindrical passage, but as noted previously in best mode the internal passage is a volume enclosed by a hyperboloid surface for improved draft. The flue is a passage passing through the reservoir of the invention, and it is a surface of revolution about a central axis. Thus the flue passage can be a cylinder, a conical taper, a paraboloid or a hyperboloid surface. Alternatively, the flue passage may be built up from a connected series of cones approximating a smooth or continuous hyperboloid.

[0049] One or both ends of any water tube can communicate with the water reservoir of the invention. In the figure the water tubes [22] are oriented transverse to and intersecting the central axis. The tubes are spaced apart vertically along the central axis. Each of the water tubes are fixed or staggered at an angular offset relative to an adjacent water tube, so that the whole plurality of water tubes form a helix as they progress in an axial direction. This structure forces any portion of flue gas to pass by more than a single tube, and forces centripetal mixing of the flue gas so that hotter portions of the gas continually impinge upon the tubes and transfer heat into the working fluid. The helical structure ensures that nearly no flue gas can pass through the flue without encountering and transferring heat to the working fluid in the tube.

[0050] FIG. 4b shows a water tube with both its ends communicating with a water reservoir of a flash boiler in accordance with the invention. A staggered helical array of such tubes can also impart heat into the working fluid from a flame source [25] such as a campfire or survival fire, or a refinery flare or a landfill gas flare.

[0051] FIG. 4c shows a top view of a planar arrangement of water tubes and elbows within a flue of a flash boiler in accordance with the invention, at one particular cross section within a flue [20.] The tubes are attached to elbows [27] which have an interior cross section roughly equal to the inner diameter of the water tubes, and they are located within two tube diameters of the central axis. Although two 900 elbows and four tubes are shown, it is also possible to construct the water tube assembly with six tubes and three central elbows having 1200 hairpin bends or even eight tubes with four elbows having 135 hairpin bends. These planar assemblies are then stacked and staggered, or angularly offset as they are built up, so that sets of radially oriented tubes collectively form helical tube arrays and define helical passages between them for flue gas. The water tubes are interconnected to form four, six, or eight sets of serpentine flow paths within said helix of water tubes. The helical passages impart twisting flows within the flue gas for more efficient mixing and more complete heat transfer from the flue gas into the working fluid within the tubes. FIG. 4d shows an oblique view of a partial stack of several planar assemblies staggered to arrange the tubes into helical arrays.

[0052] FIG. 5a shows a helical arrangement of water tubes within a straight-walled flue [20] of the invention in which the water tubes are connected to form a single serpentine flow path. The serpentine path is built up of a linear array of straight tubes [23] with each tube fixed at an angular offset relative to an adjacent water tube so that the assembly of water tubes form a helix as they progress in an axial direction. The axial direction is a vertical direction in this figure. A first tube is an inlet [11] and the last tube in the array is an outlet [13.] Tube ends are joined by 180 U-shaped elbows [24,] which are substantially 1800 bends, but may vary by as much as 7 to take up the resulting helical twist.

[0053] FIG. 5b shows a helical arrangement of water tubes within a flue [20] of the invention in which the flue passage is a hyperboloid surface, which may also be called a venturi flue. The water tubes are connected to form a single serpentine flow path. The serpentine path is built up of a linear array of straight tubes [23] with each tube fixed at an angular offset relative to an adjacent water tube so that the assembly of water tubes form a helix as they progress in an axial direction. The axial direction is a vertical direction in this figure. As in FIG. 5a, a first tube is an inlet [11] and the last tube in the array is an outlet [13.] Tube ends are joined by 1800 U-shaped elbows [24,] which are substantially 1800 bends, but may vary by as much as 7 to take up the resulting helical twist. The lengths of each transverse water tube increase in the axial direction corresponding to the increase in diameter of the hyperboloid surface in that direction.

[0054] FIG. 6 shows a top view of a flash boiler of the invention including the helix of water tubes seen in FIG. 5a, which are connected to form a serpentine flow path. FIGS. 5a and 6 together illustrate that for a plurality of water tubes [23] stacked and staggered to form a helical array, almost no flue gas can pass though the flash boiler without contacting at least one water tube. In this embodiment the reservoir is cylindrical both on its exterior surface [3] and its inner revolved surface [2.] The bottom-most straight tube is an inlet [11] communicating with the volume of the reservoir, and the outlet tube [13] passes through the volume without communicating with it. Alternatively, the outlet may pass over the top of the reservoir or it may connect to a superheating coil (not shown) located beneath the inlet to collect additional flame heat before passing out of the system. The fill cap [7] incorporates a pressure relief.

[0055] FIG. 7 shows a rocket stove [30] with a flash boiler of the invention [1] positioned atop its chimney. A cut-away portion [32] reveals a fire [40] burning within the rocket stove, and the draft induced by the shape pf the stove and the venturi effect of a hyperboloid flue passage of the flash boiler burns the fuel very efficiently. This embodiment of the flash boiler includes a fluid inlet [11] and a fluid outlet [13.] Although the incoming fluid in most applications be liquid water, the fluid at the outlet may be heated water, wet steam, or dry steam depending on working fluid flow rate, flue gas flow rate, and temperatures. The output working fluid may this be hot water for domestic use, hot water or steam for space heating, or steam for motive power use.

[0056] FIG. 8 shows a conventional wood stove or pellet stove wherein an embodiment of a flash boiler of the invention [1] is installed in place of a section of common stove pipe. The inlet [11] and outlet [13] in this figure are as described in FIG. 7.

[0057] FIG. 9a shows an embodiment of a flash boiler in accordance with the invention [9] designed to be installed in place of a section of common stove pipe. The outlet is not shown in this view, but instead of an inlet pipe, the water reservoir is filled and replenished from time to time by means of an inlet and fill cap [7.]

[0058] FIG. 9b shows a stylized cross-section view of the flash boiler [1] embodiment of FIG. 9a, further depicting the internal water reservoir or water jacket, and a water tube disposed within a central flue passage and having a serpentine flow path leading to an exit manifold [13.]

[0059] FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of water tube [22] for a flash boiler in accordance with the invention, in which the water tube includes internal and external axial vanes for heat transfer. The vanes are oriented parallel to the central axis of the tube and extend in an axial direction. A plurality of such water tubes is disposed within a passage through the reservoir through which hot flue gas is passed. At least one water tube communicates with said reservoir. Preferably, water tubes are oriented perpendicular to the central axis of the flue passage. The figure shows some vanes [32] extending outwardly in a radial direction from the external surface of the tube, and other vanes [33] extending radially inward from an interior surface of a water tube.

[0060] Although there are vanes in FIG. 10 that extend both inwardly and outwardly, it is within the scope of the invention to use tubes having only interior vanes, or tubes having only exterior vanes. These water tubes may have internal vanes aligned with or staggered from external vanes. They may be manufactured by extrusion or by direct laser metal sintering (DMLS) or by selective laser sintering (SLS.) If extruded, exterior vanes may be machined to produce intermittent gaps and thus create a linear arrays, helical arrays, or staggered arrays of rectangular pin fins. Additionally, DMLS and SLS processes can create linear arrays, helical arrays, or staggered arrays of rectangular pin fins within the interior of the water tube. DMS and SLS can also create perforated vanes for additional heat transfer surfaces.

[0061] FIG. 11 shows an additional embodiment of water tube [22] for a flash boiler in accordance with the invention, in which the water tube includes internal and external axial pin fins for heat transfer. The pin fins are oriented parallel to the central axis of the tube. The figure shows some vanes [35] extending outwardly in an radial direction from the external surface of the tube, and other vanes [36] extending radially inward from an interior surface of a water tube.

[0062] Although there are pin fins in FIG. 11 that extend both inwardly and outwardly, it is within the scope of the invention to use tubes having only interior pin fins, or tubes having only exterior pin fins. These water tubes may have internal pin fins coaxial to or staggered from external pin fins. With currently available technology, they may be manufactured primarily by direct laser metal sintering (DMLS) or by selective laser sintering (SLS) or by lost wax casting, the latter being expensive and requiring long lead times for mold tooling of delicate parts. Exterior and interior pin fins may be disposed about the water tube in linear arrays, helical arrays, or staggered arrays of rectangular pin fins. Additionally, DMLS and SLS processes can create linear arrays, helical arrays, or staggered arrays of rectangular pin fins within the interior of the water tube. Also, although the pin fins shown have round cross sections, other cross sections such as triangles, rectangles, other polygons, lozenges, or ovals are also contemplated within the scope of the invention. Furthermore, DMLS and SLS can also create perforated pin fins for additional heat transfer surfaces.

[0063] DMLS and SLS are known as additive manufacturing processes, whereby typically a CAD or solid modeling program is used to create a three-dimensional model of the part to be created. Another program is used to slice the volume of the model into thin planes called build planes representing the cross section of the part at a given elevation in the model. Proceeding from the lowest to the highest elevation of the part model, a laser sinters fine particles or powdered material together, with each planar sintering pass successively adding material upon the plane beneath it. Additive manufacturing processes can create fins, vanes, pins, and other structures having high rations of surface area to material volume, which is an important factor in heat transfer ability of these features. Additive manufacturing can not only create effective structures and shapes that cannot be machined by other means, but can also create them in places inaccessible to other machining or casting processes.

[0064] The physical part resulting from additive manufacturing has a granular texture which often includes striations which are most pronounced on surfaces that are perpendicular to the build planes. For water tubes in a boiler these striations actually improve heat transfer from flue gas into the working fluid to be boiled or superheated. Thus, additive manufacturing can create general purpose heat transfer tubes and specifically, water tubes for boilers and flash boilers.

[0065] FIG. 12a shows a water tube [22] having a continuous helical fin [41] extending threadwise about the outside of the tube and another continuous helical fin [42] extending within the inside of the tube. FIG. 12b is a cross-section of a tube having two helical fins of equal pitch, one [41] extending threadwise about the outside of the tube and another continuous helical fin [42] extending within the inside of the tube. In FIG. 12b, both fins are part of a single helix extending from the exterior to the interior lumen of the tube. In the case of this best mode, additive manufacturing is superior to casting or molding because casting and molding processes may leave shrink zones or porosities at the juxtaposition of the roots of the internal and external fins. Such a defect would continue in its own helix along the entire length of the tube, and may be an incitement point for material rupture under pressure.

[0066] The helical fins of an embodiment of a water tube of the invention may be of different pitches and may also be of different handedness (i.e, left-hand versus right-hand helix angles,) and they may be staggered or aligned as shown in cross section FIG. 12c, where an external helix [41] and an internal helix [42] have opposite handedness. In this embodiment, the areas where shrink pockets would occur are minimized to intersection points [44] where an internal fin crosses beneath an external fin. In casting or molding, shrink defects would be confined to these intersection points, and not extend through the length of the tube.

[0067] The flash boiler of the invention is contemplated to be manufacturable in any size and scale, from portable camping or emergency use sizes to units which can be placed atop gas ranges or small burners fired by propane or butane, or any other source of open flame or any heat source strong enough to boil water and especially aliquots of water admitted from the reservoir into water tubes near or in contact with any flame or flue gas. The flash boiler of the invention can also be made in larger sizes such as up to several feet in diameter or larger, for use in capturing heat from flare gas, landfill flares, trash or waste incinerators, and geothermal heat sources or sites.

[0068] While certain features and aspects have been described with respect to exemplary embodiments, one skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications are possible. Further, while various methods and processes described herein may be described with respect to particular structural and/or functional components for ease of description, methods provided by various embodiments are not limited to any particular structural and/or functional architecture.

[0069] Hence, while various embodiments are described with or without certain features for ease of description and to illustrate exemplary aspects of those embodiments, the various components and/or features described herein with respect to a particular embodiment can be substituted, added, and/or subtracted from among other described embodiments, unless the context dictates otherwise. Consequently, although several exemplary embodiments are described above, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.