High pressure, high temperature, on demand water heater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10151508-B2
Application number	US-201615082859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2016
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

A compact, on-demand system to produce high pressure (≤5,000 psig) and high temperature (≤450° C.) water or other liquids which maintains single-phase flow throughout the system utilizing low-cost, thick-wall tubing and thereby negate the requirement to design the unit as a boiler or adhere to coded pressure vessel design requirements. This design can also replace a conventional boiler for the generation of hot water as well as low and high pressure steam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A high pressure, high temperature water heater system comprising:
a pump providing pressurization of water;
an accumulator in fluid connection with the pump, wherein the accumulator dampens pulsations and pressure spikes produced by the pump to provide a constant, even flow of water;
a first-stage water heater in fluid connection with the pump, wherein the first-stage water heater comprises a heater liner enclosing a tubing and a plurality of high watt density heaters wherein the tubing is a coiled arrangement and surrounding the plurality of the high watt density heaters, the heater liner further includes a thermally conductive powder in contact with the tubing and high watt density heaters to facilitate efficient heat transfer from the high watt density heater to water in the tubing and the tubing is sized to create a turbulent flow of the water at a Reynolds number of at least 2000 at the operational flowrates of the pump;
a second-stage inline water heater in fluid connection with the first-stage water heater and including an annular flow path sized to create a turbulent flow of the water at a Reynolds number of at least 2000 at the operational flowrates of the pump;
a backpressure regulator in fluid connection with the second-stage inline water heater, wherein the backpressure regulator handles single and multiphase flow; and
a fluid output.

2. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 1 , further comprising a water softener to reduce mineral content of water.

3. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 1 , wherein the pump comprises a positive-displacement variable speed, variable stroke piston pump.

4. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 1 , wherein the tubing is sized to minimize nucleation and film boiling and allow for higher rates of heat transfer at the operational flowrates of the pump.

5. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive powder comprises copper.

6. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 1 , further comprising a band heater positioned around the heater liner and the tubing.

7. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 1 , further comprising an insulated container and insulation surrounding the heater liner.

8. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 1 , further comprising a check valve to prevent fluid backflow and pressure loss during operation of the high pressure, high temperature water heater.

9. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of an isolation valve and a diverting valve which can be used during start-up and shutdown.

10. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure safety valve in fluid connection with a discharge of the first-stage water heater.

11. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 1 , wherein the second-stage inline water heater comprises a pair of heaters connected serially and with each of the pair of heaters enclosed by a process tubing allowing water to pass between an outer surface of the respective heater and an inner surface of the process tubing.

12. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure switch to switch off power to at least one of the first-stage water heater and the second-stage inline water heater when either a pressure rises above a high pressure level or falls below a low pressure level.

13. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 1 , further comprising a second back pressure regulator.

14. A high pressure, high temperature water heater system comprising:
a positive-displacement, variable speed, variable stroke piston pump providing water;
an accumulator in fluid connection with the positive-displacement variable speed, variable stroke piston pump, wherein the accumulator dampens pulsations and pressure spikes produced by the positive-displacement variable stroke piston pump to provide a constant, non-pulsating flow of water;
a first-stage high watt density water heater connected downstream of the pump, the first-stage high watt density water heater including a heater liner enclosing a coiled arrangement of tubing surrounding a plurality of high watt density heaters and a conductive powder in contact with the tubing and the high watt density heaters to facilitate heat transfer from the high watt density heaters to water flowing within the tubing and wherein the tubing is sized to create turbulent flow of the water at a Reynolds number of at least 2000 at the operational flowrates of the pump to enable efficient heat removal from walls of tubing to the water flowing in the tubing;
a second-stage inline water heater connected downstream of the first-stage water heater and including an annular flow path sized to create a turbulent flow of the water at a Reynolds number of at least 2000 at the operational flowrates of the pump; and
a backpressure regulator connected downstream of the second-stage inline water heater, wherein the backpressure regulator handles single and multiphase flow.

15. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 14 , wherein the first-stage high watt density water further comprises a band heater positioned around the heater liner.

16. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 14 , further comprising an insulated container and an insulation surrounding the heater liner.

17. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 14 , further comprising a check valve to prevent fluid backflow and pressure loss during operation of the high pressure, high temperature water heater.

18. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 14 , further comprising at least one of an isolation valve and a diverting valve which can be used during start-up and shutdown.

19. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 14 , further comprising a pressure safety valve in fluid connection with a discharge of the first-stage water heater.

20. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 14 , wherein the second-stage inline water heater comprises a pair of heaters connected serially and assembled such that for each heater of the pair of heaters has an outer surface fully enclosed by process tubing and thereby contacting the water.

21. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 14 , further comprising a pressure switch to switch off power to at least one of the first-stage water heater and the second-stage inline water heater when either a pressure rises above a high pressure level or falls below a low pressure level.

22. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 14 , further comprising a second back pressure regulator.

23. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 14 , further comprising a water vaporizer connected to a fluid output, the water vaporizer including a chamber with a heater positioned adjacent to a wall of the chamber.

24. The high pressure, high temperature water heater system of claim 1 , further comprising a water vaporizer connected to the fluid output, the water vaporizer including a chamber with a heater positioned adjacent to a wall of the c

Assignees

• Irvin James H
• Farthing William E
• Felix Larry G
• Snyder Todd R
• Gas Technology Inst

Inventors

• Irvin James H
• Farthing William E
• Felix Larry G
• Snyder Todd R

Classifications

• F22B37/62

  specially adapted for steam boilers of forced-flow type · CPC title

• F24H1/107

  using fluid fuel · CPC title

• F24H1/08 Primary

  Packaged or self-contained boilers, i.e. water heaters with control devices and pump in a single unit · CPC title

• F22B23/00

  Water-tube boilers built-up from sets of spaced double-walled water tubes of return type in unilateral abutting connection with a boiler drum or with a header box, i.e. built-up from Field water tubes comprising an inner tube arranged within an outer unilaterally-closed tube · CPC title

• F24H9/1818

  Arrangement or mounting of electric heating means · CPC title