GB1397435A - Regenerative vapour power plant - Google Patents

Abstract

1397435 Power-plant F R HULL 25 Aug 1972 39614/72 Heading F1Q [Also in Division F4] In a vapour generation power-plant, a vapour generator 10-21 and a heat engine 23 operate in conjunction with a regenerative feed liquid heater 44 in which feed water is passed by a pump 39 to an accelerating nozzle of the heater and expanded heating vapour is passed via a regulating valve 46 into the heater; direct contact parallel stream mixing occurring between the high velocity liquid and the low velocity vapour to provide pre-heated feed water for the vapour generator. The regenerative cycle shown in Fig. 1 passes steam evaporated in tubes 15 and super-heated in tubes 20 to turbine 23; the turbine exhaust being condensed at 31, passed through de-aerating heater 35 and through a water jet ejector 38 which serves as a low-pressure feedpump booster to prevent cavitation in the main pump 39. Two forms of contact feed heater are described. In Fig. 2 high-pressure feed water enters through pipe 56 and reaches a high velocity/low-pressure state in nozzle passage 57; low-pressure steam extracted from the turbine being diffused to low velocity in chamber 58 and mixed with the liquid in parallel flow in area 59. In Fig. 4 passage 76 creates the high velocity/low-pressure state of the feed water and the steam is diffused in passage 77 before mixing in area 83. Both forms of heater deliver boiler feed water at the approximate saturation enthalpy. Various modifications of the basic cycle shown in Fig. 1 are described. The output of the contact feed heater can be raised to high-pressure by a further feed pump (306), Fig. 10 (not shown) and then heated by an additional contact feed heater (213) to discharge feed water at the saturation enthalpy of a higher pressure cycle. A number of contact feed heaters (116, 120, 124), Fig. 8 (not shown) can be connected in parallel between a common feedpump and a common boiler, receiving heating vapour from a common heat engine; or parallel connected contact feed heaters (166, 170), Fig. 9 (not shown) receiving feed liquid at a common pressure and delivering to a common boiler can be connected to receive heating vapour from separate heat engines. In modifications particularly adapted for a multiple steam power-plant system e.g. to be used on board ship, a number of regenerative cycles as shown can be connected in parallel for alternate use with a common steam generator Fig. 11 (not shown); or a number of steam generators can be connected in parallel for alternate use in a single cycle Fig. 12 (not shown). Fig. 13 shows a multi-engine arrangement for application to automotive or other mobile powerplant systems in which a monotube vapour generator 294 supplies vapour to both a positive displacement type engine i.e. piston and cylinder engine 309, and to a non-positive displacement type engine i.e. turbine 301; feed liquid being produced in a condenser 315 which is cooled by a fan driven by engine 309 and each engine supplying heating expanded vapour to separate contact feed heaters 324, 333. A set of valves 304, 338, 306 enables either or both the engines to be used, for example, engine 309 could be used while driving at variable speeds, using engine 301 as an overdrive for constant speed operation; alternatively engine 309 could provide motive power while engine 301 drove an alternator.