초록 ▼

Disclosed is a catalytic combustor and systems for the boilerless stoichiometric production of a working fluid such as steam from a burn-mixture comprised of a carbonaceous fuel and a diluent. In a preferred burn-mixture, the diluent includes a first portion taken from an emulsion of the fuel and wa

Disclosed is a catalytic combustor and systems for the boilerless stoichiometric production of a working fluid such as steam from a burn-mixture comprised of a carbonaceous fuel and a diluent. In a preferred burn-mixture, the diluent includes a first portion taken from an emulsion of the fuel and water mixed in a thermally self-extinguishing mass ratio, and a second portion taken in an amount from combustion products of a mixture previously combusted to heat the resulting burn-mixture so it combusts in the presence of a catalyst at an adiabatic flame temperature between upper and lower stability limits of the catalyst. Production of the steam is by a controlled substantially stoichiometric process utilizing a combustor to provide steam over a wide range of heat release rates, temperatures and pressures for steam flooding an oil bearing formation. Even though formation characteristics change during a steam flooding operation, output steam of the combustor may be kept at a constant heat release rate by dividing the total amount of water passing through combustor between a first portion which is included in the fuel-mixture and a second portion which is injected into the heated products of combustion. In this way, the linear velocity of the fluid stream passing through the combustor catalyst may be kept within operational limits of the catalyst while maintaining stoichiometric combustion. When necessary, preheating of at least one of the components of the mixture burned in the catalyst is provided by a portion of the heat of combustion.

대표청구항 ▼

An admixture for burning in the presence of a catalyst having upper and lower stability limit temperatures substantailly defining an operating temperature range for the catalyst, said admixture upon introduction to the catalyst comprising, oxidant and fuel components present in substantially stoichi

An admixture for burning in the presence of a catalyst having upper and lower stability limit temperatures substantailly defining an operating temperature range for the catalyst, said admixture upon introduction to the catalyst comprising, oxidant and fuel components present in substantially stoichiometric quantites relative to each other, and a substantially non-conbustible major diluent component comprised of at least one of a substance selected from the group consisting of H2O, CO2, N2 and SO2, said diluent component having a mass ratio relative to said fuel component generally within the range of 5.7:1 to 26.2:1, said components having a thermodynamic temperature equilibrium not substantially less than said lower stability temperature so that said burn-mixture combusts in the presence of the catalyst with an adiabatic combustion temperature within said operating temperature range so as to directly heat said diluent and minor fluid components and thereby to produce a heated working fluid, wherein the adiabatic combustion temperature is the highest possible combustion temperature obtained under conditions that burning occurs in an adiabatic vessel, that burning is complete, and that dissociation does not occur.