Steam generation apparatus and associated control system and methods for providing a desired injection pressure
AssigneeSkavis Corporation
InventorsRandall J. Davis, Charles F. Noll, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The current disclosure relates to a method of steam generation. Particularly, the current disclosure relates to steam generation supply apparati and associated control systems that are used for enhanced oil recovery. Certain embodiments are provided including methods and associated control systems related to the startup as well as main steam pressure header control or maintenance of a desired steam quality for such steam generation systems during normal operation.
Claims10
A method of running an apparatus capable of producing at least one of water and steam at a desired injection pressure to a desired destination, the apparatus including a feedwater supply system that includes a first feedwater pump recirculation control loop that controls a feedwater flow rate based on a measured flow rate, a steam generation system, a delivery system that includes a main steam header pipe that runs from the steam generation system to a destination and a second control loop that controls the feedwater flow rate based on an injection pressure, and a control system that is in operative association or communication with each control loop, the control system comprising a control for the feedwater flow rate and a control for the injection pressure, each control configured for being placed in an automatic mode or a manual mode, the method comprising the following steps:
- determining whether the injection pressure is within acceptable parameters, which comprises the step of determining whether the injection pressure is too low;
- adjusting the feedwater flow rate if the injection pressure is not within acceptable parameters, which comprises the step of increasing the feedwater flow rate to increase the injection pressure;
- determining whether the feedwater flow rate is within acceptable parameters, which comprises determining if the feedwater flow rate is too high;
- and
- adjusting the feedwater flow rate if the feedwater flow rate is not within acceptable parameters, which comprises decreasing the feedwater flow rate,
- wherein the step of determining whether the feedwater flow rate is too high takes precedence over the step of determining whether the injection pressure is too low.
A method of running an apparatus capable of producing at least one of water and steam at a desired injection pressure to a desired destination, the apparatus including a feedwater supply system that includes a first feedwater pump recirculation control loop that controls a feedwater flow rate based on a measured flow rate, a steam generation system and a delivery system that includes a main steam header pipe that runs from the steam generation system to a destination and a second control loop that controls the feedwater flow rate based on an injection pressure, the method comprising the following steps:
- determining whether the injection pressure is within acceptable parameters;
- and
- adjusting the feedwater flow rate if the injection pressure is not within acceptable parameters;
- wherein the second control loop that measures the injection pressure takes precedence over the first feedwater pump recirculation control loop that measures the feedwater flow rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.