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US 4,512,336 AGranted
Panel of vapor generating and superheating tubes
AssigneeThe Babcock & Wilcox Company
InventorMurray Wiener
Life of this patent
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AssigneeThe Babcock & Wilcox Company
InventorMurray Wiener
Estimating the term…
A tube panel having both vapor generating and superheating tubes. At least two parallel vapor generating tubes are spaced apart to provide a gap therebetween. A superheating tube is contiguous with each of the two vapor generating tubes and is disposed rearwardly of the gap to span the gap for receiving radiation energy from forward of the gap to assure a proper distribution of incident heat flux among the vapor generating and superheating tubes while eliminating the need for complex and expensive vibration support members for the vapor generating tubes. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, a support member is disposed rearwardly of and adjacent the superheating tube and extends transversely to the longitudinal direction thereof, and the vapor generating tubes are supported by tie bars connected between the respective vapor generating tubes and the respective support member to effectively support the superheating tube between the vapor generating tubes and the support member.
A tube panel comprising at least two parallel vapor generating tubes for receiving radiation energy from forwardly thereof to heat fluid flowing therein to form vapor, each of said vapor generating tubes has a cylindrical outer surface, said cylindrical outer surfaces of said vapor generating tubes are spaced-apart to define a gap having a width, a superheating tube disposed parallel to and contiguous with said cylindrical outer surface of each of said two vapor generating tubes to span said gap for receiving radiation energy from forward of said gap to superheat vapor flowing in said superheating tube, said gap is unobstructed such that insolation may penetrate said gap to be absorbed by said superheating tube, said superheating tube has a diameter which is less than the diameter of either of said vapor generating tubes and is disposed rearwardly of a straight line connecting the centers of said vapor generating tubes such that a major portion of radiation which is emitted by the superheating tube will be absorbed by the vapor generating tubes, and means for supporting said superheating tube in contiguous relation with said vapor generating tubes.
A solar receiver comprising at least one tube panel, said tube panel comprises at least two parallel vapor generating tubes for receiving solar radiation energy from forwardly thereof to heat fluid flowing therein to form vapor, each of said vapor generating tubes has a cylindrical outer surface, said cylindrical outer surfaces of said vapor generating tubes are spaced-apart to define a gap having a width, a superheating tube having a diameter which is less than the diameter of either of said vapor generating tubes, said superheating tube is disposed rearwardly of a straight line connecting the centers of said vapor generating tubes and parallel to and contiguous with said cylindrical outer surface of each of said two vapor generating tubes to span said gap for receiving solar radiation energy from forward of said gap to superheat generated vapor flowing in said superheating tube, said gap is unobstructed such that insolation may penetrate said gap to be absorbed by said superheating tube, and means for supporting said superheating tube in contiguous relation with said vapor generating tubes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.