Method and apparatus for the recovery of hydrocarbons

Steam generating means for burning a normally-solid fuel which produces non-combustible solid residues, comprising:

• (a) elongated combustion chambers means having an upstream end, a downstream end and an intermediate section;
• (b) fuel introduction means for introducing said fuel into said upstream end of said combustion chamber as a centrally-disposed axially directed stream moving from said upstream end of said combustion chamber toward said downstream end of said combustion chamber;
• (c) combustion-supporting gas introduction means for introducing a combustion-supporting gas in an amount at least equal to the stoichiometric amount necessary to burn all of said fuel, into said upstream end of said combustion zone as an annular, rotating stream about said fuel and in a manner to produce a rotating, torroidal vortex of said fuel and said combustion-supporting gas moving from said upstream end of said combustion chamber toward said downstream end of said combustion chamber;
• (d) said combustion chamber having a volume sufficient to completely burn all of said fuel before exiting said combustion chamber and, together with said fuel introduction means and said combustion-supporting gas introduction means, to cause said rotating toroidal vortex to collapse in said intermediate section of said combustion chamber and produce an intimate mixture of said fuel and said combustion-supporting gas and plug-type flow through the remaining downstream portion of said combustion chamber;
• (e) said combustion chamber, said fuel introduction means and said combustion-supporting gas introduction means being adapted to produce a heat release rate of at least 7 MM Btu/hr. and a flue gas containing non-combustible solid residues of said fuel;
• (f) a plurality of peripherally-arranged water introduction means for introducing water into said flue gas, as a plurality of radial jets, adjacent the downstream end of said combustion chamber and forming a mixture of said flue gas and water containing said solid residues;
• (g) elongated vaporization chamber means having an upstream end and a downstream end, having said upstream end directly coupled to and in open communication with said downstream end of said combustion chamber and having a volume sufficient to vaporize a major portion of said steam to form a mixture of said flue gas and steam containing said solid residues;
• and
• (h) separator means, in open communication with said vaporization chamber and downstream therefrom, for removing said solid residues from said flue gas and steam to produce a mixture of flue gas and steam essentially free of said solid residues.