Back to results
US 4,926,931 AGranted
Freeze protected, air-cooled vacuum steam condensers
OwnerMichael W. Larinoffinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
OwnerMichael W. Larinoffinventor
Estimating the term…
An improved steam power system comprising a turbine for converting steam energy into mechanical energy upon expansion of steam therein, a boiler for generating steam to be fed to the turbine, and a conduit arrangement coupling the boiler to the turbine input and then coupling the turbine exhaust to the boiler through air cooled steam condensing mechanisms, the condensing mechanisms including a plurality of U-shaped tubes through which the expanded steam flows and is condensed; front header means at the input ends of the tubes located in the cooler ambient air exposed regions of the tubes for receiving exhaust steam from the turbine; rear header means at the output ends of the tubes located in the warmer unexposed regions of the tubes for receiving condensate and non-condensible gasses; and means in the rear headers to remove non-condensible gasses from the rear headers, the tubes being designed and constructed to protect the tubes from freezing for lack of steam by employing a tube arrangement that flows steam from the input headers not only for its exposed single row condensing duty but for a second row as well, the second row being located in the heated and protected unexposed center of the tube bundles thus insuring an additional supply of steam from the inner rows for the exposed tubes in the top and bottom faces of the bundles which require the most protection.
An improved steam power system comprising a turbine for converting steam energy into mechanical energy upon expansion of steam therein, a boiler for generating steam to be fed to the turbine, and a conduit arrangement coupling the boiler to the turbine input and then coupling the turbine exhaust to the boiler through steam condensing mechanisms, the condensing mechanisms including:
Apparatus for condensing steam comprising a plurality of finned U-shaped tubes each having an input end and an output end, a plurality of front headers coupled with the input ends of the tubes and a plurality of rear headers coupled with the output ends of the tubes, the tubes being arranged in pairs with the output ends of each pair being located between its input end and a portion of the other tube of its pair for the thermal protection of the tubes adjacent to their output ends.
For use in condensing steam, input header means, output header means, a plurality of sets of tubes each in a U-shaped configuration and together forming a bundle, each tube having an input length terminating at an input end and an output length terminating at an output end and with a bight therebetween, each tube coupling a front header means with a rear header means and with the lengths arranged in four rows, the input lengths constituting the first and fourth rows and with the output lengths constituting the second and third rows.
For use in condensing steam, input header means, output header means, a plurality of sets of tubes each in a U-shaped configuration and together forming a bundle, each tube having an input length terminating at an input end and an output length terminating at an output end and with a bight therebetween, each tube coupling a front header means with a rear header means and with the output ends of the tubes being positioned between the input lengths of each pair for the thermal protection thereof.
In a device for condensing steam and for removing the non-condensible gasses therefrom, an improved conduit arrangement defining a gas/vapor path inside a bundle extending from an essentially vertical front-supply header to an essentially vertical rear-terminal header with condensing tubes extending essentially horizontally therebetween for steam as it moves from the front header to the rear and last header of the bundle where the non-condensible gasses terminate and collect as residue, the arrangement also including a suction sprayer pipe having a plurality of orifices located inside the rear header, the pipe having a length which spans the breadth of the rear header, the plurality of orifices being located in the immediate vicinity of the tubes with its orifices being positioned with respect thereto for the purpose of inducing the residue gasses leaving each steam condensing tube to flow directly into the sparger for removal from the rear header and then subsequent discharge from the system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.