Generation of steam by impact heating
OwnerRichard E. Ahoinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for generating steam, the apparatus including a source of liquid water, an injector in flow communication with the source of water for injecting liquid water from the source of water at a pressure of at least about 10,000 psia, and an impact chamber having a contact surface onto which the injected water is contacted. upon impact of the injected water with the contact surface of the impact chamber, the injected water undergoes a virtually instantaneous phase transition from the liquid state to a gaseous state following the contact of the water with the contact surface, thereby generating steam.
Claims10
Apparatus for generating steam, comprising:
- a source of liquid water;
- an injector in flow communication with the source of water for injecting liquid water from the source of water at a pressure of at least about 10,000 psia and a hypersonic velocity of at least about 1710 meters per second;
- and
- an unheated impact chamber having an unheated contact surface onto which the injected water is contacted, the impact chamber configured as an inverted funnel, with a smallest dimension of the funnel shape being adjacent the injector and the largest dimension of the funnel shape being spaced from the injector and providing the contact surface;
- wherein, upon impact of the injected water with the contact surface of the impact chamber, the injected water undergoes an instantaneous phase transition from the liquid state to a gaseous state following the contact of the water with the contact surface, thereby generating steam.
A method for generating steam, comprising the steps of:
- providing a source of liquid water;
- providing an injector in flow communication with the source of water;
- providing an unheated impact chamber having an unheated contact surface;
- using the injector to inject liquid water from the source of water at a pressure of at least about 10,000 psia and a hypersonic velocity of at least about 1710 meters per second into the impact chamber for contact with the contact surface;
- wherein, upon impact of the injected water with the contact surface of the impact chamber, the injected water undergoes an instantaneous phase transition from the liquid state to a gaseous state following the contact of the water with the contact surface, thereby generating steam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.