Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for generating steam

US5467424A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
4References
35Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 11, 1994
Grant dateNov 14, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 11, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF22B1/284
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

Apparatus and method for generating steam free of silica-containing droplets. The apparatus makes use of the fractional distillation properties of water/quartz mixtures. At the moderately high pressures and corresponding boiling temperatures which are used in the apparatus, the steam generated from water containing quartz is considerably purer than the water from which it originated. The apparatus includes a boiler supplied with de-ionized water. The boiler has a steam generating chamber and level indicators to provide sensing of overfill and underfill levels, respectively. Steam passes out of the boiler chamber into and through a large number of small vent holes into another chamber containing quartz pieces. Droplets collect on these quartz pieces and either evaporate or gravitate and return to the boiler chamber. All parts of the apparatus of the apparatus are made of quartz except the dump valve body which is constructed from plastic material. A microprocessor-based controller provides the proper sequence of water filling, boiling, automatic level control, heat power level and emptying the water at the end. This is triggered by the controller as appropriate and returns normal an…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.