1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to conventional power plants for the production of steam from a boiler and attendant electrical energy for the operation of turbines and connected electric generators. More specifically, the present invention discloses a multi-steam boiler and electric generator configuration by which a plurality of looped electrical resistance elements are arranged in contact with a steam boiler and by which a portion of the generated electrical power is utilized in heating the electrical resistance elements in the boiler.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In conventional power plants the use of fossil fuels is not only at present costly and ever increasing in price, particularly the oil sources, but the exhausting of the products of combustion into the atmosphere is harmful to the environment and produces a high degree of exhaust pollution. This requires sophisticated and costly equipment for controlling and minimizing such pollution.
Nuclear power is also used to some extent in the production of steam from boilers for operating turbine operated electrical generators. Here there is further danger to the environment and possibilities of pollution and other hazards which have been considered and which are objected to by many people. The problem of disposal of nuclear power wastes and the problems of leakage or accidents is ever present with nuclear powered plants.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,793,831, issued to Tsiklauri et al., teaches a method and apparatus for improving the efficiency and performance of a steam driven power plant. A gas turbine electrical generation system with heat recovery boiler is installed along with a micro-jet high pressure and a low pressure mixer superheater.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,081, issued to Vinko, teaches a steam generator connected to a multi-part steam turbine which drives an electric generator and has intermediate superheaters between the turbine parts. It is driven by steam supplied at supercritical pressure by the steam generator. A second electrical generator is driven by a multi-part gas turbine with multiple expansion and intermediate heating of the turbine gases. The heated turbine gases issuing from the gas turbine are fed to heating surfaces in the steam generator and to a preheater, connected to the latter, for the condensate flowing in the steam circuit back to the steam boiler. The turbine gas heaters integrated with the intermediate superheaters in the steam circuit are formed in a boiler fired with fossil fuels.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,002,488, issued to Blank, teaches an electrically controlled steam engine for use as a substitute for locomotion power for a railway train. Steam as a power for locomotion is produced by electricity derived from a desired source and produced by the use of electric coils for a supply of heat, and heat from internal combustion engines, the latter operating as an agent for actuating certain electric generators.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,033, issued to Wylie, disclosing a process for a steam turbine-generator system which includes a boiler and a train of steam turbines and gas turbine generator system. Exhaust gas from the gas turbine superheats the high pressure steam produced by the boiler in the steam generator system and reheats a steam side stream extracted at an intermediate point on the steam turbine train in the stream generator system after which the reheated steam side steam is fed back into the steam turbine train downstream of the extraction point. The exhaust gas preheats a steam condensate stream formed by condensing the exhaust stream from the downstream steam outlet on the steam turbine train after which the preheated condensate is recycled back to the boiler. The gas turbine exhaust gas superheats the high pressure steam and reheats the steam side stream before it preheats the steam condensate stream.