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US 12,479,750 B2Granted
Supercritical oxidation of waste
AssigneeBeyond the Dome Inc.
InventorsMatthew Brandon Stroud, Sophie Mancuso
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided herein are methods, systems, and apparatuses for energy-efficient supercritical water oxidation of waste. The supercritical water oxidation processes and systems described herein may incorporate one or more of the following features: compression of large amounts of oxidant for plant-scale operations in an energy-efficient manner; the use of air as an oxidant; using reactor effluent to drive a turbine or other gas expander for energy recovery; and recovery of pressure and heat of reactor effluent. In some embodiments, the systems and methods are energy-neutral or energy-positive.
Claims23
A method comprising:
- compressing an oxidant stream to form a compressed oxidant stream, wherein compressing the oxidant stream is performed with an oxidant stream temperature increase of no more than 100° C.;
- generating, in a supercritical reactor, waste solids and a reactor effluent from an aqueous supercritical waste feed stream and the compressed oxidant stream;
- and
- expanding at least a portion of the reactor effluent to generate work.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- compressing an oxidant stream to form a compressed oxidant stream;
- generating, in a supercritical reactor, waste solids and a reactor effluent from an aqueous supercritical waste feed stream and the compressed oxidant stream;
- and
- expanding at least a portion of the reactor effluent to generate work, wherein the at least a portion of the reactor effluent is non-aqueous.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- generating waste solids and a supercritical reactor effluent from a supercritical waste feed stream;
- cooling the supercritical reactor effluent to form a pressurized mixed phase reactor effluent, the pressurized mixed phase reactor effluent comprising a pressurized liquid phase reactor effluent and a pressurized gas phase reactor effluent;
- separating components of the pressurized mixed phase reactor effluent to form a pressurized liquid phase reactor effluent stream and a pressurized gas phase reactor effluent stream;
- exchanging pressure between the pressurized liquid phase reactor effluent and an aqueous waste feed stream to pressurize the aqueous waste feed stream;
- expanding the pressurized gas phase reactor effluent stream to generate work, wherein the pressurized gas phase reactor effluent stream is non-aqueous.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- compressing an air stream to form a compressed air stream;
- inletting the compressed air stream and a supercritical aqueous waste feed stream to a supercritical reactor;
- generating waste solids and a supercritical reactor effluent in the supercritical reactor;
- exchanging heat between the supercritical reactor effluent and a pressurized aqueous waste feed stream to cool the supercritical reactor effluent to thereby form a pressurized mixed phase reactor effluent and heat the pressurized aqueous waste feed stream to thereby form the supercritical aqueous waste feed stream;
- separating the pressurized mixed phase reactor effluent to form a pressurized gas phase reactor effluent stream and a pressurized liquid phase reactor effluent stream, the pressurized liquid phase reactor effluent stream comprising H2O;
- exchanging pressure between the pressurized liquid phase reactor effluent stream and an aqueous waste feed stream to depressurize the pressurized liquid phase reactor effluent stream and pressurize the aqueous waste feed stream and form the pressurized aqueous waste feed stream;
- and
- inletting the pressurized gas phase reactor effluent stream to a turbine or other gas expander to drive the turbine or other gas expander and generate work, wherein the work is used to compress the air stream.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- compressing an oxidant stream to form a compressed oxidant stream;
- generating, in a reactor, waste solids and a reactor effluent from a waste feed stream and the compressed oxidant stream;
- and
- expanding at least a portion of the reactor effluent to generate work, further comprising exchanging heat between a pressurized waste feed stream, the reactor effluent, and a pressurized gas reactor effluent stream to thereby heat the pressurized waste feed stream to form the waste feed stream and cool the reactor effluent to form a pressurized mixed phase reactor effluent.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.