# US 2021/0276898 A1 · Charging water oxidation reactor using recovered reactor energy > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0276898 A1 - Document ID: US20210276898A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/249,505 - Filed: 2021-03-03 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-03 - Assignees: Sreus Energy, LLC - Inventors: John Troy Kraczek; Gordon Ray Whipple; Paul James Freeman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210276898A1 ## CPC - B01J 3/008: {Processes carried out under supercritical conditions} - C02F 1/74: with air (aeration of stretches of water C02F7/00) - B01J 4/001: {Feed or outlet devices as such, e.g. feeding tubes} - F04B 23/06: the pumps being all of reciprocating positive-displacement type - F04B 39/0011: {liquid pistons} - F04F 1/06: the fluid medium acting on the surface of the liquid to be pumped (F04F1/02 takes precedence) - F23G 5/12: using gaseous or liquid fuel (F23G5/14 takes precedence) - F23K 5/007: {Details} - F23L 7/00: Supplying non-combustible liquids or gases, other than air, to the fire, e.g. oxygen, steam - B01J 2219/00162: controlling the pressure - C02F 2103/10: from quarries or from mining activities - C02F 2201/005: Valves - C02F 2209/03: Pressure - C02F 2303/10: Energy recovery - F23G 2202/30: in a pressurised chamber - F23G 2209/10: Liquid waste - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) - F04F: PUMPING OF FLUID BY DIRECT CONTACT OF ANOTHER FLUID OR BY USING INERTIA OF FLUID TO BE PUMPED {(evacuating by sorption F04B)}; SIPHONS {(conveying materials in bulk by flows of gas, liquid of foam B65G53/00)} - F23G: CREMATION FURNACES; CONSUMING WASTE PRODUCTS BY COMBUSTION - F23K: FEEDING FUEL TO COMBUSTION APPARATUS (fuel feeders specially adapted for fluidised bed combustion apparatus F23C10/22) - F23L: SUPPLYING AIR OR NON-COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS OR GASES TO COMBUSTION APPARATUS IN GENERAL ({air-supply arrangements for fluent fuels F23C;} firebridges with means for feeding air or steam F23M3/04; baffles or shields with air supply passages F23M9/04); VALVES OR DAMPERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CONTROLLING AIR SUPPLY OR DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS {(dampers and throat restrictors for open fire-places F24; air inlet valves for open fire fronts F24)}; INDUCING DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; TOPS FOR CHIMNEYS OR VENTILATING SHAFTS; TERMINALS FOR FLUES ## Abstract A charging system for charging a reactor with air used energy produced by the reactor and includes a vessel having a hollow interior cavity partially filled with a liquid slug, a first air pocket within the cavity on a first side of the liquid slug, and a second air pocket within the cavity on a second side of the liquid slug. The liquid slug forms a water trap seal in the cavity between the two pockets and moves within the vessel in a cycle in which gas is loaded into the first air pocket in a first stroke and gas in the first air pocket is compressed in a second stroke. Movement of the liquid slug during the second stroke is caused by an increasing pressure in the second air pocket due to introduction of high-pressure gas from the reactor into the second air pocket. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A charging system for charging a high-pressure reactor with gas, using energy produced by the high-pressure reactor, the charging system comprising: a vessel having one or more walls that define a hollow interior cavity configured to be partially filled with a liquid slug, a first air pocket within the hollow interior cavity on a first side of the liquid slug, and a second air pocket within the hollow interior cavity on a second side of the liquid slug, wherein the liquid slug forms a water trap seal against the one or more walls that that define the hollow interior cavity between the first and second air pockets; a plurality of values configured to control admission of charge gas into the first air pocket at a pressure lower than an operating pressure of the high-pressure reactor and to extract charge gas from the first air pocket at a pressure higher than the operating pressure of the high-pressure reactor and to control the admission of high-pressure gas from the high-pressure reactor into the second air pocket and to control a release of gas from the second air pocket; and a controller configured to control the operation of one or more of the plurality of values to cause the liquid slug to move within the vessel in a cycle in which charge gas is loaded into the first air pocket in a first stroke of the liquid slug and gas in the first air pocket is compressed in a second stroke of the liquid slug, wherein movement of the liquid slug during the second stroke is caused by an increasing pressure in the second air pocket due at least in part to introduction of high-pressure gas from the high-pressure reactor into the second air pocket, and wherein the movement of the liquid slug during the first stroke is caused by a decreasing pressure in the second air pocket due at least in part to the release of gas from the second air pocket. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, further comprising: a low-pressure air inlet port configured to admit charge gas into the first air pocket, wherein the plurality of values includes a first valve configured to control the admission of charge gas through the low-pressure air inlet port into the first air pocket; a high-pressure air outlet port configured to extract charge gas from the first air pocket for injection into the high-pressure reactor when a pressure in the first air pocket exceeds an operating pressure of the high-pressure reactor by a first threshold, wherein the plurality of values includes a second valve configured to control the extraction of charge gas from the first air pocket; a high-pressure gas inlet port configured to receive high-pressure gas from the high-pressure reactor into the second air pocket, wherein the plurality of values includes a third valve configured to control the admission of high-pressure gas through the high-pressure gas inlet port into the second air pocket; a gas outlet port configured to release gasses from the second air pocket, wherein the plurality of values includes a fourth valve configured to control the extraction of gasses from the second air pocket through the gas outlet port. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The charging system of claim 2, further comprising: a high-pressure, high-temperature liquid inlet port configured to admit high-pressure, high-temperature liquid from the high-pressure reactor into the second air pocket, wherein the plurality of values includes a fifth valve configured to control the admission of high-pressure, high-temperature liquid through the high-pressure, high-temperature liquid inlet port into the second air pocket, wherein movement of the liquid slug during the second stroke is caused by an increasing pressure in the second air pocket due at least in part to the admission of the high-pressure, high-temperature liquid through the high-pressure, high-temperature liquid inlet port into the second air pocket. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The charging system of claim 2, further comprising: a low-temperature liquid inlet port configured to admit low-temperature liquid into the second air pocket, wherein the plurality of values includes a fifth valve configured to control the admission of low-temperature liquid through the low-temperature liquid inlet port into the second air pocket, wherein movement of the liquid slug during the second stroke is caused by an increasing pressure in the second air pocket due at least in part to the admission of the low-temperature liquid through the low-temperature liquid inlet port into the second air pocket when the admitted low-temperature liquid vaporizes within the second air pocket. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The charging system of claim 4, further comprising: a pump configured to supply the low-temperature liquid through the low-temperature liquid inlet port into the second air pocket at a pressure greater than an operating pressure of the high-pressure reactor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, wherein the vessel does not include mechanical moving parts. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, wherein the vessel includes a U-shaped hollow interior cavity, wherein U-shaped hollow interior cavity is configured to define the first air pocket at a top of a first straight leg of the U-shaped hollow interior cavity, to define the second air pocket at a top of a second straight leg of the U-shaped hollow interior cavity, wherein the first and second straight legs are connected by a curved portion of the hollow interior cavity, and is configured to contain the liquid slug in the hollow interior cavity between the first and second air pockets. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, further comprising: a vapor condenser coupled to the second air pocket, wherein the vapor condenser is configured for receiving the gas released from the second air pocket and for condensing liquid contained in the received gas. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, further comprising: a blower configured for pushing air into the first air pocket at a pressure that exceeds atmospheric pressure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, further comprising: a high-pressure liquid outlet port configured to release liquid from the hollow interior cavity into the high-pressure reactor at a pressure that exceeds the operating pressure of the high-pressure reactor, wherein the plurality of values includes a seventh valve configured to control the release of liquid from the hollow interior cavity into the high-pressure reactor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The charging system of claim 10, further comprising: a chamber configured for containing fuel for combustion in the high-pressure reactor, the chamber being coupled to the high-pressure liquid outlet port of the vessel and being coupled to the high-pressure reactor, wherein the chamber is configured to receive liquid released through the high-pressure liquid outlet port of the vessel, to mix the fuel with the released liquid and to deliver a mixture of the fuel and the released liquid to the high-pressure reactor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, further comprising: a pressure transducer coupled to the first air pocket and configured measure a pressure of the first air pocket, wherein the controller is configured to receive a signal from the pressure transducer indicating a pressure of the first air pocket. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, further comprising: a sparger configured for receiving the high-pressure gas from the high-pressure reactor for admission into the second air pocket, wherein the sparger is located such that the high-pressure gas from the high-pressure reactor is emitted from the sparger into the liquid slug at least some time during the cycle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The charging system of claim 13, wherein the sparger is located such that the high-pressure gas from the high-pressure reactor is emitted from the sparger into the second air pocket, when the second air pocket is located above the liquid slug, at least some time during the cycle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, wherein the charging system is one of a plurality of charging systems that are substantially functionally identical, and wherein the plurality of charging systems are coupled by a manifold. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, wherein the charge gas includes air. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, wherein the charge gas includes fuel gas for combustion in the high-pressure reactor. ### Claim 18 A method of charging a reactor with charge gas using energy from the reactor, the method comprising, in a vessel having one or more walls that define a hollow interior cavity partially filled with a liquid slug, a first air pocket within the hollow interior cavity on a first side of the liquid slug, and a second air pocket within the hollow interior cavity on a second side of the liquid slug: (a) drawing charge gas into the first air pocket through a port connected to the first air pocket by dropping a level of the liquid slug below the first air pocket and raising a level of the liquid slug below the second air pocket, wherein the liquid slug forms a water trap seal against the one or more walls that that define the hollow interior cavity between the first and second air pockets; (b) receiving high-pressure gas from a reactor into the second air pocket, wherein receiving the high-pressure gas from a reactor into the second air pocket lowers a level of the liquid slug below the second air pocket and raises a level of the liquid slug below the first air pocket to compress a volume of the drawn-in charge gas in the first air pocket; (c) injecting high-pressure water into the second air pocket, wherein the second air pocket has a temperature that causes the injected water to vaporize and pressurize the drawn-in charge gas in the first air pocket; and (d) injecting the pressurized drawn-in charge gas from the first air pocket into the reactor when a pressure of the first air pocket exceeds an operating pressure of the reactor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: injecting liquid from the liquid slug into the reactor when the pressure of the liquid slug exceeds the operating pressure of the reactor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: injecting the liquid from the liquid slug into a chamber configured for containing fuel for combustion in the reactor, the chamber being coupled to a high-pressure liquid outlet port of the vessel and being coupled to the reactor; mixing the released liquid with the fuel; and delivering a mixture of the fuel and the released liquid to the reactor. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the injected high-pressure water has pressure that exceeds the operating pressure of the reactor. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the injected high-pressure water has a temperature that is lower than a temperature of the second air pocket. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising releasing gas from the second air pocket to a condenser after the level of the liquid slug is lowered below the second air pocket. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: performing (a), (b), (c), and (d), such that the liquid slug cycles within in the hollow interior cavity with an oscillation frequency, wherein the oscillation frequency is within 10% of a natural oscillation frequency of the liquid slug in the hollow interior cavity. ### Claim 25 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the charge gas includes air. ### Claim 26 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the charge gas includes fuel gas for combustion in the reactor.