Confined plunging liquid jet reactor with energy recovery

A confined plunging liquid jet reactor with energy recovery, comprising:

• a tank adapted for holding a reservoir of liquid;
• a downcomer, the downcomer being a pipe having an upper end and having an open lower end extending into the tank, the downcomer further having a gas inlet for receiving gas from an external source, the downcomer defining a hollow column;
• a nozzle mounted on the upper end of the downcomer, the nozzle being adapted for receiving a pressurized liquid from an external source and configured to generate a liquid jet directed downward in the hollow column;
• a riser. the riser being a pipe having opposed upper and lower ends, the riser having a greater diameter than the downcomer and being coaxially disposed around the downcomer, the riser extending deeper into the tank than the downcomer, the lower end of the riser being open so that liquid from the liquid reservoir rises into the riser and into the downcomer, the liquid jet creating turbulence in the liquid in the downcomer to entrain at least some of the gas introduced through the gas inlet into the liquid as the jet travels downward through the downcomer, the riser defining an annular air lift column between the riser and the downcomer, liquid and unentrained gas bubbles exiting the downcomer and rising in the air lift column with significant energy;
• a turbine in fluid communication with the upper end of the riser, such that movement of the liquid and unentrained gas in the air lift column drives the turbine;
• and
• an electrical generator coupled to the turbine, the generator being driven by the turbine to recover energy from the flow of liquid and unentrained gas in the air lift column.