Pollution-free low temperature slurry combustion process utilizing the super-critical state

A continuous pressurized combustion process for hydrophilic fuels characterized by a content of bound water, not separable by mechanical means, in excess of 35 weight precent comprising the steps of:

• preparing an aqueous slurry of hydrophilic fuel particles;
• pressurizing the fuel slurry;
• preheating the fuel slurry to a temperature at which the molecular structure of the fuel undergoes a spontaneous modification, freeing formerly bound water:
• separating freed water, forming a concentrated fuel slurry;
• pressurizing an oxygen-containing gas;
• mixing the concentrated fuel slurry and the oxygen-containing gas at the entrance to an inlet zone of an elongated combustion reactor;
• permitting the modified fuel particles to burn at a temperature not exceeding 1600.degree. F. as the mixture flows from the inlet zone to the reactor outlet, under a water vapor pressure, measured at the outlet, of at least 3 atmospheres, forming gaseous and entrained solid combustion products;
• cooling the combustion products at essentially combustion pressure, by extracting useful heat therefrom, to a temperature below their dewpoint;
• and
• separating from uncondensed gaseous products an aqueous condensate containing suspended and dissolved solid products.