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US 5,384,051 AGranted
Supercritical oxidation reactor
OwnerThomas G. McGinnessinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for initiating and sustaining an oxidation reaction. A fuel, such as natural gas or hazardous waste, is introduced into a reaction zone within a pressurized containment vessel. A permeable liner is placed within the containment vessel and around the reaction zone. An oxidizer, preferably oxygen, is mixed with a carrier fluid, such as water, and the mixture is heated and pressurized to supercritical conditions of temperature and pressure. The supercritical oxidizer-carrier mix is introduced to the reaction zone gradually and uniformly, over a comparatively large area, by forcing it radially inward through the permeable liner and toward the reaction zone. A means and method for cooling the exhausted by-products and using them as a cleansing rinse are disclosed.
Claims42
A supercritical reactor apparatus comprising:
- a pressure vessel capable of operating at a temperature and pressure in excess of the supercritical temperature and pressure of water;
- a reaction zone enclosed within said pressure vessel;
- a source of at least one fuel;
- means for introducing said fuel into said reaction zone;
- a supply of at least one reactant;
- means for compressing said reactant to said supercritical pressure;
- means for heating said reactant to about said supercritical temperature;
- means for injecting the heated and compressed reactant into said pressure vessel;
- a permeable liner comprising material capable of being permeable to said reactant at a temperature and pressure in excess of the supercritical temperature and pressure of water, said liner disposed between said means for injecting and said reaction zone, and through which said liner said heated reactant is dispersed into said reaction zone thereby inducing a reaction it said supercritical temperature and pressure in said reaction zone with said fuel;
- and
- an exhaust, through which by-products of the reaction exit from said reaction zone.
8 more elements
A supercritical reactor apparatus comprising:
- a pressure vessel capable of operating at a temperature and pressure in excess of the supercritical temperature and pressure of water;
- a reaction zone enclosed within said pressure vessel;
- a source of at least one fuel;
- means for introducing said fuel into said reaction zone;
- a supply of at least one reactant;
- means for compressing said reactant to said supercritical pressure;
- means for heating said reactant to about said supercritical temperature;
- means for injecting the heated and compressed reactant into said pressure vessel;
- a permeable liner disposed between said means for injecting and said reaction zone, and through which said liner said heated reactant is dispersed into said reaction zone thereby inducing a reaction in said reaction zone with said fuel at said supercritical temperature and pressure;
- an exhaust, through which by-products of the reaction exit from said reaction zones;
- and
- means for controllably cooling said exhausted by-products, said means for controllably cooling comprising:
- a permeable exhaust funnel around said exhaust;
- a cooling chamber disposed about said permeable exhaust funnel;
- means for extracting heat from said by-products, thereby cooling said by-products;
- means for moving said exhausted by-products from said exhaust to said heat extraction means;
- means for returning said cooled by-products from said means for extracting heat to said cooling chamber;
- and
- a valve for controllably introducing said cooled by-products into said cooling chamber.
16 more elements
A method of reacting substances under supercritical conditions comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a pressure vessel capable of operating at a temperature and pressure in excess of the supercritical temperature and pressure of water;
- (b) disposing a reaction zone within the pressure vessel;
- (c) placing between the pressure vessel and the reaction zone a permeable liner capable of being permeable to the reactant at a temperature and pressure in excess of the supercritical temperature and pressure of water;
- (d) introducing at least one fuel into the reaction zone;
- (e) compressing at least one reactant to at least the supercritical pressure;
- (f) heating the reactant to at least the supercritical temperature;
- (g) injecting the heated and compressed reactant into the pressure vessel;
- (h) forcing the reactant through the permeable liner, thereby dispersing the heated reactant substantially throughout the reaction zone to induce a reaction with the fuel at said supercritical temperature and pressure;
- and
- (i) exhausting the reaction by-products from the reaction zone.
7 more elements
A method of reacting substances under supercritical conditions comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a pressure vessel capable of operating at a temperature and pressure in excess of the supercritical temperature and pressure of water;
- (b) disposing a reaction zone within the pressure vessel;
- (c) placing a permeable liner between the pressure vessel and the reaction zone;
- (d) introducing at least one fuel into the reaction zone;
- (e) compressing at least one reactant to at least the supercritical pressure;
- (f) heating the reactant to at least the supercritical temperature;
- (g) injecting the heated and compressed reactant into the pressure vessel;
- (h) forcing the reactant through the permeable liner, thereby dispersing the reactant substantially throughout the reaction zone to induce a reaction with the fuel at said supercritical temperature and pressure;
- (i) exhausting the reaction by-products from the reaction zone;
- and
- (j) controllably cooling the exhausted by-products by:
- exhausting the reaction by-products through a permeable exhaust funnel;
- disposing a cooling chamber around the permeable exhaust funnel;
- moving exhausted by-products to a heat exchanger;
- cooling the by-products in the heat exchanger;
- returning the cooled by-products to the cooling chamber;
- controllably introducing the cooled by-products into the cooling chamber;
- and
- forcing the cooled by-product from the cooling chamber through the exhaust funnel.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.