Reversible flow supercritical reactor and method for operating same
AssigneeAbitibi-Price Corporation
InventorPhilip Whiting
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Abstract
A supercritical water oxidation reactor is described having first and second reaction zones connected in series and through which an aqueous feed stream to be oxidized can be passed in either direction. A self-contained heat exchange fluid system allows supercritical and subcritical temperatures to be maintained in either reaction zone. When supercritical water oxidation is occuring in one reaction zone the effluent is being cooled to a subcritical temperature and used to flush the second reaction zone to remove inorganic scale.
Claims5
A method of supercritical oxidizing an aqueous feed stream containing organic compounds comprising:
- a) supplying an aqueous feed stream containing organic compounds and an oxidant to a first reaction zone in a reactor having first and second reaction zones connected in series;
- b) transferring heat using a self-contained heat exchange fluid system so as to maintain supercritical conditions in said first reaction zone and subcritical conditions in said second reaction zone to dissolve inorganic scale in said second reaction zone;
- c) periodically reversing the flow of the feed stream through said reactor by supplying the feed stream to said second reaction zone and transferring heat using a self-contained heat exchange fluid system so as to maintain supercritical conditions in said second reaction zone and subcritical conditions in said first reaction zone to dissolve inorganic scale in said first reaction zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.