Internal platelet heat source and method of use in a supercritical water oxidation reactor

An apparatus for the supercritical water oxidation of organic waste material comprising:

• a compound platelet tube reactor which comprises inner and outer platelet tubes supported concentrically within an outer shell, said compound reactor comprising, at least for part of its length, three elongated chambers:
• (i) a central chamber within the inner platelet tube, (ii) an outer annular chamber defined by the outer surface of the outer platelet tube and the inner surface of the reactor shell and (iii) an inner annular chamber comprising a reaction zone and defined by the outer surface of the inner platelet tube and the inner surface of the outer platelet tube, said inner and outer platelet tubes being formed from a plurality of thin plates assembled into tube shapes and provided with a plurality of fluid passages, which permit the flow of fluid into the reaction zone through a plurality of apertures;
• means for feeding a pressurized aqueous reaction mixture of the waste material and an oxidant source at ambient temperature to the reaction zone;
• means for feeding supercritical water to at least one point along said outer annular chamber and to said central chamber such that supercritical water is injected into the reaction zone from both said outer annular chamber and from said central chamber, forming thin films of protective supercritical water over substantially the entire surfaces which define the reaction zone and heating the mixture of waste material and oxidant to reaction temperature;
• and
• means for removing a resulting reaction product from said reaction zone.