초록 ▼

A continuously flowing fluid is processed by being fed to the top of a hydraulic downdraft column (17) which is of a height such that the pressure at the bottom thereof will approximately be at the pressure necessary to create supercritical water conditions. The fluid is conducted to the bottom of t

A continuously flowing fluid is processed by being fed to the top of a hydraulic downdraft column (17) which is of a height such that the pressure at the bottom thereof will approximately be at the pressure necessary to create supercritical water conditions. The fluid is conducted to the bottom of the column (17) and received in a reaction chamber (21) in which the majority of the fluid is recirculated around an annular baffle plate (24). The material in the reaction chamber (21) is heated to a temperature above that necessary to create supercritical water conditions by an independent reaction taking place in a heating chamber (32). The result is that the fluid will undergo chemical reactions at the supercritical temperature and pressure range and will be of a lower specific gravity than the unprocessed fluid. The material not being recirculated in the chamber (21) is fed to one of two updraft columns (30, 31), a start-up column (30) used to preheat the material in the downdraft column (17) during initiation of the process, and a second column ( 31) isolated from the downdraft column (17) so as not to transmit any heat thereto during normal operation of the process. The temperature of the fluid in the downdraft column (17) is thereby controlled to prevent decomposition of the material until the fluid enters the reaction chamber (21) at which time it is abruptly brought up to the supercritical water temperature.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of processing a continuously flowing fluid material comprising the steps of feeding the fluid to the top of a hydraulic downdraft column; conducting the fluid from the bottom of the hydraulic downdraft column into a reaction chamber; maintaining the pressure in the reaction chamber at appro

A method of processing a continuously flowing fluid material comprising the steps of feeding the fluid to the top of a hydraulic downdraft column; conducting the fluid from the bottom of the hydraulic downdraft column into a reaction chamber; maintaining the pressure in the reaction chamber at approximately the pressure necessary to create supercritical water conditions; heating the fluid in the reaction chamber to maintain the temperature of the fluid above the temperature necessary to create supercritical water conditions; said heat and pressure causing a chemical reaction to take place in the reaction chamber resulting in a processed fluid of lower specific gravity; recirculating a portion of the processed fluid in the reaction chamber; conducting the remainder of the processed fluid to the bottom of a hydraulic updraft column whereby the pressure at the bottom of the updraft column causes the remainder of the processed fluid to rise therein; and removing the remainder of the processed fluid from the top of the updraft column.