Patent ID: 7582269

Claim:
A subsurface, thermally autogenous reactor for effecting a wet oxidation of aqueous wastes, comprising: downgoing means for defining a downgoing flow passage, having a downgoing heat exchange section and a downgoing reaction section below said downgoing heat exchange section, said downgoing heat exchange section extending to a depth sufficient to form a hydrostatic column of said aqueous wastes having a pressure and temperature sufficient to allow said wet oxidation, said downgoing heat exchange section having a selected first cross sectional area, an air injection system connected to said downgoing means between said downgoing heat exchange and reaction sections for injecting compressed air which contains oxygen into said aqueous wastes and to cause said wet oxidation at a pressure that increases the mass of said oxygen to produce increased heat during said wet oxidation and, upgoing means for defining an upgoing flow passage in heat exchange relation to said downgoing means, and having an upgoing heat exchange section and an upgoing reaction section below said upgoing heat exchange section, said upgoing means being in flow communication with said downgoing means such that said aqueous wastes and air flowing down said downgoing means flows back up said upgoing means as a two phase fluid, said upgoing heat exchange section having a selected second cross sectional area that is selected to be significantly greater than said first cross sectional area to slow the velocity of said two phase fluid in said upgoing heat exchange section relative to the velocity of said aqueous wastes in said downgoing heat exchange section to provide a substantially maximum amount of heat transfer from said two phase fluid in said upgoing heat exchange section to said aqueous wastes in said downgoing heat exchange section, and whereby to sustain said wet oxidation without addition of heat from another source.