Patent ID: 8017089

Claim:
An apparatus for conducting supercritical wet oxidation reactions with reactants, the apparatus comprising: a flow line for providing de-mineralized fluid to a supercritical reaction vessel; an introducing chamber disposed within the flow line for buffering the erosive effects of the de-mineralized fluid; and a supercritical reaction vessel having at least one porous vessel wall for physically containing the reaction; wherein the at least one porous vessel wall passes buffered de-mineralized supercritical fluid received from the introducing chamber through the at least one porous vessel wall at a pressure and velocity sufficient to provide a fluid surface to the at least one vessel wall between the at least on vessel wall and the reactants, wherein the supercritical reaction vessel has a tubular primary reaction chamber containing a venturi throat, which is coaxially aligned with the tubular primary reaction chamber, and passages for recirculation of the reactants back through the venturi throat within the supercritical reaction vessel itself, said passages entirely within the tubular primary reaction chamber and surrounding the venturi throat, and wherein said tubular primary reaction chamber, said venturi throat, and said passages are defined by the at least one porous vessel wall providing said fluid surface between the porous vessel wall and the reactants.