US3852192A — Reactor for wet oxidation of organic matter

Claim 1

Independent Claim 231 words

A REACTOR FOR WET OXIDATION OF COMBUSTIBLE ORGANIC MATTER IN SOLUTION OR DISPERSION IN AQUEOUS MEDIUM AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE COMPRISING AN ELONGATE HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED HOUSING HAVING AN INLET AT ONE END PORTION FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THE AQUEOUS MEDIUM FOR WET OXIDATION AND AN OUTLET AT THE OPPOSITE END PORTION FOR THE REMOVAL OF AQUEOUS MEDIUM WHICH HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO WET OXIDATION DURING TRAVEL THROUGH THE HOUSING, VERTICAL WALLS LONGITUDINALLY SPACED IN THE HOUSING TO SUBDIVIDE THE HOUSING INTO A NUMBER OF COMPLETELY SEPARATED COMPARTMENTS, PASSAGES COMMUNICATING ONE COMPARTMENT WITH ANOTHER FOR FLOW OF FLUID THERETHROUGH FROM ONE COMPARTMENT TO THE OTHER AND WHEREBY THE COMPARTMENTS ARE DIVIDED INTO A VAPOR ZONE ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE COMMUNICATING PASSAGE AND A LIQUID ZONE BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE COMMUNICATING PASSAGE, A SOURCE OF OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING THE OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS INTO THE COMPARTMENT, AND AGITATION MEANS IN COMPARTMENTS FOR MAINTAINING THE AQUEOUS MEDIUM UNDER A HIGH STATE OF AGITATION WHEREBY OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS WHICH ACCUMULATES IN THE VAPOR SPACE IS RE-ENTRAINED WITH AQUEOUS MEDIUM, SAID MEANS FOR INTRODUCING THE OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS BEING DISPOSED FOR INTRODUCTION OF SAME IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE ZONE OF AGITATION WHEREBY THE OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS IS REDUCED INTO FINE DROPLETS FOR INTIMATE ASSOCIATION WITH THE ORGANIC MATTER DISSOLVED OR DISPERSED IN AQUEOUS MEDIUM TO PROVIDE REACTIVE OXIDATION SITES.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 231 words

A REACTOR FOR WET OXIDATION OF COMBUSTIBLE ORGANIC MATTER IN SOLUTION OR DISPERSION IN AQUEOUS MEDIUM AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE COMPRISING AN ELONGATE HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED HOUSING HAVING AN INLET AT ONE END PORTION FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THE AQUEOUS MEDIUM FOR WET OXIDATION AND AN OUTLET AT THE OPPOSITE END PORTION FOR THE REMOVAL OF AQUEOUS MEDIUM WHICH HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO WET OXIDATION DURING TRAVEL THROUGH THE HOUSING, VERTICAL WALLS LONGITUDINALLY SPACED IN THE HOUSING TO SUBDIVIDE THE HOUSING INTO A NUMBER OF COMPLETELY SEPARATED COMPARTMENTS, PASSAGES COMMUNICATING ONE COMPARTMENT WITH ANOTHER FOR FLOW OF FLUID THERETHROUGH FROM ONE COMPARTMENT TO THE OTHER AND WHEREBY THE COMPARTMENTS ARE DIVIDED INTO A VAPOR ZONE ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE COMMUNICATING PASSAGE AND A LIQUID ZONE BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE COMMUNICATING PASSAGE, A SOURCE OF OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING THE OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS INTO THE COMPARTMENT, AND AGITATION MEANS IN COMPARTMENTS FOR MAINTAINING THE AQUEOUS MEDIUM UNDER A HIGH STATE OF AGITATION WHEREBY OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS WHICH ACCUMULATES IN THE VAPOR SPACE IS RE-ENTRAINED WITH AQUEOUS MEDIUM, SAID MEANS FOR INTRODUCING THE OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS BEING DISPOSED FOR INTRODUCTION OF SAME IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE ZONE OF AGITATION WHEREBY THE OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS IS REDUCED INTO FINE DROPLETS FOR INTIMATE ASSOCIATION WITH THE ORGANIC MATTER DISSOLVED OR DISPERSED IN AQUEOUS MEDIUM TO PROVIDE REACTIVE OXIDATION SITES.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 15 words

A reactor as claimed in claim 1 in which the housing is of cylindrical shape.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 38 words

A reactor as claimed in claim 1 in which the last compartment has an outlet in communication with the vapor zone in addition to the outlet for removal of aqueous medium which has been subjected to wet oxidation.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 31 words

A reactor as claimed in claim 1 in which the communication passage is at a level at which 10-50 percent of the total volume of the compartment is above the passage.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 31 words

A reactor as claimed in claim 1 in which the communicating passage is at a level at which 15-20 percent of the total volume of the compartment is above the passage.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 33 words

A reactor as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for introduction of the oxygen containing gas is in the immediate vicinity of the highest state of agitation of the liquid phase.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 31 words

A reactor as claimed in claim 1 in which the agitation means comprises a stirrer mounted for rotational movement about a vertical axis in the liquid phase portion of the compartment.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 25 words

A reactor as claimed in claim 7 in which the stirrer is rotated about a vertical axis located in the central portion of the compartment.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 42 words

A reactor as claimed in claim 1 in which the agitation means comprises a pair of vertically spaced stirrers mounted for rotational movement about a vertical axis in the central portion of the compartment with the stirrers located within the liquid zone.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 33 words

A reactor as claimed in claim 7 in which the means for introducing the oxygen containing gas is located immediately below the stirrer for introducing the gas in a direction towards the stirrer.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 80 words

A reactor as claImed in claim 1 in which the passages communicating one compartment with the other comprise a tubular member which extend horizontally from the one compartment to the next, a vertically disposed downpipe in the next compartment having an outlet opening at the upper end portion which extends into the vapor zone and an outlet opening at the bottom end portion which extends below the liquid level, said tubular member communicating with an intermediate portion of the downpipe.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 31 words

A reactor as claimed in claim 1 which includes a heat exchanger within the last compartment through which the aqueous medium is circulated before introduction into the first compartment for reaction.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 54 words

A reactor as claimed in claim 1 which includes means for heat exchange within the first compartment for the introduction of heat sufficient to raise the temperature of the aqueous medium to oxidation reaction conditions and to remove heat from the compartment when an excessive amount of heat is generated by the oxidation reaction.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 156 words

In a process for wet oxidation of organic matter in solution of dispersion in a liquid by reaction with oxygen under elevated temperature and pressure, comprising introducing the liquid in a reaction space comprising a series of reaction zones, each reaction zone having a separate vapor space and liquid space, with the liquid being introduced into the first reaction zone in an amount to maintain the reaction space filled with liquid in each reaction zone to the extent of 50-90 percent of the volume, leaving 10-50 percent of the volume as the vapor space, subjecting the liquid to a high state of agitation in each reaction zone, and introducing oxygen containing gas into the liquid in the vicinity of high agitation whereby undissolved oxygen containing gas is distributed through the liquid as fine droplets while unreacted oxygen containing gas accumulates in the vapor space for continuous re-entrainment with the liquid under the high state of agitation.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 156 words

In a process for wet oxidation of organic matter in solution of dispersion in a liquid by reaction with oxygen under elevated temperature and pressure, comprising introducing the liquid in a reaction space comprising a series of reaction zones, each reaction zone having a separate vapor space and liquid space, with the liquid being introduced into the first reaction zone in an amount to maintain the reaction space filled with liquid in each reaction zone to the extent of 50-90 percent of the volume, leaving 10-50 percent of the volume as the vapor space, subjecting the liquid to a high state of agitation in each reaction zone, and introducing oxygen containing gas into the liquid in the vicinity of high agitation whereby undissolved oxygen containing gas is distributed through the liquid as fine droplets while unreacted oxygen containing gas accumulates in the vapor space for continuous re-entrainment with the liquid under the high state of agitation.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 30 words

A process as claimed in claim 14 in which the vapor space is maintained at about 15-20 percent of the total volume of the reaction space in each reaction zone.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 24 words

A process as claimed in claim 14 in which the oxygen containing gas is introduced into the area of highest agitation in the liquid.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 62 words

A process as claimed in claim 14 in which free radicals generated during the oxidation reaction are transported rapidly under the high state of agitation to oxidative reaction sites prior to expiration of the free radical to expedite the oxidation reaction whereby the reaction can be carried out at a high rate, at lower temperature with a higher percent reduction in COD.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 22 words

A process as claimed in claim 14 in which the reaction is carried out at a temperature within the range of 400*-480*F.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 22 words

A process as claimed in claim 14 in which the reaction is carried out at a temperature within the range of 420*-465*F.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 29 words

A process as claimed in claim 18 in which the reaction is carried out under a pressure of 50-200 psig above the vapor pressure of water at reaction temperature.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 31 words

A process as claimed in claim 14 in which the vapor space provides for automatic control of the reaction by compensating for variation in the rate of oxidation by steam generation.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 46 words

A process as claimed in claim 14 comprising communicating the vapor and liquid space in one reaction zone with the next reaction zone for the transmission of vapor from the vapor space and liquid from the liquid space from the one reaction zone to the other.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 46 words

A process as claimed in claim 22 which includes the step of separating the vapor from the liquid during the transmission from one zone to the other and introducing a separated vapor and liquid into the respective vapor and liquid spaces of the next reaction zone.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 30 words

A process as claimed in claim 22 which includes the step of removing vapor from the vapor space and removing liquid from the liquid space iN the last reaction zone.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 40 words

A process as claimed in claim 24 which includes the step of passing the liquid in heat exchange relation with the effluent gases or liquids from the last reaction zone to preheat the liquid before introduction into the reaction space.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-12-02	1978-06-03	1978-12-03	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-12-02	1982-06-03	1982-12-03	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-12-02	1986-06-03	1986-12-03	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Reactor for wet oxidation of organic matter

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