Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
115 words
A process of purifying waste water including organic matter by wet oxidation under supercritical conditions comprising the steps of preheating the water, mixing the water with a fuel to form a water-fuel combined mixture, directing the mixture and an oxygenous fluid to a supercritical zone formed in a central region of a tubular reactor, surrounding the supercritical zone with a by-pass flow formed of cooling water to thereby form a subcritical zone surrounding the supercritical zone, reacting the combined mixture and oxygenous fluid in the supercritical zone so that a flame is formed, entraining reaction products formed in the reactor in the cooling water, and removing the cooling water/and reaction products therein from the reactor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
115 words
A process of purifying waste water including organic matter by wet oxidation under supercritical conditions comprising the steps of preheating the water, mixing the water with a fuel to form a water-fuel combined mixture, directing the mixture and an oxygenous fluid to a supercritical zone formed in a central region of a tubular reactor, surrounding the supercritical zone with a by-pass flow formed of cooling water to thereby form a subcritical zone surrounding the supercritical zone, reacting the combined mixture and oxygenous fluid in the supercritical zone so that a flame is formed, entraining reaction products formed in the reactor in the cooling water, and removing the cooling water/and reaction products therein from the reactor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A process according to claim 1 including the step of providing the fuel as a gaseous fuel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
A process according to claim 2 wherein the gaseous fuel includes methane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process according to claim 3 wherein the gaseous fuel consists substantially of methane only.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process according to claim 1 including the step of preparing the oxygenous fluid by mixing water and a gas including oxygen to form a single-phase mixture thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process according to claim 5 wherein the gas consists of substantially oxygen only.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
A process according to claim 1 including the step of providing a burner nozzle, and wherein the step of directing comprises flowing the mixture and the oxygenous fluid separately of each other to a discharge opening of the nozzle, and discharging the mixture and the oxygenous fluid from the opening to form the flame.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
53 words
A process according to claim 1 including the step of providing a burner nozzle, and wherein the step of directing comprises the steps of combining the mixture and the oxygenous fluid in the nozzle and discharging the combined mixture and oxygenous fluid from a discharge opening of the nozzle to form the flame.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process according to claim 8 including the step of forming a pilot flame proximate the discharge opening of the nozzle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein the tubular reactor is a cylindrical reactor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process according to claim 10 including the step of imparting a rotary motion about an axis of the reactor to the by-pass flow of cooling water.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process according to claim 1 including the step of preparing the oxygenous fluid which comprises flowing water to the reactor and entraining oxygen in the water for sustaining the reacting step.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein the step of surrounding comprises flowing cooling water from a cooling water source to the reactor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
A process according to claim 13 including the step of diverting a portion of the cooling water upstream of the reactor and using the diverted water in a step of preparing the oxygenous fluid by entraining the oxygen therein.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
115 words
A process of purifying waste water including organic matter by wet oxidation under supercritical conditions comprising the steps of mixing the water with a fuel to form a water-fuel mixture, preparing an oxygenous fluid by mixing water with a gas including oxygen, directing the mixture and the oxygenous fluid to a supercritical zone formed in a central region of a cylindrically shaped reactor, enveloping the supercritical zone with a by-pass flow formed of cooling water to thereby form a subcritical zone surrounding the supercritical zone, reacting the combined mixture and oxygenous fluid in the supercritical zone and forming a flame, and removing reaction products formed in the reactor and the cooling water from the reactor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
115 words
A process of purifying waste water including organic matter by wet oxidation under supercritical conditions comprising the steps of mixing the water with a fuel to form a water-fuel mixture, preparing an oxygenous fluid by mixing water with a gas including oxygen, directing the mixture and the oxygenous fluid to a supercritical zone formed in a central region of a cylindrically shaped reactor, enveloping the supercritical zone with a by-pass flow formed of cooling water to thereby form a subcritical zone surrounding the supercritical zone, reacting the combined mixture and oxygenous fluid in the supercritical zone and forming a flame, and removing reaction products formed in the reactor and the cooling water from the reactor.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
A process according to claim 15 including the step of preheating the water which forms the mixture.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
54 words
A process according to claim 15 including the step of providing a burner nozzle, and wherein the step of directing comprises flowing the mixture and the oxygenous fluid separately of each other to a discharge opening of the nozzle, and discharging the mixture and the oxygenous fluid from the opening to form the flame.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
53 words
A process according to claim 15 including the step of providing a burner nozzle, and wherein the step of directing comprises the steps of combining the mixture and the oxygenous fluid in the nozzle and discharging the combined mixture and oxygenous fluid from a discharge opening of the nozzle to form the flame.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
127 words
A process of purifying waste water including organic matter and salt by wet oxidation under supercritical conditions comprising the steps of mixing the water with a fuel to form a water-fuel mixture, preparing an oxygenous fluid including oxygen, directing the mixture and the oxygenous fluid to a supercritical zone formed in a central region of a tubular reactor, enveloping the supercritical zone with a by-pass flow formed of cooling water to thereby form a subcritical zone surrounding the supercritical zone, reacting the combined mixture and oxygenous fluid in the supercritical zone so that a flame is formed, precipitating the salts during the reaction in the supercritical zone, transporting the precipitated salts to the subcritical zone, and removing the precipitated salts and the cooling water from the reactor.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
127 words
A process of purifying waste water including organic matter and salt by wet oxidation under supercritical conditions comprising the steps of mixing the water with a fuel to form a water-fuel mixture, preparing an oxygenous fluid including oxygen, directing the mixture and the oxygenous fluid to a supercritical zone formed in a central region of a tubular reactor, enveloping the supercritical zone with a by-pass flow formed of cooling water to thereby form a subcritical zone surrounding the supercritical zone, reacting the combined mixture and oxygenous fluid in the supercritical zone so that a flame is formed, precipitating the salts during the reaction in the supercritical zone, transporting the precipitated salts to the subcritical zone, and removing the precipitated salts and the cooling water from the reactor.