Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO): An Overview
At AquaNova Technologies, we are proud to present our "next generation" TWR-SCWO™ technology, which safely and reliably harnesses the power of Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) for efficient waste treatment, power generation and resource recovery.
Understanding the Supercritical Water Oxidation Process
Supercritical Water Oxidation ("SCWO") is an advanced thermal oxidation technology that leverages water above its critical point (374°C and 221 bar) and air to produce a rapid and complete oxidation reaction.
SCWO is a proven technology for destroying a wide variety of hazardous organic wastes and other toxic compounds.
Our patent-pending TWR-SCWO™ technology is also capable of efficiently generating electric power and safe byproducts that can be recovered and reused.
Safety & Reliability
SCWO, like other high-pressure technologies, requires world-class engineering, project management & manufacturing expertise to build systems capable of ensuring safe and reliable operation. Our focus is on industrial-scale applications for demanding customers requiring world-class quality and performance. Our team of experienced engineers and designers are expert in designing and building high-pressure equipment and systems for the most demanding industrial process applications, in strict accordance with national, industry and customer standards.
The TWR-SCWO™ Advantage
Our "next generation" TWR-SCWO™ technology provides unparalleled reliability, safety and operational flexibility. The TWR, or "transpiring-wall reactor", is designed to overcome multiple failure modes of laboratory-type tubular reactors, specifically: fouling & plugging by solids, corrosion, and thermal damage to the reactor tube due to hydrothermal flame impingement.
The TWR-SCWO™ reactor includes:
1) A vertical pressure vessel within which is mounted a permeable reaction-containment liner. A transpiration medium (typically water) flows radially inwards from the surrounding annulus, through the permeable liner, and into the reaction zone. The radially-inward flow cools the liner and resists deposition of solids on the inner surface. The reaction-containment liner is manufactured from a suitable material resistant to both corrosion and high temperature. The reaction-containment liner prevents the outer pressure vessel from being exposed to the high temperatures and corrosive environment within the reaction zone. The TWR-SCWO™ reactor is capable of significantly higher reaction temperature and destruction efficiency than other reactor types.
2) A quench cooler mounted below the permeable liner. A cool quenching medium (typically water) is injected into the hot reaction byproducts, cooling these byproducts to subcritical temperature. This results in a 2-phase vapor/liquid mixture, plus any free solids that might be present. The quenching medium can be dosed with, for example, a suitable agent to neutralize any corrosive reaction byproducts.
NOTE: Patent-pending features are not shown in the diagram.