Experimental study on the operating characteristics of an inner preheating transpiring wall reactor for supercritical water oxidation: Temperature profiles and product properties

• Published in: Energy (Oxford) Vol. 66; pp. 577 - 587
• Main Authors: Zhang, Fengming, Xu, Chunyan, Zhang, Yong, Chen, Shouyan, Chen, Guifang, Ma, Chunyuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products; Crude oil, natural gas, oil shales producing equipements and methods; Energy; Enhanced oil recovery methods; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; Heat sources; Heating; Heavy oil recovery; Multiple thermal fluids; Preheating; Product properties; Prospecting and production of crude oil, natural gas, oil shales and tar sands; Reaction time; Reactors; Supercritical water oxidation; Temperature profiles; Transpiring wall reactor; Walls; Heavy oil recovery; Transpiring wall reactor; Temperature profiles; Multiple thermal fluids; Supercritical water oxidation; Product properties; Experimental study; Test facility; Enhanced recovery; Heavy oil
• ISSN: 0360-5442
• DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2014.02.003

A new process to generate multiple thermal fluids by supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) was proposed to enhance oil recovery. An inner preheating transpiring wall reactor for SCWO was designed and tested to avoid plugging in the preheating section. Hot water (400–600°C) was used as auxiliary heat source to preheat the feed to the reaction temperature. The effect of different operating parameters on the performance of the inner preheating transpiring wall reactor was investigated, and the optimized operating parameters were determined based on temperature profiles and product properties. The reaction temperature is close to 900°C at an auxiliary heat source flow of 2.79kg/h, and the auxiliary heat source flow is determined at 6–14kg/h to avoid the overheating of the reactor. The useful reaction time is used to quantitatively describe the feed degradation efficiency. The outlet concentration of total organic carbon (TOCout) and CO in the effluent gradually decreases with increasing useful reaction time. The useful reaction time needed for complete oxidation of the feed is 10.5s for the reactor. •A new process to generate multiple thermal fluids by SCWO was proposed.•An inner preheating transpiring wall reactor for SCWO was designed and tested.•Hot water was used as auxiliary heat source to preheat the feed at room temperature.•Effect of operating parameters on the performance of the reactor was investigated.•The useful reaction time required for complete oxidation of the feed is 10.5s.