Abstract: A supercritical water oxidation vortex reactor has a reactor shell configured to contain a pressurized and heated material including water, a burner assembly configured to create a supercritical core region in the material in the reactor shell, the supercritical core region including water above its critical point, an injector assembly configured to inject into the enclosed volume a subcritical wash stream including water below its critical point and an aspirator arranged in the enclosed volume and configured to remove a processed flow including purified water from an upper portion of the supercritical core region. The supercritical water oxidation vortex reactor is configured with an upward helical flow to transfer precipitated ionic compounds out of the supercritical core region, through a transcritical intermediate region, and into the subcritical wash stream where they re-dissolve.

Abstract: A supercritical water oxidation-flame piloted vortex reactor has a hydrothermal flame produced within the interior of the reactor fed by a fuel including a waste water stream, and has a subcritical wash stream, including water below its critical point, that creates an upward helical flow in the material within the reactor. The hydrothermal flame and upward helical flow produce within the reactor a supercritical core region, a subcritical outer region around the core region, and a transcritical intermediate region between them. The upward helical flow serves to transfer precipitated ionic compounds out of the supercritical core region, through the transcritical intermediate region, and into the subcritical outer region where they re-dissolve. A processed flow, including purified water, is removed from an upper portion of the supercritical core region by an aspirator.