High-Pressure Fluid Compression System Utilizing Cascading Effluent Energy Recovery

Abstract

A high-pressure system and method utilizing an input fluid. The system includes a reactor treating a material to produce an effluent having an energy content, a plurality of stages compressing the input fluid in a stepwise manner providing a high-pressure reactor input stream to the reactor, and a cascading effluent energy recovery system mechanically communicating with the plurality of stages. The cascading effluent energy recovery system imparts a portion of the energy content of the effluent into each of the plurality of stages powering that stage. The method includes receiving an input fluid, compressing the input fluid over a plurality of stages producing the high-pressure stream, providing the high-pressure stream to the reactor, recovering a portion of the energy content of the effluent at each of the plurality of stages, and using each the portion of the energy in compressing the input fluid at a corresponding respective stage.

1 . A system utilizing an input fluid, comprising:
 a continuous reaction reactor for converting an input material using the input fluid so as to produce an effluent having an energy content of a first energy type; and   a plurality of compression stages, located in series with one another, for compressing the input fluid in a stepwise manner so as to provide a pressurized reactor input stream to said continuous reaction reactor; and   a cascading effluent energy recovery system mechanically communicating with each of said plurality of compression stages, said cascading effluent energy recovery system for imparting a first portion of said energy content of said effluent into each of said plurality of compression stages so as to power that one of said plurality of compression stages.   
   
   
       2 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of compression stages includes a corresponding respective plurality of compressors and said cascading effluent energy recovery system includes a plurality of expansion turbines for respectively driving said plurality of compressors. 
   
   
       3 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein each of fewer than all of said plurality of compression stages includes an energy converting device for selectively powering the corresponding one of said plurality of compressors during periods of insufficient power from the corresponding one of said plurality of expansion turbines or converting an excess of said portion of said energy content into a second energy type different from said first energy type during periods of excess power from the corresponding one of said plurality of expansion turbines. 
   
   
       4 . A system according to  claim 3 , wherein said energy converting device comprises a motor/generator. 
   
   
       5 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of compression stages includes at least three compression stages. 
   
   
       6 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger fluidly located between successive ones of said plurality of compression stages, said heat exchanger for removing heat from the input fluid. 
   
   
       7 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said continuous reaction reactor comprises a supercritical water oxidation reactor. 
   
   
       8 . A system utilizing an input fluid, comprising:
 a continuous self-sustaining chemical process reactor for converting a continuous feedstock using the input fluid so as to produce an effluent having an energy content of a first energy type, said continuous self-sustaining chemical process reactor having a first inlet for receiving the continuous feedstock and a second inlet for receiving a compressed version of the input fluid;   a first early compression stage comprising:
 a first early stage compressor for compressing the input fluid; 
 a first early stage expansion turbine for recovering a first portion of said energy content of said effluent, said first early stage expansion turbine mechanically linked to said first early stage compressor for at least partially driving said first compressor; and 
 a first motor/generator mechanically linked to each of said first early stage compressor and said first early stage expansion turbine, said first motor/generator selectively powering said first early stage compressor during periods of insufficient power from said first early stage expansion turbine and converting an excess of said energy content into electricity during periods of excess power from said first early stage expansion turbine; and 
   a latter compression stage located downstream from said first early compression stage and upstream from said continuous self-sustaining chemical process reactor and in fluid communication with said second inlet, said latter compression stage comprising:
 a latter stage compressor for further compressing the input fluid; and 
 a latter stage expansion turbine for recovering a second portion of said energy content of said effluent, said latter stage expansion turbine mechanically linked to said latter stage compressor for driving said latter stage compressor. 
   
   
   
       9 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein said continuous self-sustaining chemical process reactor comprises a supercritical water oxidation reactor. 
   
   
       10 . A system according to  claim 8 , further including a second early compression stage located downstream of said first early compression stage and upstream of said latter compression stage, said second early compression stage comprising:
 a second early stage compressor for further compressing the input fluid relative to said first compressor;   a second early stage expansion turbine for recovering a third portion of said energy content of said effluent, said second early stage expansion turbine mechanically linked to said second early stage compressor for at least partially driving said second early stage compressor; and   a second motor/generator mechanically linked to each of said second early stage compressor and said second early stage expansion turbine, said second motor/generator selectively powering said second early stage compressor during periods of insufficient power from said second early stage expansion turbine or converting an excess of said energy content into electricity during periods of excess power from said second early stage expansion turbine.   
   
   
       11 . A system according to  claim 8 , further comprising at least one heat exchanger located downstream from said first early stage compressor and upstream from said latter stage compressor, said at least one heat exchanger for removing heat from the input fluid following compression of the input fluid. 
   
   
       12 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein said continuous self-sustaining chemical process reactor includes a third inlet for receiving an additive for assisting the converting of the feedstock. 
   
   
       13 . A method of converting a feedstock, comprising:
 providing the feedstock to a continuous reaction reactor;   simultaneous with said providing the feedstock, providing a pressurized stream of an input fluid to the continuous reaction reactor so as to produce, from the continuous reaction reactor, a non-pulsed effluent having an energy content, said providing the pressurized stream including:
 receiving the input fluid; 
 compressing the input fluid over a plurality of compression stages so as to produce the pressurized stream of the input fluid; 
 providing the pressurized stream to the continuous reaction reactor; 
 recovering a portion of the energy content of the effluent at each of the plurality of compression stages; and 
 using each portion of the energy content in compressing the input fluid at a corresponding respective one of the plurality of compression stages. 
   
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein said recovering the portion of the energy content of the effluent at each of the plurality of compression stages includes passing at least a portion of the effluent through an expansion turbine. 
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein said compressing the input fluid over the plurality of compression stages includes passing the input fluid through a series of compressors, wherein the expansion turbine at each of the plurality of compression stages at least partially drives a corresponding one of the series of compressors. 
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 13 , further comprising supplementing the portion of the energy content of the effluent at each of fewer than all of the plurality of compression stages with additional power for compressing the input fluid or converting an excess of the portion of the energy content into another form of energy. 
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein said supplementing or recovering includes, respectively, externally powering an electric motor/generator and driving said motor/generator with the excess. 
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein said recovering the portion of the energy content of the effluent at each of the plurality of compression stages includes passing at least a portion of the effluent through an expansion turbine. 
   
   
       19 . A method according to  claim 13 , further comprising, simultaneously with said providing the feedstock, providing an additive to assist with the converting of the feedstock. 
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 13 , further comprising a step of removing heat from the input fluid after one or more of the plurality of compression stages.