Advanced Supercritical Water Oxidation Reactor

About this technology

Overview

Innovators at the NASA Glenn Research Center, in conjunction with Case Western Reserve University, have designed the Supercritical Water Oxidation - Flame Piloted Vortex (SCWO-FPV) Reactor. The SCWO-FPV Reactor operates at temperatures and pressures above the thermodynamic critical point of water, enabling organic material to become highly soluble, effectively oxidizing all carbonaceous waste in liquid material introduced into the reactor. NASA's new technology addresses problems that have long plagued SCWO-based systems by implementing an innovative design to limit temperatures on the reactor walls, which minimizes the typical issues of scaling, corrosion, and fouling of heat transfer surfaces. While the SCWO-FPV Reactor is being considered for space exploration missions, it has great potential for a variety of terrestrial applications across many industries, especially for water reclamation, water treatment, and waste destruction in liquid waste streams.