Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) is a relatively new process for organic waste destruction. It has the potential to be integrated into pulp and paper mills, and other process industries, eliminating many of the “traditional” end-of-pipe discharges to the environment.
Bench and pilot scale SCWO reactors have already demonstrated that they can thoroughly destroy toxic organics in many real waste streams. SCWO is, however, not the “tried and true” technique that most plant operators seek. SCWO involves very complex physical and chemical processes, and will certainly remain a fascinating area of fundamental scientific work. From an economic perspective, the pressing need is for heat transfer, fouling and corrosion data that can be used by engineers to design the most economical SCWO facilities.
To answer some of the practical questions associated with SCWO, the Department of Mechanical Engineering has started a collaborative program with NORAM Engineering and Constructors, partly funded by the BC Science Council.
