Oxy-combustor operable with supercritical fluid

1. An oxy-combustor, comprising:

a combustion vessel including at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port, at least one oxygen inlet port and at least one supercritical fluid inlet port;

wherein the combustion vessel is operable at an operating pressure of at least 1,100 psi;

wherein an interior of the combustion vessel comprises a combustion chamber and a supercritical fluid infusion chamber at least partially surrounding the combustion chamber;

wherein the supercritical fluid infusion chamber and the combustion chamber are separated by a porous liner surrounding the combustion chamber; and

wherein the supercritical fluid infusion chamber is located between the porous liner and an outer casing of the combustion vessel.

2. The oxy-combustor of claim 1 wherein:

the supercritical fluid infusion chamber is in fluid communication with at least one supercritical fluid inlet port containing a supercritical fluid; and

the supercritical fluid inlet port receives the supercritical fluid from a supercritical fluid recirculation loop which recycles the supercritical fluid from flue gas.

3. The oxy-combustor of claim 1 wherein:

the porous liner comprises a plurality openings arranged to introduce the supercritical fluid from the supercritical fluid infusion chamber to the combustion chamber; and

the plurality of openings have a size in a range of 0.001 inches to 0.25 inches.

4. The oxy-combustor of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port is arranged at an upper end of the combustion vessel such that a solid fuel slurry introduced into the combustion chamber from the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port flows downward under gravity along a longitudinal length of the combustion chamber towards a lower end of the combustion vessel.

5. The oxy-combustor of claim 1 further comprising:

a mixing apparatus having a dispensing head; and

the dispensing head movable towards the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port to close the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port, and movable away from the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port to open the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port.

6. The oxy-combustor of claim 5 wherein:

the dispensing head is connected to a shaft located in the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port; and

the shaft is extendable out of the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port to move the dispensing head away from the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port to open the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port, and the shaft is retractable into the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port to move the dispensing head towards the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port to close the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port.

7. The oxy-combustor of claim 6 wherein:

the dispensing head comprises a rotating disk.

8. The oxy-combustor of claim 6 wherein:

the dispensing head is movable towards the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port to close the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port, and is movable away from the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port to open the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port.

9. The oxy-combustor of claim 8 wherein:

the shaft is extendable out of the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port to move the dispensing head away from the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port to open the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port, and the shaft is retractable into the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port to move the dispensing head towards the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port to close the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port.

10. The oxy-combustor of claim 1 further comprising:

a mixing apparatus having a dispensing head;

wherein the dispensing head is connected to a shaft located in the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port; and

wherein the dispensing head is located adjacent a distal end of the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port.

11. The oxy-combustor of claim 10 wherein:

the dispensing head comprises a solid fuel slurry trajectory surface formed at a trajectory angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the combustion vessel; and

the trajectory angle is from 20 degrees to 70 degrees.

12. The oxy-combustor of claim 11 wherein:

the trajectory angle is from 30 degrees to 60 degrees.

13. The oxy-combustor of claim 10 wherein:

the mixing apparatus is arranged to introduce the solid fuel slurry into the combustion chamber at a trajectory angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the combustion vessel;

the at least one oxygen inlet port is arranged to introduce oxygen into the combustion chamber at a trajectory angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the combustion vessel; and

the trajectory angle of the oxygen from the at least one oxygen inlet port and the trajectory angle of the solid fuel slurry from the mixing apparatus are within 10 degrees of one another.

14. The oxy-combustor of claim 10 wherein:

the dispensing head is arranged to introduce the solid fuel slurry into the combustion chamber at a trajectory angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the combustion vessel;

the at least one oxygen inlet port is arranged to introduce oxygen into the combustion chamber at a trajectory angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the combustion vessel; and

the trajectory angle of the oxygen from the at least one oxygen inlet port and the trajectory angle of the solid fuel slurry from the dispensing head intersect within the combustion chamber.

15. The oxy-combustor of claim 1 wherein the supercritical fluid infusion chamber completely surrounds the combustion chamber.

16. A method of operating an oxy-combustor, comprising:

providing an oxy-combustor comprising a combustion vessel including at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port, at least one oxygen inlet port and at least one supercritical fluid inlet port;

wherein the combustion vessel is operable at an operating pressure of at least 1,100 psi;

wherein an interior of the combustion vessel comprises a combustion chamber and a supercritical fluid infusion chamber at least partially surrounding the combustion chamber;

wherein the supercritical fluid infusion chamber and the combustion chamber are separated by a porous liner surrounding the combustion chamber; and

wherein the supercritical infusion chamber is located between the porous liner and an outer casing of the combustion vessel;

introducing a supercritical fluid into the supercritical fluid infusion chamber from the at least one supercritical fluid inlet port;

introducing the supercritical fluid from the supercritical fluid infusion chamber to the combustion chamber by passing the supercritical fluid through the porous liner and creating a supercritical fluid environment in the combustion chamber;

introducing a solid fuel slurry into the combustion chamber from the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port;

introducing oxygen into the combustion chamber from the at least one oxygen inlet port; and

burning the solid fuel in the combustion chamber such that heat generated from the burning of the solid fuel heats the supercritical fluid.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

mixing the solid fuel slurry with a mixing apparatus having a dispensing head, wherein the dispensing head is connected to a shaft located in the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port, and the dispensing head is located adjacent a distal end of the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

mixing the solid fuel slurry with a mixing apparatus having a dispensing head includes applying the solid fuel slurry to a solid fuel slurry trajectory surface of the dispensing head, rotating the dispensing head while the solid fuel slurry flows downward along the trajectory surface and forming droplets of the solid fuel slurry as the solid fuel slurry separates from a perimeter edge of the dispensing head.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein:

the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port is arranged at an upper end of the combustion vessel such that a solid fuel slurry introduced into the combustion chamber from the at least one solid fuel slurry inlet port flows downward under gravity along a longitudinal length of the combustion chamber towards a lower end of the combustion vessel.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

directing the solid fuel slurry into the combustion chamber at a trajectory angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the combustion vessel;

directing the oxygen into the combustion chamber at a trajectory angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the combustion vessel; and

wherein the trajectory angle θ of the oxygen and the trajectory angle θ of the solid fuel slurry are within 10 degrees of one another.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

directing the solid fuel slurry in the combustion chamber at a trajectory angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the combustion vessel;

directing the oxygen into the combustion chamber at a trajectory angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the combustion vessel; and

wherein the trajectory angle of the oxygen and the trajectory angle of the solid fuel slurry intersect within the combustion chamber.