Rapid injection catalytic partial oxidation process and apparatus for producing synthesis gas (law 562)

摘要

A novel injector/reactor apparatus and an efficient process for the partial oxidation of light hydrocarbon gases, such as methane, to convert such gases to useful synthesis gas for recovery and/or subsequent hydrocarbon synthesis. Sources of a light hydrocarbon gas, such as methane, and oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas are preheated and pressurized and injected through an injector means at high velocity into admixture with each other in the desired proportions, at a plurality of mixing nozzles which are open to the catalytic partial oxidation reaction zone of a reactor and are uniformly-spaced over the face of the injector, to form a reactant gaseous premix having a pressure drop through the injector. The gaseous premix is injected in a time period which is less than 5 milliseconds, at a velocity between about 25 to 1000 feet/second, into a reaction zone comprising a catalytic partial oxidation zone so that the gaseous premix reacts in the presence of the fixed catalyst arrangement to reduce the amounts of CO2, H2O and heat produced by the partial oxidation reaction and form, cool and recover a useful syngas.