GB824328A - Furnace for the production of unsaturated hydrocarbons such as acetylene by the partial combustion of more saturated hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0824328/IV (b)/1> A furnace for producing acetylene by the partial combustion of hydrocarbons comprises a reaction chamber, at least two feed chambers for the reactants, a plurality of mixing tubes of substantially constant and small diameter, as compared with the dimensions of the reaction chamber, connecting the first of said feed chambers with the reaction chamber, and a plurality of ejector tubes, each of which terminates in or near the feed inlet of a corresponding mixing tube, and which lead from the second of said feed chambers, the arrangement being such that, when the furnace is in operation with reactants being fed to said feed chambers, the reactant, or reactants, fed to the second feed chamber flows, or flow, through the ejector tubes and enters, or enter, the mixing tubes, thereby drawing into the mixing tubes the reactant, or reactants, fed to the said first feed chamber, so that substantially complete mixing of said reactants occurs before the latter enter the reaction chamber. In a preferred embodiment 220 cu. metres per hour of methane are introduced into chamber 3 and passes over grid 4 and down 36 tubes 6. At the same time 115 cu. metres per hour of oxygen are fed into the tubes 6, made of refractory steel, through feed chamber 1 and 36 ejectors 2. Also at the same time 15 cu. metres per hour of oxygen are introduced through 4 ejector tubes 11 which feed the oxygen to 4 corresponding ejectors 2. The reactants are preheated to 750 DEG C. and react in chamber 9 to produce a gas containing 9% by volume of acetylene.