GB876261A - Improvements in or relating to gas distributors - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0876261/IV (b)/1> <PICT:0876261/IV (b)/2> <PICT:0876261/IV (b)/3> In the production of acetylene by the partial combustion of saturated hydrocarbons by mixing the hydrocarbon and oxidant, passing them through a gas distributer and then reacting the mixture with a flame, the distributer comprises a one-piece block of refractory metal of high thermal conductivity and having parallel passages therethrough for transit of the gases, the passages being closely spaced and uniformly distributed, the ratio of perforated to unperforated area of the bottom of the block being such as to protect the block against overheating and to give final preheat to the reactants by transfer thereto of heat acquired by the block due to its proximity to the flame. In one embodiment (Fig. 2), mixed gases from chamber 14 pass through passages 13 in metal block 11. The channels may have a diameter of 10-14 mm. and may be arranged in rows at distances equal to the distance between the rows, which is 1.8 to 2.2 times the diameter of the passages, and their length may be 18-20 times the diameter. Pilot oxygen to control the flame is introduced by channels 19 from feed tube 35, the channels being between the passages 13 and having outlets 21a arranged centrally between the outlets of passages 13. A protective screen of water from feed pipe 31 enters the combustion chamber by channels 28 and 30. Mixing may be effected as described in Specifications 824,328, 840,664 and 869,743 or as shown in Figs. 8 and 11. Combustible gas, methane and/or hydrogen, enters by pipe 41 and, by wall 44, is caused to flow through holes 45 arranged vertically above pipes 13b1. Oxygen entering by pipe 37b is also caused to flow through holes 49 between pipes 13b1. The oxygen enters pipes 13b1 by holes 50 at the base of the pipe just before entering passages 13b in distributer block 11b.