US3843307A - Process for incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Process for incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3843307A
US3843307A US00437583A US43758374A US3843307A US 3843307 A US3843307 A US 3843307A US 00437583 A US00437583 A US 00437583A US 43758374 A US43758374 A US 43758374A US 3843307 A US3843307 A US 3843307A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
reactor
diameter
supply opening
gaseous
fuel
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00437583A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
G Staudinger
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Shell USA Inc
Original Assignee
Shell Oil Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Shell Oil Co filed Critical Shell Oil Co
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3843307A publication Critical patent/US3843307A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
    • C01B3/00—Hydrogen; Gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen; Separation of hydrogen from mixtures containing it; Purification of hydrogen
    • C01B3/02—Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen
    • C01B3/32—Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen by reaction of gaseous or liquid organic compounds with gasifying agents, e.g. water, carbon dioxide, air
    • C01B3/34—Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen by reaction of gaseous or liquid organic compounds with gasifying agents, e.g. water, carbon dioxide, air by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents
    • C01B3/36—Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen by reaction of gaseous or liquid organic compounds with gasifying agents, e.g. water, carbon dioxide, air by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents using oxygen or mixtures containing oxygen as gasifying agents
    • C01B3/363—Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen by reaction of gaseous or liquid organic compounds with gasifying agents, e.g. water, carbon dioxide, air by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents using oxygen or mixtures containing oxygen as gasifying agents characterised by the burner used

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT An improved process for incomplete combustion of gaseous or liquid hydrocarbon fuels is described wherein the fuel is mixed with or finely dispersed in an oxygen-containing gas and passed as a gaseous jet through at least one supply opening into a substantially void reactor.
  • soot formation is substantially reduced by introducing the mixture of fuel and oxygen-containing gas in the form of a gaseous jet at a velocity which is sufficiently high such that the initial part of the reaction zone or point of incoming fuel ignition is displaced by a distance which is at least ten times the diameter of the supply opening into a reactor where the residence time of the gaseous combustion product is at least 0.1 seconds.
  • the invention relates to an improved process for the manufacture of gases by incomplete or partial combustion of gaseous or finely atomized fuel containing one or more hydrocarbons wherein the hydrocarbon feed is introduced in admixture with an oxygen-containing gas in the form of a gaseous jet into a substantially void reactor.
  • the invention relates to an improvement on conventional incomplete combustion processes of the type described wherein the quantity of soot present in the partial combustion product gas is substantially reduced by displacing the initial part of the reaction zone or point of incoming fuel ignition a critical distance from the point of fuel introduction into a reactor sized to afford a critical minimum residence time for the gaseous product of partial combustion.
  • gas containing substantial amounts of hydrogen, carbon monoxide,olefins or mixtures thereof may be used, for example, as starting material for the manufacture of chemical products, as reducing agent, as a clean fuel or in hydrogenation processes.
  • gases can be manufactured by incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons, naturally with a smaller quantity of oxygen than that required in the case of complete combustion. With an O/C ratio of 1, (atomic ratio of total oxygen to total carbon in the feed), hydrocarbons in the ideal case yield carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
  • small quantities of, inter alia, carbon dioxide, water and soot are formed in addition.
  • soot in particularis a nuisance.
  • Gas that contains soot cannot as a rule be used as such because it gives rise to fouling and blockageof lines, outlets, catalyst beds, etc. Removal of soot from the gas is possible, but the cost is significant.
  • the invention therefore relates to an improved process of the type described in which the velocity of the mixture of fuel and oxygen-containing gas introduced into the reactor as a gaseous jet is sufficiently high that the initial partof the gen-containing gas and finely atomized fuel as well as its more conventional meaning where the fuel is present as a volatilized gas in admixture with the oxygencontaining gas.
  • FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-section of an apparatus suitable for carrying out the process of the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a partial cross-section of a reactor suitable for use in the invention taken at the level of the inlets.
  • FIG.:3 is a partial section of an. alternative reactor suitable for use in the invention.
  • the process of the invention is particularly applicable to the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbon fuels which are gaseous or capable of being atomized into fine liquid droplets at ambient conditions or conditions conventionally employed in incomplete combustion preheaters, e.g., temperatures up to about 500C. Accordingly, almost any petroleum fraction existing as a gas or liquid under ambient and atmospheric conditions or capable of being vaporized or atomized at an elevated temperature as high as about 500C may be used as feed material to the instant process.
  • Natural gas or normally gaseous hydrocarbons such as C saturated and olefinic hydrocarbons because of their availability and ease of handling are particularly suitable, however heavier hydrocarbon fractions including gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, distillates, gas oils and residual oils can also be used as feed materials.
  • heavier hydrocarbon fractions including gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, distillates, gas oils and residual oils can also be used as feed materials.
  • coal distillation gas and the effluent from liquidification or gasification of coal can also be suitable employed.
  • the oxygen-containing gases which are suitable for use as the oxidant source in the instant process include all those oxygen-containing gases conventionally employed in incomplete combustion processes. Examples of such oxygenscontaining gases and air, air enriched with oxygen or oxygen.
  • the oxygencontaining gas or the oxygen-containing gashydrocarbon fuel admixture may be mixed with steam on passage into the incomplete combustion reactor.
  • the principle advantage of the invention i.e., reduced soot formation, is most apparent at the low O/C ratios where soot formation is otherwise most preva-
  • the Process in its most basic terms is directed to an improvement on conventional incomplete combustion processes in which the hydrocarbon fueloxygencontaining gas reactant mixture is introduced as a gaseous jet through at least one supply opening into a substantially void reactor; the initial part of the reaction zone occuring at a point in the reactor where the mixture of fuel and oxygen-containing gas introduced as a gaseous jet undergoes ignition. Accordingly, the apparatus contemplated for mixing of the fuel with the oxygen-containing gas and subsequent introduction of said mixture into the reactor is quite conventional and well known to those skilled in the art.
  • the mixing of the fuel and oxygen-containing gas takes place at the inlet of the reactor by arranging for the feed to flow from a supply pipe whose outlet is located in the center of or close behind the outlet for the oxygen-containing gas.
  • the outlet for the fuel (supply pipe in the above example) is considered to be the supply opening.
  • the initial part of the reaction zone is not located at the site of the supply opening but at a certain distance from it.
  • This, distance is suitably at least ten times the diameter of the supply opening and preferably about one half the length of the reactor for reactors having a length taken in the in the direction of the supply jet flow of greater than 20 times diameter of the supply opening.
  • the maximum distance which the initial part of the reaction zone can be displaced from the supply opening is in principle limited only by the physical structure of the reactor since the primary advantage of the invention exists even in cases where the initial part of the reaction zone approaches the reactor wall opposite the supply opening.
  • the position of the initial part of the reaction zone relative to the supply opening is mainly determined by the composition of the fueloxidant mixture, the temperature of this mixture on introduction into the reactor at the supply opening and by the velocity of the gaseous jet issuing from the supply opening.
  • preheating the fuel-oxygencontaining gas admixture to temperatures approaching ignition temperature will shorten the time (and distance relative to the supplyopening) required for ignition to occur because the incoming gaseous jet does not require extensive heating by the reactor environment prior to ignition. Accordingly operation of the process of this invention does not preclude the use of any or all of these variables to achieve the desired displacement of the initial part of the reaction zone from the supply opening.
  • velocity be used as the process variable to control the distance at which the initial part of the reaction zone is displaced from the supply opening. While it will be recognized that in order to achieve a stable distance between the supply opening and the initial part of the reaction zone the velocity at which the gaseous jet issues into the reactor must vary with the composition of the fuel-oxidant mixture and its temperature at the supply opening, this velocity will always be higher than that required for ignition at the site of the supply opening. The gas mixture needs a certain time to ignite if the mixture is at the ignition temperature.
  • the temperature of the issuing gas mixture will be lower, in consequence of which the ignition will take place later, because the mixture first has to be warmed up by the environment and by the reaction product that is drawn to the incoming gas jet under the influence of the suction effect.
  • the velocity of the gaseous jet is suitably greater than 5 m/s and preferably at least 20 m/s. Depending on the amount of preheating which is provided this velocity will necessarily increase as the temperature of the preheated gas increases if a stable displacement distance for the initial part of the reaction zone is to be maintained.
  • the position of the initial part of the reaction zone may be assessed visually or by measurement of the temperature at the desired position.
  • the composition of the product gas may also be used, e.g., by monitoring the presence of soot in the product gas.
  • the residence time of the product gas in the reactor must also be maintained above a critical minimum if the substantial advantage attributable to the instant invention is to attained.
  • This residence time is suitably at least 0.1 seconds at a minimum with the maximum residence, dictated by practical considerations such as reactor size and flow rates, being about 20 seconds.
  • Owing to this relatively long residence time the product gas leaving the reaction zone is substantially free from radicals. A part of this gas, which naturally has a high temperature, is drawn to the gas jet owing to the suction effect of the latter. Consequently the issuing gas is diluted and raised in temperature, and hydrogen enters the gasjet. This gas ignites when the temperature is sufficiently high and if the ignition delay time has elapsed.
  • a gas jet should issue from the relevant supply opening with little or no swirl. Furthermore it is preferred that the gas in the reactor should flow under conditions of little or no swirl. Measures to this effect reduce the possibility of reacting gas containing radicals being drawn to the incoming gas.
  • the process of the present invention can be suitably carried out using air, oxygen enriched air or oxygen as the oxidant source (oxygencontaining gas).
  • the reaction will be conducted in a conventional manner under conditions of temperature and pressure such that the reaction is self supporting. Accordingly, the reaction temperature, broadly stated, will range from about 700 to about 2,()0()C with the reaction pressures ranging from atmospheric up'to about 600 psig.
  • reaction temperature and pressure are preferably 900-1,400C and atmospheric to 30 psig, respectively, when air is used as the oxidant source with some what higher temperatures and pressures, e.g., 1,l00--l,700C and atmospheric to- 600 psig, being employed when oxygen is used as the source of oxygen-v containing gas.
  • An apparatus suitable for carrying out the process of the invention as described hereinabove may consist of a substantially void and preferably cylinder-shaped reactor equipped with at least one device for the supply of hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen-containing gas at one end of the reactor, and with at least one device for the discharge of reaction product, in which apparatus each supply device is provided with at least one open-ended pipe with diameter a of the outlet opening running in the longitudinal direction of the reactor, the dimensions of the reactor being such that the diameter is at least ten times as large as the diameter d of the outlet of the supply device and that the length is at least 50 times as large as that diameter d.
  • the reactor diameter be no more than 100 times as large as diameter, d., and the length be no larger than 500 times said diameter, d.
  • a plurality of supply pipes are present, they are preferably arranged in a regular array relative to the center line of the reactor, the distance between any two supply pipes being at least times as large as the diameter a, the diameter of the reactor being so large that the distance between the wall of the reactor and the nearest supply pipe(s) is at least five times as large as the diameter d.
  • two or more discharge devices be present at a distance from the inlet side that is equal to at least half the length of the reactor. This is advantageous in that gas that is drawn to the incoming gas jet owing to the suction effect of the latter will have a longer residence time than in the case of the outlets being located at a lower level. For, the velocity of flow of the gas drawn to the incoming gas jet is lower below the outlets, because the gas that has been discharged no longer takes part in the flow. This is conducive to the disapperance of radicals from the gas intended for recirculation.
  • the discharge device or devices may also be located at the top of the reactor, opposite to the inlet side of the reactor.
  • the invention will now be further elucidated with refthe diameter of the reactor is approximately 14 times as large as the diameter of the outlet of the supply device 2 and the length ofthe reactor is approximately 60 times as large.
  • the diameter of the outlet of the supply device 2 is the said diameter d.
  • a device 5 for the dis charge of reaction product is here located opposite to the supply device 2.
  • the mixture that is to react issues from the supply device 2 as a jet. 6at a high velocity.
  • a part of the product gas is drawn to the jet 6 by suction, which is indicated-by means of the arrows 8.
  • Product gas 9 leaves the reactor via the discharge device 5-.
  • FIG. 2 a reactor 10 with four supply pipes 11 is represented.
  • the distance between any two supply pipes here is at least approximately I l times the diameter of the outlet of a supply pipe 1.], the distance to the wall of the reactor 10 being at least 6 times that diameter.
  • the supply pipes may be part of one inlet device.
  • FIG. 3 an upper part 12 of a reactor is represented. This part is closed at the top. At a lower level there are located a number of outlets 13, evenly spaced around the circumference, which discharge into an annular duct 14 from which the product gas 15 can be obtained. The distance from the outlets 13 to the inlet of the reactor, which is not shown, is at least half the length of the reactor.
  • Run 7 using i-C H at the lower reaction temperature of 850"900C demonstrates that the soot limit lies at an O/C ratio that is still lower. This is due to the longer time that is required to cause the gas to react, the result of which is that more gas that has completely reacted is drawn to the incoming gas and that a higher degree of dilution is reached.
  • the reactor is substantially cylindrical in shape having a diameter which is from ID to lOO times the diameter of the supply opening and a length which is from 50 to 500 times the diameter of the supply opening, said supply opening being located at one end of the reactor with at least one device for discharge of the reaction product being located at the other end of the reactor.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Hydrogen, Water And Hydrids (AREA)
  • Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
  • Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)
  • Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Fluid Adsorption Or Reactions (AREA)
US00437583A 1973-02-14 1974-01-28 Process for incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons Expired - Lifetime US3843307A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB723573*[A GB1455723A (en) 1973-02-14 1973-02-14 Process and apparatus for the manufacture of gases by incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3843307A true US3843307A (en) 1974-10-22

Family

ID=9829241

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00437583A Expired - Lifetime US3843307A (en) 1973-02-14 1974-01-28 Process for incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons

Country Status (17)

Country Link
US (1) US3843307A (no)
JP (1) JPS49113795A (no)
AU (1) AU476880B2 (no)
BE (1) BE809223A (no)
BR (1) BR7310038D0 (no)
CA (1) CA1013943A (no)
CH (1) CH598134A5 (no)
DD (1) DD108505A5 (no)
DE (1) DE2363569A1 (no)
ES (1) ES421654A1 (no)
FR (1) FR2217269B1 (no)
GB (1) GB1455723A (no)
IN (1) IN138665B (no)
IT (1) IT1001318B (no)
NL (1) NL7317681A (no)
NO (1) NO137786C (no)
SE (1) SE402269B (no)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4343605A (en) * 1980-05-23 1982-08-10 Browning Engineering Corporation Method of dual fuel operation of an internal burner type ultra-high velocity flame jet apparatus
US4818218A (en) * 1982-04-06 1989-04-04 Isover Saint-Gobain Internal combustion burners
US5044932A (en) * 1989-10-19 1991-09-03 It-Mcgill Pollution Control Systems, Inc. Nitrogen oxide control using internally recirculated flue gas
US20050277074A1 (en) * 2004-06-10 2005-12-15 Zinn Ben T Stagnation point reverse flow combustor
US20060029894A1 (en) * 2004-06-10 2006-02-09 Zinn Ben T Stagnation point reverse flow combustor for a combustion system
US20100190118A1 (en) * 2007-05-07 2010-07-29 Rhein.-Westf. Techn. Hochschule Method for the combustion of fuel

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3003846B2 (ja) * 1997-04-01 2000-01-31 核燃料サイクル開発機構 流出重油又は原油の処理方法
CN109852447B (zh) * 2019-03-28 2023-08-25 万荣金坦能源科技有限公司 一种可制冷的液态燃料膨化裂变器

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4343605A (en) * 1980-05-23 1982-08-10 Browning Engineering Corporation Method of dual fuel operation of an internal burner type ultra-high velocity flame jet apparatus
US4818218A (en) * 1982-04-06 1989-04-04 Isover Saint-Gobain Internal combustion burners
US5044932A (en) * 1989-10-19 1991-09-03 It-Mcgill Pollution Control Systems, Inc. Nitrogen oxide control using internally recirculated flue gas
US20050277074A1 (en) * 2004-06-10 2005-12-15 Zinn Ben T Stagnation point reverse flow combustor
US20060029894A1 (en) * 2004-06-10 2006-02-09 Zinn Ben T Stagnation point reverse flow combustor for a combustion system
US7168949B2 (en) 2004-06-10 2007-01-30 Georgia Tech Research Center Stagnation point reverse flow combustor for a combustion system
US7425127B2 (en) 2004-06-10 2008-09-16 Georgia Tech Research Corporation Stagnation point reverse flow combustor
US20100190118A1 (en) * 2007-05-07 2010-07-29 Rhein.-Westf. Techn. Hochschule Method for the combustion of fuel

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2217269B1 (no) 1978-04-21
GB1455723A (en) 1976-11-17
AU6402373A (en) 1975-07-03
DE2363569A1 (de) 1974-08-29
SE402269B (sv) 1978-06-26
AU476880B2 (en) 1976-10-07
BR7310038D0 (pt) 1974-09-24
IT1001318B (it) 1976-04-20
BE809223A (nl) 1974-06-28
FR2217269A1 (no) 1974-09-06
JPS49113795A (no) 1974-10-30
DD108505A5 (no) 1974-09-20
NO137786B (no) 1978-01-16
ES421654A1 (es) 1976-04-16
NO137786C (no) 1978-04-26
IN138665B (no) 1976-03-13
NL7317681A (no) 1974-08-16
CA1013943A (en) 1977-07-19
CH598134A5 (no) 1978-04-28

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US2809104A (en) Gasification of liquid fuels
EP0178853B1 (en) Conversion process
CA2265468C (en) Method and apparatus for converting hydrocarbon fuel into hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide
US4488866A (en) Method and apparatus for burning high nitrogen-high sulfur fuels
CA1321878C (en) Process for partial oxidation of a liquid or solid and/or a gaseous hydrocarbon-containing fuel
JPH0425992B2 (no)
US4115074A (en) Gasification process
US3972690A (en) Gasification process
US4758375A (en) Conversion process
US4946475A (en) Apparatus for use with pressurized reactors
US4952743A (en) Process and apparatus for the conversion of hydrocarbons
US3982879A (en) Furnace apparatus and method
EP0163385B1 (en) Process for producing synthesis gas by partial combustion of hydrocarbons
US3843307A (en) Process for incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons
US3685977A (en) Partial oxidation of hydrocarbons
US3917468A (en) Synthetic natural gas production
DE10320965B4 (de) Vorrichtung zur reaktiven Umsetzung von Gasströmen
US2893853A (en) Method for catalytic conversion hydrocarbons
US4049395A (en) Method for treating raw material with a treating gas
US4854943A (en) Process of producing a gas which is rich in carbon monoxide by a cracking of hydrocarbons
US3322506A (en) Carbon black apparatus
US2702744A (en) Gasification of powdered fuel and use of a protective gas
US3992165A (en) Fuel reformation system
US3964882A (en) Partial combustion process
US7018436B2 (en) Catalytic reactor with tangential flow distribution