Apparatus and process for acetylene production

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR PRODUCING ACETYLENE WHICH COMPRISES PREHEATING A REACTANT GAS MIXTURE OF A HYDROCARBON AND AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS, INJECTING A HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GAS INTO THE PREHEATED REACTANT GAS MIXTURE THEREBY INITIATING A NON-CATALYTIC PARTIAL OXIDATION ACETYLENEPRODUCING REACTION IN A REACTION ZONE TO FORM A CONVERSION EFFLUENT CONTAINING ACETYLENE AND UNREACTED HYDROCARBON, CONTACTING THE EFFLUENT WITH A FIRST MOVING BED OF SOLID GRANULAR ADSORBENT AT A RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE TO SEPARATE AN ACETYLENE FRACTION AND CARBON DIOXIDE AND SAID UNREACTED HYDROCARBON FROM LESS READILY ADSORBABLE CONVERSION PRODUCTS AND HYDROGEN AS AN UNADSORBED GAS SUBSEQUENTLY CONTACTING SAID UNADSORBED GAS WITH A SECOND MOVING BED OF SOLID GRANULAR ADSORBENT AT A RELATIVELY HIGH PRESSURE TO ADSORB MORE READILY ADSORBABLE CONSTITUENTS THEREOF INCLUDING CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE ABSENCE OF CARBON DIOXIDE LEAVING A GAS ENRICHED IN HYDROGEN SUBSTANTIALLY UNADSORBED, SEPARATELY DESORBING SAID UNREACTED HYDROCARBON AND SAID ACETYLENE FRACTION FROM SAID FIRST MOVING BED OF ADSORBENT, RECIRCULATING SAID UNREACTED HYDROCARBON FOR REACTION WITH FURTHER QUANTITIES OF SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS, RECIRCULATING AT LEAST PART OF SAID GAS ENRICHED IN HYDROGEN TO INITIATE THE REACTION BY INJECTION OF SAID HYDROGEN INTO THE PREHEATED MIXTURE OF SAID HYDROCARBON AND OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN SAID REACTION ZONE, AND PURIFYING SAID ACETYLENE FRACTION PRODUCED.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR PRODUCING ACETYLENE WHICH COMPRISES PREHEATING A REACTANT GAS MIXTURE OF A HYDROCARBON AND AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS, INJECTING A HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GAS INTO THE PREHEATED REACTANT GAS MIXTURE THEREBY INITIATING A NON-CATALYTIC PARTIAL OXIDATION ACETYLENEPRODUCING REACTION IN A REACTION ZONE TO FORM A CONVERSION EFFLUENT CONTAINING ACETYLENE AND UNREACTED HYDROCARBON, CONTACTING THE EFFLUENT WITH A FIRST MOVING BED OF SOLID GRANULAR ADSORBENT AT A RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE TO SEPARATE AN ACETYLENE FRACTION AND CARBON DIOXIDE AND SAID UNREACTED HYDROCARBON FROM LESS READILY ADSORBABLE CONVERSION PRODUCTS AND HYDROGEN AS AN UNADSORBED GAS SUBSEQUENTLY CONTACTING SAID UNADSORBED GAS WITH A SECOND MOVING BED OF SOLID GRANULAR ADSORBENT AT A RELATIVELY HIGH PRESSURE TO ADSORB MORE READILY ADSORBABLE CONSTITUENTS THEREOF INCLUDING CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE ABSENCE OF CARBON DIOXIDE LEAVING A GAS ENRICHED IN HYDROGEN SUBSTANTIALLY UNADSORBED, SEPARATELY DESORBING SAID UNREACTED HYDROCARBON AND SAID ACETYLENE FRACTION FROM SAID FIRST MOVING BED OF ADSORBENT, RECIRCULATING SAID UNREACTED HYDROCARBON FOR REACTION WITH FURTHER QUANTITIES OF SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS, RECIRCULATING AT LEAST PART OF SAID GAS ENRICHED IN HYDROGEN TO INITIATE THE REACTION BY INJECTION OF SAID HYDROGEN INTO THE PREHEATED MIXTURE OF SAID HYDROCARBON AND OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN SAID REACTION ZONE, AND PURIFYING SAID ACETYLENE FRACTION PRODUCED.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ACETYLENE WHICH COMPRISES AN ACETYLENE REACTOR PROVIDED DISCHARGING INTO A REACTION CHAMBER IN TURN DUIT DISCHARGING INTO A REACTION CHAMBER IN TURN OPENING INTO A QUENCHING CHAMBER, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A GASEOUS MIXTURE CONTAINIG A HYDROCARBON AND OXYGEN THROUGH SAID PREHEATING CONDUIT INTO SAID REACTION CHAMBER, CONDIUT MEANS FOR A MEANS FOR A HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GAS OPENING INTO SAID REACTION CHAMBER, CONDUIT MEANS FOR A QUENCHING FLUID OPENING INTO SAID QUENCHING CHAMBER, A FIRST AND A SECOND SELECTIVE ADSORPTION COLUMN EACH PROVIDED AT SUCCESSIVELY LOWER LEVELS THEREIN WITH AN ADSORPTION SECTION, AT LEAST ONE RECTIFICATION SECTION AND A DESORPTION SECTION, MEANS FOR RECIRCULATING GRANULAR ADSORBENT REMOVED FROM THE BOTTOM OF EACH OF SAID COLUMNS TO THE TOP OF EACH THEREOF, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING A GRAVITY FLOW OF COMPACT GRANULAR ADSORBENT THROUGH EACH OF SAID COLUMNS CONDUIT MEANS FOR QUENCHED ACETYLENE-BEARING GASES COMMUNICATING SAID QUENCHING CHAMBER WITH TH E ADSORPTION SECTION IN SAID FIRST ADSORPTION COLUMN, CONDIUT MEANS FOR UNADSORBED GASES COMMUNICATING SAID FIRST ADSORPTION SECTION WITH THE ADSORPTION SECTION IN SAID SECOND ADSORPTION COLUMN, TURBINE DRIVEN GAS COMPRESSING MEANS IN SERIES WITH THE LAST NAMED CONDUIT, CONDUIT MEANS FOR AN UNADSORBED HYDROGEN-RICH GAS COMMUNICATING THE LAST-NAMED ADSORPTION SECTION WITH SAID REACTION CHAMBER IN SAID REACTOR THROUGH THE TURBINE DRIVE OF SAID GAS COMPRESSING MEANS, CONDUIT MEANS FOR UNREACTED HYDROCARBON COMMUNICATING A RECTIFICATION SECTION IN SAID FIRST ADSORPTION COLUMN WITH SAID PREHEATING CONDUIT IN SAID REACTOR, CONDUIT MEANS FOR DESORBED GASES CONTAINIG ACETYLENE OPENING FROM THE DESORPTION SECTION IN SAID FIRST ADSORPTION COLUMN, AND CONDUIT MEANS FOR DESORBED GASES OPENING FROM THE DESORPTION SECTION IN SAID SECOND ADSORPTION COLUMN.

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ACETYLENE WHICH COMPRISES AN ACETYLENE REACTOR PROVIDED DISCHARGING INTO A REACTION CHAMBER IN TURN DUIT DISCHARGING INTO A REACTION CHAMBER IN TURN OPENING INTO A QUENCHING CHAMBER, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A GASEOUS MIXTURE CONTAINIG A HYDROCARBON AND OXYGEN THROUGH SAID PREHEATING CONDUIT INTO SAID REACTION CHAMBER, CONDIUT MEANS FOR A MEANS FOR A HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GAS OPENING INTO SAID REACTION CHAMBER, CONDUIT MEANS FOR A QUENCHING FLUID OPENING INTO SAID QUENCHING CHAMBER, A FIRST AND A SECOND SELECTIVE ADSORPTION COLUMN EACH PROVIDED AT SUCCESSIVELY LOWER LEVELS THEREIN WITH AN ADSORPTION SECTION, AT LEAST ONE RECTIFICATION SECTION AND A DESORPTION SECTION, MEANS FOR RECIRCULATING GRANULAR ADSORBENT REMOVED FROM THE BOTTOM OF EACH OF SAID COLUMNS TO THE TOP OF EACH THEREOF, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING A GRAVITY FLOW OF COMPACT GRANULAR ADSORBENT THROUGH EACH OF SAID COLUMNS CONDUIT MEANS FOR QUENCHED ACETYLENE-BEARING GASES COMMUNICATING SAID QUENCHING CHAMBER WITH TH E ADSORPTION SECTION IN SAID FIRST ADSORPTION COLUMN, CONDIUT MEANS FOR UNADSORBED GASES COMMUNICATING SAID FIRST ADSORPTION SECTION WITH THE ADSORPTION SECTION IN SAID SECOND ADSORPTION COLUMN, TURBINE DRIVEN GAS COMPRESSING MEANS IN SERIES WITH THE LAST NAMED CONDUIT, CONDUIT MEANS FOR AN UNADSORBED HYDROGEN-RICH GAS COMMUNICATING THE LAST-NAMED ADSORPTION SECTION WITH SAID REACTION CHAMBER IN SAID REACTOR THROUGH THE TURBINE DRIVE OF SAID GAS COMPRESSING MEANS, CONDUIT MEANS FOR UNREACTED HYDROCARBON COMMUNICATING A RECTIFICATION SECTION IN SAID FIRST ADSORPTION COLUMN WITH SAID PREHEATING CONDUIT IN SAID REACTOR, CONDUIT MEANS FOR DESORBED GASES CONTAINIG ACETYLENE OPENING FROM THE DESORPTION SECTION IN SAID FIRST ADSORPTION COLUMN, AND CONDUIT MEANS FOR DESORBED GASES OPENING FROM THE DESORPTION SECTION IN SAID SECOND ADSORPTION COLUMN.