Acetylene production

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD OF PRODUCING ACETYLENE BY THE HIGH TEMPERATURE CONVERSION OF A GASEOUS HYDROCARBON, THE STEPS COMPRISING INTRODUCING A HIGH TEMPERATURE CRACKED GAS CONTAINING IN ADDITION TO OTHER COMPONENTS ACETYLENE, HIGHER ACETYLENES, TARS AND AROMATICS TO A QUENCHED TOWER MAINTAINED AT LESS THAN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, CONTACTING SAID GAS WITH COLD QUENCH WATER THEREIN SO AS TO RAPIDLY REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID GAS FROM THE FURNACE EXIT TEMPERATURE TO A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH FURTHER ACETYLENE RECOVERY CAN BE CARRIED OUT, SIMULTANEOUSLY ABSORBING A SMALL PORTION OF THE ACETYLENE CONTENT OF SAID GAS IN THE QUENCH WATER AND HEAVIER COMPONENTS OF THE CRACKED GAS, WITHDRAWING A COOLED GASEOUS OVERHEAD FROM SAID TOWER SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF TAR AND PASSING SAID OVERHEAD TO FURTHER RECOVERY STEPS, WITHDRAWING QUENCH WATER FROM SAID TOWER AND INTRODUCING THE SAME TO THE UPPER PART OF A FEED GAS SATURATOR, SAID QUENCH WATER HAVING A TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN THAT AT WHICH IT WAS INTRODUCED TO THE QUENCHED TOWER AND CONTAINING ABSORBED ACETYLENE AS WELL AS SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE TAR COMPONENTS OF THE CRACKED GAS, PASSING A HYDROCARBON FEED GAS INTO SAID FEED GAS SATURATOR IN CONTACT WITH SAID QUENCH WATER UNDER CONDITIONS WHICH VAPORIZE A PORTION OF SAID WATER AND SATURATE SAID GAS WITH THE VAPORIZED PORTION OF SAID WATER, SIMULTANEOUSLY STRIPPING ABSORBED ACETYLENE FROM THE QUENCH WATER AND TAR COMPONENTS, MAINTAINING THE CONTACT OF SAID GAS AND QUENCH LIQUID FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE HIGH TEMPERATURE CONVERSION DILUTION VAPOR REQUIREMENTS, WITHDRAWING A GASEOUS OVERHEAD FROM THE FEED GAS SATURATOR WHICH INCLUDES FEED GAS, DILUTION VAPOR AND STRIPPED ACETYLENE AND PASSING SAID OVERHEAD TO THE HIGH TEMPERATURE CRACKING OPERATION, REMOVING QUENCH WATER AS A BOTTOMS STREAM FROM SAID FEED GAS SATURATOR, SAID BOTTOM STREAM SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF ACETYLENE AND INCLUDING THE TAR COMPONENTS OF THE CRACKED GAS, AND HAVING A TEMPERATURE LOWER THAN THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH IT WAS INTRODUCED INTO THE FEED GAS SATURATOR.