Method and apparatus for carrying out gas phase reactions which require a high temperature to promote the reaction and rapid cooling to preserve the reaction product

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT GAS PHASE REACTIONS, COMPRISING A HIGH PRESSURE CHAMBER ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A DRIVER GAS, A LOW PRESSURE CHAMBER ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A REACTANT GAS AND ARRANGED AT ONE END OF SAID HIGH PRESSURE CHAMBER, A THIRD CHAMBER ADAPTED TO BE PLACED UNDER VACUUM AND ARRANGED AT THE OTUER END OF SAID HIGH PRESSURE CHAMBER, A FIRST RUPTURABLE DIAPHRAGM SEPARATING SAID LOW AND HIGH PRESSURE CHAMBERS, A SECOND RUPTURABLE DIAPHRAGM SEPARATING SAID HIGH PRESSURE AND THIRD CHAMBERS, INDEPENDENT MECHANICAL MEANS ARRANGED TO RUPTURE EACH OF SAID DIAPHRAGM, AND MEANS ARRANGED TO ACTUATE SAID FIRST DIAPHRAGM RUPTURING MEANS BEFORE SAID SECOND DIAPHRAGM RUPTURING MEANS AND AT A PREDETERMINED TIME INTERVAL.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF CARRYING OUT REACTIONS WHICH REQUIRE A HIGH TEMPERATURE TO PROMOTE THE REACTION AND RAPID COOLING TO PRESERVE THE REACTION PRODUCT, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES CONFINING A BODY OF REACTANT GAS HAVING AN END FACE, DIRECTING A BODY OF PRESSURIZED DRIVER GAS THRUSTINGLY AGAINST SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID END FACE SO AS TO FORM A MOVABLE INTERFACE REGION BETWEEN THE TWO BODIES OF GASES AND TO GENERATE A SHOCK WAVE WHICH PROPAGATES THROUGH THE REACTANT GAS IN ADVANCE OF THE INTERFACE REGION, THE REACTANT GAS BETEEEN SAID SHOCK WAVE AND INTERFACE REGION BEING COMPRESSED AND HEATED, AND CONTROLLABLY GENERATING AN EXPANSION WAVE IN THE DRIVER GAS AT A PLACE REMOTE FROM THE MOVING INTERFACE REGION SO THAT SAID EXPANSION WAVE PROPAGATES FIRST THROUGH THE DRIVER GAS AND THENCE THROUGH THE INTERFACE REGION AND INTO AND THROUGH THE HEATED REACTANT GAS WHEREBY THE LATTER IS RAPIDLY COOLED BY EXPANDING AGAINST AND TRANSFERRING ENERGY TO THE DRIVER GAS.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF CARRYING OUT REACTIONS WHICH REQUIRE A HIGH TEMPERATURE TO PROMOTE THE REACTION AND RAPID COOLING TO PRESERVE THE REACTION PRODUCT, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES CONFINING A BODY OF REACTANT GAS HAVING AN END FACE, DIRECTING A BODY OF PRESSURIZED DRIVER GAS THRUSTINGLY AGAINST SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID END FACE SO AS TO FORM A MOVABLE INTERFACE REGION BETWEEN THE TWO BODIES OF GASES AND TO GENERATE A SHOCK WAVE WHICH PROPAGATES THROUGH THE REACTANT GAS IN ADVANCE OF THE INTERFACE REGION, THE REACTANT GAS BETEEEN SAID SHOCK WAVE AND INTERFACE REGION BEING COMPRESSED AND HEATED, AND CONTROLLABLY GENERATING AN EXPANSION WAVE IN THE DRIVER GAS AT A PLACE REMOTE FROM THE MOVING INTERFACE REGION SO THAT SAID EXPANSION WAVE PROPAGATES FIRST THROUGH THE DRIVER GAS AND THENCE THROUGH THE INTERFACE REGION AND INTO AND THROUGH THE HEATED REACTANT GAS WHEREBY THE LATTER IS RAPIDLY COOLED BY EXPANDING AGAINST AND TRANSFERRING ENERGY TO THE DRIVER GAS.