Partial oxidation reactor

Claim 1

A REACTOR ASSEMBLY FOR THE PARTIAL OXIDATION OF HYDROCARBONS TO PRODUCE ACETYLENE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, INLET PASSAGE MEANS FOR FORMING AND CONVEYING AT LEAST ONE PREHEATED STREAM OF FLUID OXIDANT AND HYDROCARBON MIXTURE INTO SAID REACTOR ASSEMBLY; A DIVIDER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INLET PASSAGE MEANS DOWNSTREAM THEREOF FOR SEPARATING SAID INLET STREAMS INTO A PLURALITY OF COMPONENT STREAMS, A RELATIVELY FLAT IGNITION CHAMBER DEFINED BY WALLS INCLUDING A DOWNSTREAM END WALL HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING THEREIN; A DISTRIBUTOR MEANS BETWEEN SAID DIVIDER AND SAID IGNITION CHAMBER FOR INTRODUCING SAID COMPONENT STREAMS AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME VELOCITY AS SAID UNDIVIDED STREAM RADIALLY HEAD-ON INTO SAID IGNITION CHAMBER AND AGAINST SAID END WALL THEREOF TO EFFECT TURBULENT AND INITMATE MIXING OF SAID COMPONENT STREAMS THEREIN; FLAME-HOLDING IGNITION BURNER MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID IGNITION CHAMBER FOR PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF FIRM HIGH-VELOCITY FLAMES DISCHARGING INTO SAID IGNITION CHAMBER IN THE REGION OF SAID TURBULENT MIXING TO IGNITE AND MAINTAIN IGNITION OF SAID PARTIAL OXIDATION REACTION; AND REACTION CHAMBER MEANS DOWNSTREAM OF AND COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH SAID IGNITION CHAMBER END WELL OPENING EHEREIN SAID PARTIAL OXIDATION REACTION IS COMPLETED AND SAID ACETYLENE IS PRODUCED.