Process and apparatus for treatment of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF UNSATURATED HYDROCARBONS BY PYROLYSIS OF HYDROCARBONS WITH HOT COMBUSTION GASES COMPRISING FORMING A RING OF FLAMES IN A COMBUSTION CHAMBER BY THE COMBUSTION OF A FLUID FUEL AND A COMBRURENT GAS INTRODUCED INTO SAID CHAMBER THROUGH PERFORATIONS DISTRIBUTED ON A PLURALITY OF CONCENTRIC RINGS, INJECTING THE HYDROCARBON TO BE PYROLYZED INTO THE HOT COMBUSTION GASES ORIGINATING FROM SAID RING OF FLAMES, TO OBTAIN PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS, AND QUENCHING THE PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS, THE STEPS COMPRISING SURROUNDING SAID RING OF FLAMES WITH A PLURALITY OF STEAM SCREENS FORMED BY PAIRS OF OPPOSING STEAM JETS MEETING TO DEFINE A COMBUSTION ZONE OF SMALL VOLUME WHEREIN SAID COMBUSTION IS FIRST PARTIALLY EFFECTED, MIXING SAID STEAM AND SAID HOT COMBUSTION GASES RAPIDLY AND HOMOGENEOUSLY PRIOR TO COMPLETION OF SAID COMBUSTION WHEREBY SAID COMBUSTION IS COMPLETED IN THE PRESENCE OF STEAM, AND THEREAFTER INJECTING THE HYDROCARBON TO BE PYROLYZED INTO THE HOT GASES ORIGINATING FROM THE COMPLETION OF THE COMBUSTION REACTION IN THE PRESENCE OF STEAM.