Production of acetylene and olefins by partial combustion of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ACETYLENE BY PARTIAL COMBUSTION OF METHANE WITH OXYGEN IN A COMBUSTION ZONE, AT A TEMPERATURE AND REACTION DURATION PRODUCING ACETYLENE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING SEPARATELY PREHEATING THE METHANE AND OXYGEN, PASSING THE PREHEATED METHANE, WHICH IS UNDER PRESSURE, THROUGH A RESTRICTED PASSAGE, THE PREHEATED OXYGEN BEING FED TO SAID PASSAGE OF SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, THE METHANE AND OXYGEN BEING MIXED THEREBY, THE FLOW OF OXYGEN THROUGH SAID PASSAGE AUTOMATICALLY CEASING WHEN THE FLOW OF METHANE FAILS, PASSING THE GAS MIXTURE THROUGH A PLURALITY OF PASSAGES, IN PARALLEL ARRANGEMENT, INTO A COMBUSTION ZONE, THE VELOCITY OF THE GAS MIXTURE IN SAID PASSAGES BEING GREATER THAN THE PROPAGATION RATE OF THE FLAME IN THE COMBUSTION ZONE, THE COMBUSTION ZONE BEING ADJACENT THE EXIT OF THE GAS MIXTURE FROM SAID PLURALITY OF PASSAGES, EXTINGUISHING SAID FLAME BY MEANS OF A LIQUID WATER JET THE TEMPERATURE OF WHICH IS ABOVE 100*C., AND PASSING THE COMBUSTION GASES THROUGH A COOLING AND WATER SCRUBBING ZONE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY WASHING THE GAS WITH A SOLVENT FOR THE ACETYLENE TO SEPARATE THE ACETYLENE, SAID PARTIAL COMBUSTION BEING CARRIED OUT AT A PRESSURE MAINTAINED AT 3 TO 4 ATMOSPHERES PRESSURE, THE PRESSURE IN THE FLAME EXTINGUISHING ZONE, THE WATER SCRUBBING ZONE, AND IN THE ZONE OF SOLVENT EXTRACTION OF THE ACETYLENE BEING AT A PRESSURE GREATER THAN ATMOSPHERIC, BEING SUBSTANTIALLY THE PRESSURE OF DELIVERY FROM THE PRECEDING STEPS OF THE PROCESS.