Apparatus and method for high temperature reactions

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR CONDUCTING HIGH TEMPERATURE CONVERSIONS OF FLUID REACTANTS WHICH COMPRISES PASSING A FLUID REACTANT FEED LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH AT LEAST ONE CONFINED CONTINUOUS PASSAGE ALONG AN INITIAL SECTION OF WHICH THE FLUID REACTANT IS SIMULTANEOUSLY IN INDIRECT HEAT TRANSFER RELATIONSHIP WITH A FIRST HEAT EXCHANGE FLUID THROUGH A CONFINING WALL OF THE PASSAGE HAVING HIGH HEAT TRANSFER CHARACTERISTICS AND IN INDIRECT HEAT TRANSFER RELATIONSHIP THROUGH A CONFINING WALL HAVING HIGH HEAT TRANSFER CHARACTERISTICS WITH A FLUID CONVERSION PRODUCT FLOWING IN A REVERSE DIRECTION THROUGH AT LEAST ONE CONFINED RETURN PASSAGE DISPOED LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID CONTINUOUS PASSAGE, THEN CIRCULATING THE FLUID REACTANT THROUGH A FINAL SECTION OF SAID CONTINUOUS PASSAGE IN WHICH IT IS CONVERTED WHILE IN INDIRECT HEAT TRANSFER RELATIONSHIP THROUGH A CONFINING WALL WITH A SECOND HEAT EXCHANGE FLUID MAINTAINED APART BOTH FROM SAID FIRST HEAT EXCHANGE FLUID AND FROM SAID CONVERSION PRODUCT AND ACTING TO CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE OF THE REACTANT FLUID AT THE DESIRED CONVERSION LEVEL, INTRODUCING THE RESULTING FLUID CONVERSION PRODUCT AT THE END OF SAID CONTINUOUS PASSAGE INTO THE COMMUNICATING OPEN END OF A RETURN PASSAGE, PASSING THE PRODUCT THROUGH SAID RETURN PASSAGE IN REVERSE DIRECTION TO THE FLOW IN SAID CONTINUOUS PASSAGE AND WITHDRAWING THE PRODUCT FROM SAID RETURN PASSAGE.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR CONDUCTING HIGH TEMPERATURE CONVERSIONS OF FLUID REACTANTS WHICH COMPRISES PASSING A FLUID REACTANT FEED LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH AT LEAST ONE CONFINED CONTINUOUS PASSAGE ALONG AN INITIAL SECTION OF WHICH THE FLUID REACTANT IS SIMULTANEOUSLY IN INDIRECT HEAT TRANSFER RELATIONSHIP WITH A FIRST HEAT EXCHANGE FLUID THROUGH A CONFINING WALL OF THE PASSAGE HAVING HIGH HEAT TRANSFER CHARACTERISTICS AND IN INDIRECT HEAT TRANSFER RELATIONSHIP THROUGH A CONFINING WALL HAVING HIGH HEAT TRANSFER CHARACTERISTICS WITH A FLUID CONVERSION PRODUCT FLOWING IN A REVERSE DIRECTION THROUGH AT LEAST ONE CONFINED RETURN PASSAGE DISPOED LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID CONTINUOUS PASSAGE, THEN CIRCULATING THE FLUID REACTANT THROUGH A FINAL SECTION OF SAID CONTINUOUS PASSAGE IN WHICH IT IS CONVERTED WHILE IN INDIRECT HEAT TRANSFER RELATIONSHIP THROUGH A CONFINING WALL WITH A SECOND HEAT EXCHANGE FLUID MAINTAINED APART BOTH FROM SAID FIRST HEAT EXCHANGE FLUID AND FROM SAID CONVERSION PRODUCT AND ACTING TO CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE OF THE REACTANT FLUID AT THE DESIRED CONVERSION LEVEL, INTRODUCING THE RESULTING FLUID CONVERSION PRODUCT AT THE END OF SAID CONTINUOUS PASSAGE INTO THE COMMUNICATING OPEN END OF A RETURN PASSAGE, PASSING THE PRODUCT THROUGH SAID RETURN PASSAGE IN REVERSE DIRECTION TO THE FLOW IN SAID CONTINUOUS PASSAGE AND WITHDRAWING THE PRODUCT FROM SAID RETURN PASSAGE.