Methane conversion apparatus and process using a supersonic flow reactor
Apparatus and methods are provided for converting methane in a feed stream to acetylene. A hydrocarbon stream is introduced into a supersonic reactor and pyrolyzed to convert at least a portion of the methane to acetylene. The reactor effluent stream may be treated to convert acetylene to another hydrocarbon process.
1. An apparatus for producing acetylene from a feed stream comprising methane comprising:
a supersonic reactor for receiving the methane feed stream and heating the methane feed stream to a pyrolysis temperature;
a reactor shell of the supersonic reactor for defining a reactor chamber wherein the reaction chamber operates at a temperature from about 1200 to about 4000° C.;
a combustion zone of the supersonic reactor for combusting a fuel source to provide a high temperature carrier gas passing through the reactor space at supersonic speeds to heat and accelerate the methane feed stream to a pyrolysis temperature; and
the reactor shell comprising a material having a thermal conductivity of between about 300 and about 450 W/m-K for conducting heat from the reactor chamber and having a melting temperature of between about 500 and about 2000° C.; the material being at least copper chrome, or copper chrome zinc, or copper chrome niobium, or copper zirconium or copper silver zirconium; or mixtures thereof.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material further comprises aluminum, or zirconium, or niobium, or silver, and alloys thereof.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material has a melting temperature of between about 800 and about 1300 C.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an active cooling system for maintaining the reactor portion at a temperature below the melting temperature thereof.