Supersonic shock wave reactors, and associated systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016296904-A1
Application number	US-201415034863-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2014
Priority date	Nov 19, 2013
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Apparatuses and associated methods for forming olefins from saturated hydrocarbon feedstock are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a carrier gas is introduced at a supersonic velocity to a feedstock injector section. A feedstock gas is introduced tot he carrier gas stream using feedstock injectors that are offset in the streamwise direction one from another. The upstream feedstock injectors are positioned to inject feedstock gas to create plumes that improve penetration depth of the feedstock gas and reduce pressure losses at the downstream feedstock injectors. The feedstock gas can be regeneratively preheated by cooling the convergent-divergent nozzle. Water, steam and/or hydrogen gas can be injected into the apparatus for cooling the throat of the convergent-divergent nozzle.

First claim

1 - 3 . (canceled)

4 . A shock wave reactor, comprising:
a feedstock injector section having an inlet for receiving a carrier gas at supersonic velocity; a first feedstock injector positioned to inject a feedstock gas into the feedstock injector section at a first angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the feedstock injector section; and a second feedstock injector positioned to inject the feedstock gas into the feedstock injector section at a second angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the feedstock injector section, wherein the second angle is greater than the first angle.

5 . The reactor of example 4 wherein the second feedstock injector is positioned to inject the feedstock gas within a plume zone created by the first feedstock injector.

6 . The reactor of example 4, further comprising a third feedstock injector positioned to inject the feedstock gas into the feedstock injector section at a third angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the feedstock injector section, wherein the third angle is greater than the second angle.

7 . The reactor of claim 4 wherein the first and second feedstock injectors are generally aligned in a direction of the longitudinal axis.

8 . The reactor of claim 4 wherein the feedstock gas is injected at a supersonic velocity.

9 . The reactor of claim 4 wherein velocity of the carrier gas is greater than Mach 2.

10 . The reactor of claim 4 wherein the feedstock injectors are configured and positioned to introduce about 50% of a total gas flow through the reactor.

11 . The reactor of claim 4 , further comprising a supersonic mixer section downstream of the feedstock injector section, wherein, during operation, oblique shock waves develop in the supersonic mixer section such that the carrier gas and the feedstock gas react in the supersonic mixer section at least partially at a thermal cracking point.

12 . The reactor of claim 4 , further comprising a layer of thermally protective coating over at least a portion of an inner surface of the feedstock injector section.

13 . The reactor of claim 4 , further comprising a convergent-divergent nozzle configured to accelerate the carrier gas from subsonic velocity to supersonic velocity.

14 . The reactor of claim 13 wherein the convergent-divergent nozzle comprises a nozzle injector positioned to inject at least one of the feedstock gas and the carrier gas.

15 . The reactor of claim 13 , further comprising a cooling film injector positioned in a convergent section of the convergent-divergent nozzle.

16 . The reactor of claim 14 wherein the nozzle injector is positioned in a divergent section of the convergent-divergent nozzle.

17 . The reactor of claim 14 , further comprising a cooling channel around a throat of the convergent-divergent nozzle, wherein the cooling channel is configured to receive the feedstock gas.

18 . The reactor of claim 4 wherein the feedstock injector comprises a liner for reducing catalytic wall effects.

19 . The reactor of claim 4 , further comprising a supersonic diffuser section configured to decelerate flow from a supersonic to a near-sonic velocity at a minimum cross section of the supersonic diffuser section.

20 . The reactor of claim 4 wherein the feedstock gas comprises methane.

21 . The reactor of claim 20 wherein the supersonic diffuser section comprises a contraction configured to decelerate the feedstock gas and to keep the feedstock gas generally isothermal.

22 . The reactor of claim 4 , further comprising a combustor for generating a carrier gas from a mixture of a fuel and an oxydizer.

23 . The reactor of claim 4 , wherein the fuel is selected from a group consisting of a methane, a hydrogen, and a combination thereof.

24 . The reactor of claim 4 , wherein the oxydizer comprises oxygen.

25 . The reactor of claim 19 wherein an expanding section of the supersonic diffusion section is configured to stabilize a normal shock wave train.

26 . The reactor of claim 25 wherein the normal shock wave train is configured to generate thermal cracking point for the feedstock gas.

27 . A method of synthesizing gases, the method comprising:
accelerating a carrier gas flow from subsonic to supersonic velocity in a convergent-divergent nozzle, wherein the supersonic velocity predominates at an entrance to a feedstock injector section; adding a feedstock gas to the feedstock injector section through a first feedstock injector at a first angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the feedstock injector section; adding the feedstock gas to the feedstock injector section through a second feedstock injector at a second angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the feedstock injector section, wherein the second angle is greater than the first angle, and wherein the second feedstock injector is positioned to inject the feedstock gas within a plume zone created by the first feedstock injector, wherein the carrier gas reacts with the feedstock gas to generate olefins; and wherein a mixture of the carrier gas, the feedstock gas and the olefins decelerates from the supersonic to the subsonic velocity in a supersonic diffuser section.

28 . The method of claim 27 wherein the feedstock gas reacts predominantly in a supersonic mixer section and a contraction of the supersonic diffuser section positioned downstream of the feedstock injector section.

29 . The method of claim 28 wherein the feedstock gas continues to react in through a normal shock wave train of the supersonic diffuser section.

30 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising:
maintaining the feedstock gas at generally isothermal condition in the contraction of the supersonic diffuser section.

31 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
adding the feedstock gas to the feedstock injector section through a third feedstock injector at a third angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the feedstock injector section, wherein the third angle is greater than the second angle, and wherein the third feedstock injector is positioned to inject the feedstock gas within a plume zone created by the first and the second feedstock injectors.

32 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
preheating the feedstock gas by flowing the feedstock gas through a cooling channel around a throat of the convergent-divergent nozzle.

33 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
film cooling the convergent-divergent nozzle by injecting at least one of the steam, water, and hydrogen upstream of the throat of the convergent-divergent nozzle.

34 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
initiating an auto-ignited reaction between a fuel and an oxidizer to form the carrier gas in a combustor section upstream of the feedstock injector.

35 . The method of claim 34 , further comprising:
preheating di-ether and oxygen to an auto-ignition temperature; mixing di-ether and oxygen to initiate an auto-ignition reaction; and forming the carrier gas using the auto-ignition reaction as a pilot.

36 . The method of claim 27 wherein the feedstock gas comprises methane.

Assignees

• Univ Washington Through Its Center For Commercialization
• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Knowlen Carl
• Mattick Arthur T
• Stevens Carl J
• Cerff Robert
• Hansen Viggo

Classifications

• C10G31/06

  by heating, cooling, or pressure treatment · CPC title

• B01J12/005

  carried out at high temperatures, e.g. by pyrolysis · CPC title

• B01J19/10 Primary

  employing sonic or ultrasonic vibrations · CPC title

• B01J12/00

  Chemical processes in general for reacting gaseous media with gaseous media; Apparatus specially adapted therefor (B01J3/08, B01J8/00, B01J19/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• C10G15/08

  by electric means or by electromagnetic or mechanical vibrations · CPC title