Patent ID: 9682359
Date: 2017-06-20
CPC Classifications: B01J,C10G

Claim:
1. A method of processing hydrocarbon materials, comprising: feeding a hydrocarbon feedstock from a hydrocarbon feedstock source into a reaction tube positioned within an opening of a waveguide; feeding a process gas from a process gas source into the reaction tube; receiving microwaves in the waveguide from a microwave generator; propagating microwave energy from the waveguide into the reaction tube to cause the formation of a first plasma in the reaction tube, wherein the first plasma causes the feedstock and process gas to react and form into a product stream comprising a fuel product; and periodically, without stopping the propagation of the microwave energy into the reaction tube, delivering a cleaning gas comprising oxygen, from a cleaning gas source, into the reaction tube; forming a second plasma in the reaction tube, from the cleaning gas in the presence of the microwave energy, so that the second plasma causes burning off of a carbon residue film from the reaction tube; extracting the cleaning gas from the product stream; and delivering the extracted cleaning gas to the cleaning gas source.