Patent ID: 7578981
Filing Date: 2009-08-25
Classification: B01F,B01J,C07C

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for manufacturing at least one alkyl oxygenate through partial oxidation reacting of alkane from an alkane-containing gas feed stream and of oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas feed stream, the apparatus including a reactor system comprising: a tubular flow reactor having a tubular flow reactor input; an injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber in fluid communication with the tubular-flow reactor, the injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber including: a bulkhead disposed in a slideably-sealed interface to the backmixing reaction chamber housing, the bulkhead separating the injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber from the tubular-flow reactor and at least partially constricting the flow of gases between the injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber and the tubular-flow reactor to allow backmixing, the injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber having an injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber internal volume, respective to a combined feed rate of the alkane-containing gas feed stream and the oxygen-containing gas feed stream, that provides a residence time sufficient for the formation of alkyl free radicals from the alkane within the injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber and for providing at least a portion of the alkyl free radicals to the tubular-flow reactor input, the internal volume defined by the backmixing reaction chamber housing and by the bulkhead; the backmixing reaction chamber housing having a housing portion in opposite disposition to the bulkhead, the bulkhead being slideably movable during real-time operation of the reactor system to progress within the injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber housing toward the housing portion to thereby commensurately diminish the injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber internal volume, and the bulkhead also being alternatively slideably movable during real-time operation of the reactor system within the injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber housing to retract away from the housing portion to thereby commensurately expand the injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber internal volume; wherein the alkane is selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, propane, and butane.