Patent ID: 6910431
Filing Date: 2005-06-28
Classification: C21C,F23D,F23L,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method of heating a surface susceptible to oxidation or reduction, comprising: generating a central, generally cylindrical, fuel-rich particulate jet, and a coaxial, annular, supersonic velocity, oxidant-rich jet having an auto-thermal ignition temperature greater than a temperature of the fuel-rich particulate jet, the jets directed toward the surface to be heated, wherein a velocity of the fuel-rich particulate jet is less than the velocity of the oxidant-rich jet; increasing the velocity of the fuel-rich particulate jet with a motive gas selected from the group consisting of an inert gas, argon, nitrogen, fuel, natural gas, vaporized petroleum liquids, vaporized coal derived liquids, carbon monoxide and hydrogen-rich streams from partial oxidation process, a pressurized gaseous fuel, a vaporized liquid distillate fuel feed, a fuel similar to the fuel used in generating the oxidant rich, and mixtures thereof; allowing the supersonic oxidant-rich jet and the fuel-rich particulate jet to coact to form a coherent particulate fuel-rich and fuel-lean jet having a central particulate fuel-rich region and a coaxial annular fuel-lean region; impinging the coherent particulate fuel-rich and fuel-lean jet upon the surface to be heated for forming a turbulent reaction zone at the surface; and controlling oxidation and reduction reactions at the turbulent reaction zone by adjusting at least one property of at least one of the supersonic oxidant-rich jet and the fuel-rich particulate jet.