Patent ID: 6153152
Filing Date: 2000-11-28
Classification: B01J,C01B

Abstract:
An endothermic reaction apparatus for effecting an endothermic reaction, comprisinga vessel, said vessel including an inlet port for an endothermic reactant to be subjected to an endothermic reaction to convert the reactant to an endothermic product, an outlet port for the endothermic product, and an exothermic reaction chamber,a plurality of reaction tubes providing respective flow passages between said inlet and outlet ports, said reaction tubes extending through said exothermic reaction chamber in laterally spaced apart relationship, andfirst and second supplies for separately supplying first and second exothermic reaction fluids to said exothermic reaction chamber for exothermically reacting within said exothermic reaction chamber and for providing flow of exothermic reaction products in a direction going from an upstream end to a downstream end of said exothermic reaction chamber with respect to the flow of the exothermic reaction products, said first supply having a first fluid outlet for introducing said first fluid into said exothermic reaction chamber at said upstream end thereof in such a manner to provide a substantially uniform velocity profile across the chamber, and said second supply including a second fluid outlet for introducing said second fluid into said exothermic reaction chamber at or downstream of said first fluid outlet and at a plurality of discrete locations between said reaction tubes and adjacent but laterally offset from said reaction tubes,whereby said second fluid exiting from said second fluid outlet combines with said first fluid for generation of high temperature flames around said reaction tubes downstream of said second fluid outlet and high temperature exothermic reaction products for flow around and along said reaction tubes, for heating said reaction tubes to support an endothermic conversion of the endothermic reactant to the endothermic product as the endothermic reactant flows through said reaction tubes.