Patent ID: 7416571

Claim:
A reactor system for partially oxidizing a feed gas comprising: a vessel having an upstream end and a downstream end; a catalyst-containing zone disposed within said downstream end of the vessel; a gas mixing apparatus disposed within said upstream end of the vessel, said gas mixing apparatus comprising a plurality of channels, wherein each channel comprises a channel outlet in fluid communication with said catalyst-containing zone; a first injection portion having a uniform internal cross-sectional area and a longitudinal axis, said first injection portion including a first gas inlet in fluid communication with a first gas feed, said first gas inlet being parallel to said longitudinal axis; a second injection portion being downstream of said first injection portion and in fluid communication with said first injection portion, said second injection portion comprising a non-uniform cross-sectional area and at least one second gas inlet, the at least one second gas inlet having a flow axis that is inclined at an angle with respect to said longitudinal axis of said first injection portion, said angle being between 0 and 90 degrees, exclusive; and a mixing portion being downstream of the at least one second gas inlet, said mixing portion having a uniform internal cross-sectional area which is smaller than the uniform internal cross-sectional area of the first injection portion, and said mixing portion being in fluid communication with said second injection portion and said channel outlet.