Patent ID: 7785491

Claim:
A hydrocarbon partial oxidation process for obtaining gaseous mixtures comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, through a burner comprising a mixing chamber that has an inner side wall extending between at least one inlet opening and an outlet opening, wherein the process comprises: continuously feeding first and second independent gaseous flows of hydrocarbons and oxygen, respectively, into said mixing chamber; mixing said first and second independent gaseous flows to form a gaseous mixture advancing towards said outlet opening to be fed into a combustion chamber downstream of the burner; reacting said gaseous mixture in the combustion chamber so as to obtain a flame and a gaseous flow comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, the flame having a predetermined speed of propagation in a saturated environment of said gaseous mixture; and feeding a third flow of an inert fluid into said mixing chamber and substantially in contact with the inner side wall thereof, in equicurrent to said gaseous mixture, to form a respective annular flow of inert fluid, enveloping said gaseous mixture from which it is substantially separated by a respective inner limit layer, said annular flow of inert fluid having, at said limit layer, an advancing speed at least equal to the speed of propagation of the flame in said gaseous mixture.