Rapid injection catalytic partial oxidation process and apparatus for

Abstract

A novel injector/reactor apparatus and an efficient process for the partial oxidation of light hydrocarbon gases, such as methane, to convert such gases to useful synthesis gas for recovery and/or subsequent hydrocarbon synthesis. Sources of a light hydrocarbon gas, such as methane, and oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas are preheated and pressurized and injected through an injector means at high velocity into admixture with each other in the desired proportions, at a plurality of mixing nozzles which are open to the catalytic partial oxidation reaction zone of a reactor and are uniformly-spaced over the face of the injector, to form a reactant gaseous premix having a pressure drop through the injector. The gaseous premix is injected in a time period which is less than 5 milliseconds, at a velocity between about 25 to 1000 feet/second, into a reaction zone comprising a catalytic partial oxidation zone so that the gaseous premix reacts in the presence of the fixed catalyst arrangement to reduce the amounts of CO.sub.2, H.sub.2 O and heat produced by the partial oxidation reaction and form, cool and recover a useful syngas.