US 6,981,994 B2
Production enhancement for a reactor
Raymond Francis Drnevich, Clarence Center, N.Y. (US); Gary Wayne Fenner, Grand Island, N.Y. (US); Hisashi Kobayashi, Putnam Valley, N.Y. (US); and Lawrence E. Bool, III, East Aurora, N.Y. (US)
Assigned to Praxair Technology, Inc., Danbury, Conn. (US)
Filed on Aug. 21, 2002, as Appl. No. 10/224,422.
Application 10/224422 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/024056, filed on Dec. 17, 2001.
Prior Publication US 2003/0110693 A1, Jun. 19, 2003
Int. Cl. C01B 3/32 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 48—198.7 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process for increasing the production of a product stream of a reactor designed such that a fuel stream and an oxygen containing stream are consumed in a combustion section of the reactor to generate heat and a reactant stream and steam stream are consumed in an endothermic reaction section by an endothermic reaction solely supported by the heat generated in the combustion section to generate the product stream, the heat being transferred from the combustion section to the endothermic reaction section by indirect heat transfer, said process comprising:
introducing supplemental oxygen into at least the combustion section so as to provide oxygen enrichment for the combustion, an increase in combustion temperature and therefore the heat generated by the combustion without increasing the flow rate of the combustion gases; and
introducing the fuel stream, the reactant stream, and steam stream into the reactor at increased supply rates that are above those that would otherwise be used had the oxygen containing stream been supplied to the reactor alone, thereby to support the increase in the heat and an increase in the product stream produced; and
the increased supply rates at which the fuel stream, reactant stream and steam stream are supplied are selected relative to the amount of supplemental oxygen supplied such that a temperature rise, anywhere within the reactor is not greater than about 200° C. over that which would be observed with the use of the oxygen containing stream alone.