Rotary Shock Wave Reactor for Hydrocarbon Pyrolysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tubular furnaces for pyrolysis of hydrocarbons face limitations in heat transfer, leading to inefficient energy use, prolonged reaction times, loss of valuable feedstock, and secondary reactions resulting in coke formation, which reduces product yield and increases energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A rotary machine type shock wave reactor that generates heat directly within the reaction mixture through high-intensity stationary shock waves, reducing residence time and temperature of feedstock, thereby enhancing reaction control and product yield.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional tubular furnaces are used for pyrolysis, then heat transfer through reactor walls is achieved, but heat transfer rates have reached technical limits and energy efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical heat transfer system (heat conduction through reactor walls) with a shock wave-based thermal processing system. Shock waves are generated within the reaction zone to directly heat the hydrocarbon feedstock, eliminating the need for heat transfer through reactor walls and overcoming the technical limits of conventional heat transfer rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces shock waves as an intermediary mechanism to transfer energy to the feedstock. Instead of direct wall-to-fluid heat transfer, shock waves act as a mediator that carries thermal energy directly into the reaction zone, enabling more efficient and controlled heating of the hydrocarbon feedstock.
2Quantity of substance
If residence time in conventional furnaces is increased to improve heating, then product yield decreases due to secondary reactions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic shock wave action to heat the feedstock in discrete, intense pulses rather than continuous low-level heating. This periodic energy input achieves the required temperature rise in much shorter time, reducing residence time and preventing secondary reactions that would otherwise occur during prolonged heating in conventional furnaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses high-intensity shock waves to rapidly skip through the heating process, achieving the necessary thermal conditions for pyrolysis in a fraction of the time required by conventional furnaces. This rushed heating approach minimizes the time feedstock spends in the reaction zone, thereby reducing secondary reactions and improving product yield.
3Productivity
If reaction temperature is increased to reduce pyrolysis time, then tube material durability and heat transfer have physical limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional heat transfer (through reactor walls) to three-dimensional energy distribution within the reaction zone using shock waves. This dimensional change allows energy to be deposited directly throughout the feedstock volume, enabling much higher effective processing temperatures without the constraints of wall material durability and heat transfer coefficients.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional pyrolysis process is used, then coke formation occurs causing heat transfer problems and fouling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional thermal field (heat conduction through walls) with a shock wave field that directly processes the feedstock in the reaction zone. This substitution eliminates the thermal gradient through reactor walls that leads to coke deposition, thereby preventing heat transfer problems and fouling while improving energy efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The rotary machine type reactor significantly increases the yield of low molecular weight hydrocarbons like olefins, reduces coke formation, and improves energy efficiency by allowing faster and more controlled pyrolysis processes, making it a more cost-effective method for producing valuable petrochemicals.
Implementation Method 1
A rotary machine type shock wave reactor that generates heat directly within the reaction mixture through high-intensity stationary shock waves
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A shock wave reactor (11a, 11b, 102) for thermal cracking of hydrocarbon-containing feedstock, comprising a casing (4) wherein a duct (10) is formed with inlet (6, 6a) and outlet (7); a rotor (1, 1a) the periphery of which contains an axial- flow blade cascade (2); wherein the casing substantially encloses the periphery of the rotor (la) and a number of stationary vane cascades (8, 9) inside the duct, and further wherein the cascades (2, 8, 9) are configured to direct feedstock containing process stream to repeatedly pass said cascades in accordance with helical trajectory while propagating within the duct between the inlet and outlet and to generate stationary shock-waves to heat the feedstock. The axial- flow rotor cascade (2) is configured to provide kinetic energy and to add velocity to the feedstock containing process stream, and the stationary vanes located downstream the rotor cascade (2) are configured to reduce the velocity of the stream and convert kinetic energy into heat. The reactor may be configured for the realization of thermal cracking processes utilizing hydrocarbons; however it may be utilized for processing carbohydrate- and glyceride-based feedstock, including processing of gaseous biomass matter. Related methods for processing feedstock matter are presented.