Reactors and systems for oxidative coupling of methane

A method for producing at least one C2+ alkene, comprising:

• (a) directing methane and an oxidizing agent into a reactor comprising a catalyst unit and a cracking unit downstream of said catalyst unit, wherein said catalyst unit comprises an oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) catalyst that facilitates an OCM reaction;
• (b) in said catalyst unit, reacting said methane and said oxidizing agent with the aid of said OCM catalyst to generate at least one OCM product comprising at least one C2+ compound;
• (c) directing said at least one OCM product as part of a hydrocarbon-containing stream through said cracking unit, which hydrocarbon-containing stream comprises at least one C2+ alkane;
• and
• (d) in said cracking unit, cracking said at least one C2+ alkane to yield a product stream comprising said at least one C2+ alkene,
• wherein said cracking unit is operated at a (i) hydrocarbon-containing stream residence time and (ii) cracking unit temperature profile selected such that a ratio of C2+ alkene to C2+ alkane in said product stream is greater than 0.1.

A method for producing at least one C2+ alkene, comprising:

• (a) directing methane and an oxidizing agent into a reactor comprising a catalyst unit and a cracking unit downstream of said catalyst unit, wherein said catalyst unit comprises an oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) catalyst that facilitates an OCM reaction;
• (b) in said catalyst unit, reacting said methane and said oxidizing agent with the aid of said OCM catalyst to generate at least one OCM product comprising at least one C2+ compound;
• (c) directing said at least one OCM product as part of a hydrocarbon-containing stream through said cracking unit from an inlet to an outlet at a residence time that is less than 500 milliseconds at a reactor diameter of at least about 12 inches, wherein said inlet is at a temperature from about 800° C. to 950° C. and said outlet is at a temperature from about 700° C. to 950° C., and wherein said hydrocarbon-containing stream comprises at least one C2+ alkane;
• and
• (d) in said cracking unit, cracking said at least one C2+ alkane to yield a product stream comprising said at least one C2+ alkene.

A method, comprising:

• (a) providing a reactor comprising (i) an OCM section comprising an OCM catalyst that facilitates formation of OCM products from methane and an oxidizing agent, and (ii) a post-bed cracking section located downstream of said OCM catalyst section that facilitates cracking of at least a portion of said OCM products, wherein said OCM section and said post-bed cracking section are integrated in said reactor;
• (b) directing said methane and said oxidizing agent to said OCM section;
• (c) conducting OCM in said OCM section to generate said OCM products;
• (d) mixing said OCM products with a CO2 stream to produce a cracking stream;
• and
• (e) cracking at least a portion of said OCM products in said cracking stream in said post-bed cracking section.