Methane conversion apparatus and process using a supersonic flow reactor

A process for producing acetylene from a feed stream comprising methane comprising:

• introducing the feed stream to a supersonic reactor wherein the supersonic reactor comprises:
• a reactor shell of the supersonic reactor for defining a reactor chamber;
• a combustion zone of the supersonic reactor for combusting a fuel source to provide a high temperature carrier gas passing through the reactor space at supersonic speeds to heat and accelerate the methane feed stream to a pyrolysis temperature;
• an outer layer of the reactor shell for providing structural support thereto;
• an inner layer of the reactor shell having a thermal conductivity of between about 200 and about 500 W/m-K for conducting heat from the reactor chamber the inner layer comprising at least copper chrome, copper chrome zinc, copper chrome niobium, copper nickel and copper nickel tungsten and mixtures thereof;
• and
• a coating comprising a coating comprising nickel metal, an alloy of nickel, chromium metal, an alloy of chromium, platinum metal, an alloy of platinum, palladium, or an alloy of palladium, or mixtures thereof applied to an inner surface of the inner layer of the reactor shell;
• combusting a fuel source to provide a high temperature carrier gas passing through the reactor at supersonic speeds to heat and accelerate the methane feed stream to a pyrolysis temperature, wherein upon heating and accelerating the methane stream, acetylene is generated;
• and
• preventing formation of acetylides in the reactor by employing the coating that prevents the acetylene from contacting the copper of the inner layer of the reactor.