Staged reaction plenum partition wall for furnace

An array comprising:

• a plurality of refractory brick members, each refractory brick member comprising a substantially tubular body having a first end, a second end opposed to said first end along a longitudinal length of said refractory brick member, a central bore extending from said first end to said second end along said longitudinal length thereof and defining an inner surface of said refractory brick member, and an outer surface extending from said first end to said second end along said longitudinal length thereof, wherein said outer surface of each said refractory brick member has a shape that transitions axially between a plurality of hexagonally-shaped portions and a plurality of non-hexagonally-shaped portions along the longitudinal lengths thereof, and wherein said plurality of refractory brick members are arranged and interlocked with one another in a vertical and horizontal manner via mating members provided on said hexagonally-shaped portions of said outer surfaces thereof;
• and
• a continuous plenum space defined by said non-hexagonally-shaped portions of said outer surfaces of said refractory brick members arranged in said array;
• wherein at least one opening is provided in a portion of said outer surface of said refractory brick members and in fluid communication with said plenum and at least one of an end face of said refractory brick members and said central bore of said refractory brick members.

A method for controlling distribution of secondary flow in a high temperature reaction furnace, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a plenum assembly comprising
• a plurality of refractory brick members, each refractory brick member comprising a substantially tubular body having a first end, a second end opposed to said first end along a longitudinal length of said refractory brick member, a central bore extending from said first end to said second end along said longitudinal length thereof and defining an inner surface of said refractory brick member, and an outer surface extending from said first end to said second end along said longitudinal length thereof, wherein said outer surface of each said refractory brick member has a shape that transitions axially between a plurality of hexagonally-shaped portions and a plurality of non-hexagonally-shaped portions along the longitudinal length thereof, and wherein said plurality of refractory brick members are arranged and interlocked with one another in a vertical and horizontal manner via mating members provided on said hexagonally-shaped portions of said outer surfaces thereof, and
• a continuous plenum space defined by said non-hexagonally-shaped portions of said outer surfaces of said refractory brick members, wherein each said refractory brick member comprises at least one opening provided in a portion of said outer surface of said refractory brick members and in fluid communication with said plenum and at least one of an end face of said refractory brick members and said central bore of said refractory brick members;
• and
• injecting secondary air directly into said plenum space of said plenum assembly via one or more injection ports provided in communication with said plenum space.