Systems and methods for processing gases

An integrated acetylene-based vitamin synthesis system for synthesizing a vitamin product, comprising:

• a plasma-based hydrocarbon processing system and a vitamin manufacturing system,
• wherein the plasma-based hydrocarbon processing system comprises a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, a microwave subsystem, and a set of separator subsystems,
• wherein the gas delivery subsystem:
• i. is in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber and directs one or more gases into the plasma reaction chamber, wherein the one or more gases comprises a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas;
• and
• ii. comprises a delivery conduit and a gas injector,
• a. wherein the delivery conduit is in fluid communication with the gas injector, wherein the delivery conduit delivers the one or more gases to the gas injector, and wherein the delivery conduit comprises a feed gas conveying circuit that delivers the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the gas injector, and
• b. wherein the gas injector delivers the one or more gases into the plasma reaction chamber;
• wherein the plasma reaction chamber:
• i. is in fluid communication with the set of separator subsystems;
• and
• ii. is disposed within an elongate reactor tube having a proximal and a distal end, wherein the elongate reactor tube is dimensionally adapted for interaction with the microwave subsystem;
• wherein the microwave subsystem:
• i. directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, and wherein the plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, wherein the outflow gas products comprise acetylene gas and hydrogen;
• ii. comprises an applicator for directing the microwave energy towards the plasma reaction chamber, and wherein the plasma reaction chamber is disposed in the region of the elongate reactor tube that passes through the applicator and intersects it perpendicularly;
• and
• iii. further comprises a power supply, a magnetron, and a waveguide, whereby the power supply energizes the magnetron to produce microwave energy, the microwave energy being conveyed by the waveguide to the applicator, and wherein the applicator directs the microwave energy towards the reaction chamber within the elongate reactor tube, thereby forming the plasma in the plasma reaction chamber,
• wherein the outflow gas products flow within the plasma reaction chamber towards the distal end of the elongate reactor tube and emerge from the distal end of the elongate reactor tube forming an outflow stream that enters the set of separator subsystems;
• i. wherein the set of separator subsystems comprises an effluent separator, an acetylene separator, and a hydrogen separator;
• ii. wherein the effluent separator is in fluid communication with the elongate reactor tube, and is adapted to remove higher acetylenes and aromatics from the outflow stream, producing a purified effluent stream comprising the acetylene gas and the hydrogen;
• iii. wherein the acetylene separator is in fluid communication with the effluent separator, and separates the acetylene gas from the purified effluent stream, thereby forming a purified acetylene product and a remaining effluent stream, and wherein the acetylene separator is in fluid communication with the vitamin manufacturing system and directs at least a portion of the purified acetylene product into the vitamin manufacturing system;
• and
• iv. wherein the acetylene separator is further in fluid communication with the hydrogen separator and directs the remaining effluent stream into the hydrogen separator, wherein the hydrogen separator separates the hydrogen from the remaining effluent stream, producing a purified hydrogen product;
• v. wherein the hydrogen separator is also in fluid communication with the vitamin manufacturing system and directs at least a portion of the purified hydrogen product into the vitamin manufacturing system;
• and
• wherein the vitamin manufacturing system comprises a vitamin reaction plant and a controller, whereby the controller regulates entry of the portion of the purified acetylene product and the portion of the purified hydrogen product into the vitamin reaction plant, and
• wherein the vitamin reaction plant synthesizes the vitamin product using the purified acetylene product and/or the purified hydrogen product.

An integrated acetylene-based synthesis system for synthesizing acetylene black from a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, comprising:

• a plasma-based hydrocarbon processing system and an acetylene-black manufacturing system,
• wherein the plasma-based hydrocarbon processing system comprises a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, a microwave subsystem, and a set of separation and purification subsystems,
• wherein the gas delivery subsystem:
• i. is in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber and directs one or more gases into the plasma reaction chamber, wherein the one or more gases comprises the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas;
• and
• ii. comprises a delivery conduit and a gas injector,
• wherein the delivery conduit is in fluid communication with the gas injector, wherein the delivery conduit delivers the one or more gases to the gas injector, and wherein the delivery conduit comprises a feed gas conveying circuit that delivers the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the gas injector, and
• wherein the gas injector delivers the one or more gases into the plasma reaction chamber;
• wherein the plasma reaction chamber:
• i. is in fluid communication with the set of separation and purification subsystem;
• and
• ii. is disposed within an elongate reactor tube having a proximal and a distal end, and wherein the elongate reactor tube is dimensionally adapted for interaction with the microwave subsystem;
• wherein the microwave subsystem:
• i. directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, and wherein the plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, wherein the outflow gas products comprise acetylene gas and hydrogen;
• ii. comprises an applicator for directing the microwave energy towards the plasma reaction chamber, and wherein the plasma reaction chamber is disposed in the region of the elongate reactor tube that passes through the applicator and intersects it perpendicularly;
• and
• iii. further comprises a power supply, a magnetron, and a waveguide, whereby the power supply energizes the magnetron to produce microwave energy, the microwave energy being conveyed by the waveguide to the applicator, and wherein the applicator directs the microwave energy towards the reaction chamber within the elongate reactor tube, thereby forming the plasma in the plasma reaction chamber,
• wherein the outflow gas products flow within the plasma reaction chamber towards the distal end of the elongate reactor tube and emerge from the distal end of the elongate reactor tube forming an outflow stream that enters the set of separation and purification subsystems;
• i. wherein the set of separation and purification subsystems comprises an acetylene separator in fluid communication with the elongate reactor tube, and is adapted to remove higher acetylenes and aromatics from the outflow stream, producing a purified effluent stream comprising the acetylene gas and the hydrogen, and producing an offgas stream comprising the higher acetylenes and the aromatics;
• ii. wherein the set of separation and purification subsystems further comprises a hydrogen separator in fluid communication with the elongate reactor tube, wherein the hydrogen separator separates the hydrogen as a hydrogen stream from at least one of the outflow stream and the purified effluent stream;
• and
• iii. wherein the set of separation and purification subsystems produces an acetylene-rich feedstock stream;
• and
• an acetylene-black manufacturing system, wherein the acetylene-black manufacturing system comprises an acetylene decomposition reactor in fluid communication with the separation and purification subsystems, and wherein the acetylene decomposition reactor synthesizes the acetylene black from the acetylene-rich feedstock stream.

An integrated acetylene-based synthesis system for producing hydrogen from a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, comprising a plasma-based hydrocarbon processing subsystem and an acetylene-black manufacturing subsystem:

• a. wherein the plasma-based hydrocarbon processing subsystem comprises a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, a microwave subsystem, and a set of separation and purification subsystems,
• wherein the gas delivery subsystem:
• i. is in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber and directs one or more gases into the plasma reaction chamber, wherein the one or more gases comprises the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas;
• and
• ii. comprises a delivery conduit and a gas injector,
• wherein the delivery conduit is in fluid communication with the gas injector, wherein the delivery conduit delivers the one or more gases to the gas injector, and wherein the delivery conduit comprises a feed gas conveying circuit that delivers the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the gas injector, and wherein the gas injector delivers the one or more gases into the plasma reaction chamber;
• wherein the plasma reaction chamber:
• i. is in fluid communication with the set of separation and purification subsystems;
• and
• ii. is disposed within an elongate reactor tube having a proximal and a distal end, and wherein the elongate reactor tube is dimensionally adapted for interaction with the microwave subsystem;
• wherein the microwave subsystem:
• i. directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, and wherein the plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, wherein the outflow gas products comprise acetylene gas and hydrogen;
• ii. comprises an applicator for directing the microwave energy towards the plasma reaction chamber, and wherein the plasma reaction chamber is disposed in the region of the elongate reactor tube that passes through the applicator and intersects it perpendicularly;
• and
• iii. further comprises a power supply, a magnetron, and a waveguide, whereby the power supply energizes the magnetron to produce microwave energy, the microwave energy being conveyed by the waveguide to the applicator, and wherein the applicator directs the microwave energy towards the reaction chamber within the elongate reactor tube, thereby forming the plasma in the plasma reaction chamber,
• wherein the outflow gas products flow within the plasma reaction chamber towards the distal end of the elongate reactor tube and emerge from the distal end of the elongate reactor tube forming an outflow stream that enters the set of separation and purification subsystems;
• wherein the set of separation and purification subsystems:
• i. comprises, in fluid communication with the elongate reactor tube, an effluent separator that removes higher acetylenes and aromatics from the outflow stream, producing (a) a purified effluent stream comprising the acetylene gas and the hydrogen and (b) an offgas stream comprising the higher acetylenes and the aromatics;
• ii. further comprises, in fluid communication with the effluent separator, an acetylene separator which produces an acetylene-rich feedstock stream and a remaining effluent stream as separate streams from the purified effluent stream;
• iii. further comprises a hydrogen separator in fluid communication with the acetylene separator, wherein the hydrogen separator separates the hydrogen as a purified hydrogen stream from the remaining effluent stream,
• 1. wherein the hydrogen stream is separable into one or more of a recycled hydrogen stream, an integrated hydrogen stream, and an external hydrogen stream,
• 2. wherein the external hydrogen stream is isolated from the integrated acetylene-based synthesis system as a first isolated hydrogen stream;
• and
• b. wherein:
• i. the acetylene-black manufacturing system comprises an acetylene decomposition reactor in fluid communication with the set of separation and purification subsystems and wherein:
• ii. the acetylene decomposition reactor produces acetylene black and hydrogen from the acetylene-rich feedstock stream, and
• iii. the hydrogen produced by the acetylene decomposition reactor is separable from the integrated acetylene-based synthesis system as a second isolated hydrogen stream.