High temperature chemical reaction processes utilizing fluid-wall reactors

Abstract

High temperature chemical reaction processes utilizing fluid-wall reactors can be conducted in fluid-wall reactors by a process which includes the steps of (a) generating a shell of a refractory material which reflects radiation, the volume enclosed by the shell constituting a black body cavity; (b) generating within the black body cavity an annular envelope of an inert fluid which is substantially transparent to radiation, the envelope having substantial axial length and the interior of the envelope defining a reaction chamber; (c) passing at least one reactant into the black body cavity and through the reaction chamber along a predetermined path substantially coincident with the longitudinal axis of the envelope, the reactants being confined within the reaction chamber; and (d) directing high intensity radiant energy into the reaction chamber to coincide with at least a portion of the predetermined path of the reactants, sufficient radiant energy being absorbed within the reaction chamber to raise the temperature of the reactants to a level required to initiate and sustain the desired chemical reaction.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.