Oxygen enriched combustion

An apparatus for combustion of hydrocarbon fuel comprising:

• a cracking chamber and a combustion chamber;
• means for introducing a first portion of about 5 to about 40 percent of the total said fuel to be cracked and combusted to said cracking chamber;
• means for introducing to said cracking chamber oxygen-rich gas comprising greater than about 30 volume percent oxygen in an amount about 5 to about 50 percent of the stoichiometric requirement for complete combustion therein;
• means for combusting and cracking said first portion of fuel in said cracking chamber at a temperature below about 2200.degree. F. producing a cracked products mixture;
• means for passing and introducing said cracked products mixture to said combustion chamber;
• means for introducing to said combustion chamber a second remaining portion of said fuel to be burned in said combustion chamber without having passed through said cracking chamber;
• means for introducing to said combustion chamber oxidizer comprising sufficient oxygen for substantially complete combustion of all of said fuel in said combustion chamber;
• means for combusting the combustible portion of said cracked products mixture and said fuel in said combustion chamber;
• and
• means for removing flue gas from said combustion chamber.

In a process for combustion of hydrocarbon fuel, the steps comprising:

• introducing a first portion of about 20 to about 40 percent of the total said fuel to be cracked and combusted to a cracking chamber;
• introducing to said cracking chamber oxygen-rich gas in an amount about 10 to about 20 percent of the stoichiometric requirement for complete combustion of said first portion of fuel, said oxygen-rich gas comprsing about 70 to 100 volume percent oxygen;
• combusting and cracking said first portion of fuel with said oxygen-rich gas in said cracking chamber at a temperature about 1400.degree. to about 2200.degree. F. producing a cracked products mixture;
• passing and introducing said cracked products mixture to a combustion chamber, said cracked products mixture cooled to below 800.degree. F. prior to introduction to said combustion chamber;
• introducing to said combustion chamber a second remaining portion of said fuel and oxidizer comprising sufficient oxygen for substantially complete combustion of all of said fuel in said combustion chamber, said oxidizer preheated to about 600.degree. to about 2500.degree. F. and said fuel preheated to about 500.degree. to about 1500.degree. F. prior to introduction to one of said cracking and combustion chambers;
• and
• combusting the combustible portion of said cracked products mixture and said fuel in said combustion chamber.

An apparatus for combustion of hydrocarbon fuel comprising:

• a cracking chamber and a combustion chamber;
• means to proportion and introduce a first portion of about 20 to about 40 percent of the total said fuel to be cracked and combusted to said cracking chamber;
• means for introducing to said cracking chamber oxygen-rich gas comprising greater than about 30 volume percent oxygen in an amount about 5 to about 50 percent of the stoichiometric requirement for complete combustion therein;
• means to preheat said oxygen-rich gas to about 600.degree. to about 1000.degree. F.;
• means for combusting and cracking said first portion of fuel in said cracking chamber at a temperature below about 2200.degree. F. producing a cracked products mixture;
• means for passing and introducing said cracked products mixture to said combustion chamber;
• means to cool said cracked products mixture to below about 800.degree. F. prior to introduction to said combustion chamber;
• means for introducing to said combustion chamber a remaining second portion of said fuel to be burned in said combustion chamber without having passed through said cracking chamber;
• means to preheat said fuel to about 500.degree. to about 1500.degree. F. prior to introduction to one of said cracking and combustion chambers;
• means for introducing to said combustion chamber oxidizer comprising sufficient oxygen for substantially complete combustion of all of said fuel in said combustion chamber;
• means to preheat said oxidizer to about 600.degree. to about 2500.degree. F.;
• means for combusting the combustible portion of said cracked products mixture and said fuel in said combustion chamber;
• and
• means for removing flue gas from said combustion chamber.