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US 5,015,349 AGranted
Low power density microwave discharge plasma excitation energy induced chemical reactions
AssigneeUniversity of Connecticut
InventorsSteven L. Suib, Zongchao Zhang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method for cracking a hydrocarbon material. The method includes introducing a stream including a hydrocarbon fluid into a reaction zone. A microwave discharge plasma is continuously maintained within the reaction zone, and in the presence of the hydrocarbon fluid. Reaction products of the microwave discharge are collected downstream of the reaction zone.
Claims15
A method for cracking a hydrocarbon to create cracked reaction products, which comprises:
- introducing a stream consisting of a hydrocarbon in fluid form into a reaction zone;
- exposing said reaction zone to a microwave energy to continuously maintain a low power density microwave discharge plasma within said reaction zone and in the presence of said hydrocarbon;
- determining concentrations of said cracked reaction products obtained downstream of said reaction zone;
- adjusting said microwave energy introduced to said reaction zone until the concentrations of said cracked reaction products cannot be increased by further adjustment of said energy;
- and
- collecting at least one of said cracked reaction products at a point located downstream of said reaction zone.
3 more elements
A method for cracking a hydrocarbon into cracked reaction products, which comprises:
- conducting a fluid stream containing said hydrocarbon into a reaction zone;
- applying sufficient microwave energy at a frequency in a range of about 2.45 gigahertz to continuously maintain a lower power density microwave discharge plasma within said reaction zone in the presence of said hydrocarbon, said energy being sufficient to break the bonds of said hydrocarbon, but insufficient to polymerize said hydrocarbon or decomposition products or radicals of said hydrocarbon;
- determining the concentration of said cracked reaction products obtained downstream of said reaction zone;
- adjusting said microwave energy introduced to said reaction zone until the concentration of said cracked reaction products cannot be increased by further adjustment of said microwave energy;
- and
- collecting one or more of said cracked reaction products of said microwave discharge plasma downstream of said reaction zone.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.