Process and apparatus for detecting a loss of reaction in a hydrocarbon conversion reaction
AssigneeIneos Europe AG
InventorsPhilip Hall, Ian Allan Beattie Reid, David Charles Wilson
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Abstract
A hydrocarbon conversion process such as an auto-thermal cracking process in which a hydrocarbon feed and a molecular oxygen-containing gas are contacted in a reaction zone in the presence of a catalyst to produce an outlet stream having an oxygen concentration which is at, near or above the flammable limit and in which process a loss of reaction is detected and used as a signal to activate means for mitigating the risk of explosion downstream of the reaction zone. The loss of reaction may be detected for example by a sudden increase in oxygen concentration in the outlet stream and/or a sudden drop in temperature of the outlet stream.
Claims32
A process for the production of an olef in1 said process comprising contacting a hydrocarbon feed and a molecular oxygen-containing gas with a catalyst, said catalyst being capable of supporting combustion beyond the fuel rich limit of flammability, wherein partial combustion of the hydrocarbon feed occurs and the heat produced by the combustion reaction drives the cracking of the remainder of the hydrocarbon feed so as to produce an outlet stream comprising an olefin and oxygen, wherein in said process the outlet stream.has an oxygen concentration which is at, near or above the flammable limit and a loss of reaction is detected and used as a signai to activate means for mitigating the risk of explosion downstream of the reaction zone, wherein the means employed for mitigating the risk of explosion is selected from one or more of the group consisting of (i) restricting or stopping the feed of molecular oxygen-containing gas to the catalyst bed, (ii) diluting the outlet stream with a diluent to render the oulet stream non-flammable, (iii) restricting or stopping the flow of the outlet stream and (iv) containing the outlet stream in an area of the plant which can withstand ignition of the outlet stream.
A process for the production of synthesis gas in which process a hydrocarbon feed and a molecular oxygen-containing gas are contacted in a reaction zone in the presence of a catalyst to produce an outlet stream, wherein in said process the outlet stream has an oxygen concentration which is at, near or above the flammable limit and a loss of reaction is detected and used as a signal to activate means for mitigating the risk of explosion downstream of the reaction zone, wherein the means employed for mitigating the risk of explosion is selected from one or more of the group consisting of (i) restricting or stoppina the feed of molecular oxypen-containina gas to the catalyst bed, (ii) diluting the outlet stream with a diluent to render the outlet stream non-flammable, (iii) restricting or stopping the flow of the outlet stream and (iv) containing the outlet stream in an area of the plant which can withstand ignition of the outlet stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.