Hydrocarbon conversion process

A hydrocarbon conversion process, comprising:

• (A) heating at least a portion of a reactor to a temperature ≧800° C., the thermal pyrolysis reactor comprising first and second channels;
• (B) providing a first mixture to the heated reactor, the first mixture comprising hydrocarbon, wherein at least a portion of the hydrocarbon includes alkane;
• (C) exposing the first mixture to a temperature ≧800° C. in the heated reactor and abstracting sufficient heat from the reactor to pyrolyse at least a portion of the first mixture's alkane to combustible non-volatiles and unsaturated hydrocarbon including acetylene and ethylene;
• (D) transferring at least a portion of the unsaturated hydrocarbon away from the reactor via the first and second channels, at least a portion of the combustible non-volatiles being deposited in the first and second channels during the transfer;
• and
• (E) repeating steps (A)-(D);
• wherein step (A) includes
• (i) a first time interval t2a during which fuel and oxidant exothermically react in the reactor, the fuel being provided via the first channel and the oxidant being provided via the second channel, in order to
• (a) replace at least a portion of the heat abstracted during step (C) and
• (b) combust at least a portion of the combustible non-volatiles in the second channel;
• and
• (ii) a second time interval t2b during which additional oxidant is provided to the reactor via the first channel in order to combust at least a portion of the combustible non-volatiles in the first channel.