Apparatus and process for airheater without quench in carbon black production

A carbon black process system comprising a fuel combustion zone, carbon black reactor and an improved combustion air heater constructed and arranged to stop pyrolysis within the carbon black reactor by indirect heat transfer by said combustion air heater;

• wherein fuel is burned in said combustion zone to produce hot combustion gases, said combustion gases is reacted with a carbon feedstock to produce a hot effluent stream which flows through said improved combustion heater consisting of a double plate tube sheet at said combustion air heater hot effluent entry, a single plate tube sheet at said combustion air heater cooled effluent exit;
• further comprising a plurality of metallic tubes in operative connection to the said tube sheets and a metallic shell enclosing the said tube sheets and tubes forming the shell space for the flow of said combustion air;
• wherein said hot effluent from said reactor enters said combustion air heater through the inside of said plurality of tubes connected to said double plate tube sheet and exiting said combustion air heater apparatus through tubes connected to said single plate tube sheet in operative connection with downstream effluent cooling equipment;
• said combustion air heater stream flows in multiple passes over the outside of the tubes in the shell space of said apparatus transferring the heat from said hot reactor effluent to said combustion air and wherein individual replaceable tube seals are located at the top tube sheet allowing thermal expansion of the hot tubes and preventing hot combustible reactor effluent stream mixing with the said combustion air.