US 12,215,026 B2
Systems and methods for processing gases
David S. Soane, Coral Gables, FL (US); James Nathan Ashcraft, Jupiter, FL (US); Jason Samuel Hummelt, Palm Beach Gardens, FL (US); Mark Ellis Soderholm, Palm Beach Gardens, FL (US); Mathew Leeds, Palm Beach Gardens, FL (US); Alexander Olson Santana, Tequesta, FL (US); and Matthew Elijah O'Reilly, Riviera Beach, FL (US)
Assigned to Transform Materials LLC, Riviera Beach, FL (US)
Filed by TRANSFORM MATERIALS LLC, Riviera Beach, FL (US)
Filed on Mar. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/119,360.
Application 18/119,360 is a continuation of application No. 17/402,979, filed on Aug. 16, 2021, granted, now 11,634,324.
Application 17/402,979 is a continuation of application No. 16/548,378, filed on Aug. 22, 2019, granted, now 11,634,323.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/793,763, filed on Jan. 17, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/736,206, filed on Sep. 25, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/721,863, filed on Aug. 23, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0010492 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C01B 3/34 (2006.01); B01D 53/047 (2006.01); B01D 53/14 (2006.01); B01J 4/00 (2006.01); B01J 19/08 (2006.01); B01J 19/12 (2006.01); B01J 19/24 (2006.01); C01B 3/52 (2006.01); C07C 2/78 (2006.01); C10G 32/04 (2006.01); C10G 53/08 (2006.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01)
CPC C01B 3/34 (2013.01) [B01D 53/047 (2013.01); B01D 53/14 (2013.01); B01J 4/002 (2013.01); B01J 19/081 (2013.01); B01J 19/126 (2013.01); B01J 19/2415 (2013.01); C01B 3/52 (2013.01); C07C 2/78 (2013.01); C10G 32/04 (2013.01); C10G 53/08 (2013.01); H01J 37/32192 (2013.01); B01D 2257/702 (2013.01); B01J 2219/0004 (2013.01); B01J 2219/0869 (2013.01); B01J 2219/0875 (2013.01); B01J 2219/0894 (2013.01); B01J 2219/3325 (2013.01); C01B 2203/142 (2013.01); C10G 2300/1025 (2013.01); C10G 2300/201 (2013.01); C10G 2300/4081 (2013.01); C10G 2300/80 (2013.01); H01J 37/32431 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for transforming a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, comprising directing reactants into a system comprising a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, a microwave subsystem, and an effluent separation and disposal subsystem,
wherein the hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas is a gas selected from the group consisting of ethane, propane, and butane;
i. wherein the gas delivery subsystem is in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber and directs the reactants into the plasma reaction chamber;
the gas delivery subsystem comprising a delivery conduit and a gas injector, wherein the reactants consist of gaseous reactants, wherein the gaseous reactants comprise the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas and a hydrogen-rich reactant gas;
wherein the gas injector comprises an injector body comprising two or more separate gas feeds, a first gas feed conveying the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber through a first set of one or more nozzles, and a second gas feed conveying the hydrogen-rich reactant gas into the plasma reaction chamber through a second set of one or more nozzles, and
wherein the delivery conduit is in fluid communication with the gas injector, wherein the delivery conduit comprises a feed gas conveying circuit that delivers the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the gas injector, and wherein the delivery conduit further comprises an auxiliary gas conveying circuit that delivers the hydrogen-rich reactant gas into the gas injector, each of the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas and the hydrogen-rich reactant gas being delivered into the gas injector, through the gas injector, and into the plasma reaction chamber through a separate pathway;
ii. wherein the plasma reaction chamber is disposed within an elongate reactor tube, the elongate reactor tube having a proximal end and a distal end and being dimensionally adapted for interaction with the microwave subsystem,
iii. wherein the microwave subsystem comprises an applicator that interacts with the elongate reactor tube by directing microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber,
wherein the plasma reaction chamber is disposed in a region of the elongate reactor tube that passes through the applicator and intersects it perpendicularly, and
wherein the microwave subsystem directs the microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber and energizes the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas within the region of the elongate reactor tube to form a non-thermal plasma, and wherein the non-thermal plasma transforms the hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas and the hydrogen in the hydrogen-rich reactant gas into the outflow gas products, wherein the outflow gas products comprise acetylene and hydrogen;
wherein the outflow gas products flow within the plasma reaction chamber towards the distal end of the elongate reactor tube and emerge from the distal end to form an effluent stream that enters the effluent separation and disposal subsystem in fluid communication with the elongate reactor tube, and
iv. wherein the effluent separation and disposal subsystem comprises at least one of a hydrogen separation subsystem for removing the hydrogen from the effluent stream, an acetylene separation subsystem for removing the acetylene from the effluent stream, and an absorption column for removing higher-order hydrocarbons from the effluent stream, wherein the higher-order hydrocarbons are hydrocarbons having three or more carbon atoms.