TECHNICAL FIELD

Disclosed embodiments relate generally to a turbomachine type chemical reactor, in particular, a turbomachine type chemical reactor for processing a process flow, more in particular, a turbomachine type chemical reactor for an endothermic process of a process fluid.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

An endothermic process may refer to a process that requires addition of heat to a process fluid to promote occurrence of endothermic chemical reactions. It may be used in oil refineries and petrochemical plants for fractioning or “cracking” heavier molecular weight hydrocarbons. After cracking, the lighter molecular weight hydrocarbons are used in the petrochemical industry as feedstock for production of other chemical compounds. In known, commercially practiced, pyrolysis-cracking processes, application of heat and pressure in furnace-type, chemical reactors, in low oxygen environments, fractionalizes heavier molecular weight hydrocarbons into various lighter molecular weight olefins, such as ethylene, without causing combustion. Another example of an endothermic process may be steam reforming of methane. Often, the heavier molecular weight hydrocarbon is entrained in heated steam. The steam- and hydrocarbon-containing process fluid flows through heat exchangers of the chemical reactor. Imparted temperature and residence time of the process fluid within heat exchangers are controlled to fracture the entrained hydrocarbons to the desired output, lower molecular weight hydrocarbons.

Using the example of ethylene production by pyrolysis, a process fluid comprising hydrocarbon and steam mixture is heated from 1220° F. to 1545° F. in less than 400 milliseconds (ms), in a furnace-type chemical reactor. The rate at which the heating is done and subsequently quenched (to halt further chemical reactions) is important for the production of the desired blend of hydrocarbons. Oxygen must not be present during the heating process, in order to avoid hydrocarbon combustion. The reaction process in the furnace-type chemical reactor requires large heat input and relatively slow mass flow rate of the process fluid. In order to meet output production goals, ethylene production plants employ multiple, parallel pyrolysis reactors, each requiring large thermal energy inputs. Each additional reactor needed to meet production goals increases capital spending, energy consumption to heat the process fluid, plant real estate space.

It is desirable to increase mass flow of process fluid during the hydrocarbon cracking process, with lower production energy input. Increased mass flow meets production goals with less plant equipment capital spending and real estate space.

