NON-EQUILIBRIUM PLASMA REACTOR FOR CONVERTING METHANE TO ETHANE AND ETHYLENE

摘要

1354558 Treating gases with electric discharges UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION 26 Aug 1971 [30 Sept 1970] 40194/71 Heading H5H A process for converting the methane constituent of natural gas into ethane, ethylene, and hydrogen by-products comprises establishing a non-equilibrium plasma in an inlet stream of natural gas an and inert gas selected from argon, helium, and hydrogen to produce ethane, ethylene and hydrogen by-products, removing said ethane, ethylene, hydrogen by-products, and remaining gas mixture from the plasma, separating the ethane, ethylene and hydrogen by-products from the unconverted methane and inert gas and recycling the unconverted methane and inert gas to mix with the incoming natural gas to feed the plasma. The plasma reaction vessel 1 has an anode 2 and a cathode 3 supplied by a preferably pulsed D.C. supply 9. An isolation system 6 divides the vessel 1 into two chambers 7 and 8, chamber 7 containing the positive column of the glow discharge. Isolation system 6 has an axial passageway 6b joining chambers 7 and 8 and passageways 6a joining chamber 7 with an annular groove 6c connected to outlet 5. Inert gas and natural gas is fed into the vessel 1 at 4, is converted in the plasma formed in the positive column, and the reaction products emerge through outlets 5 and 10.