Pettai Shankar

7025940, Apr 11, 2006

Oct 8, 1998

09/168770

Rashmi K Shah - Houston TX, US
Thomas Mikus - Houston TX, US
Pettai Krishna Shankar - Sugar Land TX, US

Shell Oil Company - Houston TX

B01J 19/00

422198, 422 49, 422197, 422204, 423652, 431215, 585648

A process heater is provided utilizing flameless combustion, the process heater having: an oxidation reaction chamber, the oxidation reaction chamber having an inlet for oxidant, an outlet for combustion products, and a flow path between the inlet and the outlet; a fuel conduit capable of transporting a fuel mixture to a plurality of fuel nozzles within the oxidation reaction chamber, each nozzle providing communication from within the fuel conduit to the oxidation chamber, with each nozzle along the flowpath between the inlet and the outlet; a preheater in communication with the oxidation chamber inlet, the preheater capable of increasing the temperature of the oxidant to a temperature resulting in the combined oxidant and fuel from the fuel nozzle closest to the oxidation chamber inlet being greater than the autoignition temperature of the combined oxidant and fuel from the fuel nozzle closest to the oxidation chamber inlet; and a process chamber in a heat exchange relationship to the oxidation reaction chamber wherein the heat transferred from the oxidation section does not causes the temperature of the mixture within the oxidation reaction chamber in the vicinity of each fuel nozzle to decrease below the auto ignition temperature of the combined mixture in the oxidation chamber in the vicinity of that fuel nozzle.

7108730, Sep 19, 2006

Apr 1, 2003

10/404845

Rashmi K Shah - Houston TX, US
Thomas Mikus - Houston TX, US
Pettai Krishna Shankar - Sugar Land TX, US

Shell Oil Company - Houston TX

C10J 3/00

48203, 481981, 481279, 422173, 422198, 422197, 422200, 422201, 431162, 431165, 431174, 431178, 431182

This invention relates to a method for providing controlled heat to a process utilizing a flameless distributed combustion. The method of the invention comprises providing an oxidation chamber, with an inlet for oxidant, an outlet for combustion products, and a flowpath between the inlet and the outlet; transporting fuel in a fuel conduit containing a plurality of fuel nozzles distributed along substantially the entire length of the oxidation reaction chamber, each nozzle providing communication from within the fuel conduit to the oxidation chamber, the fuel nozzles being spaced so that no flame results when the fuel is mixed with the oxidant flowing through the flowpath in the oxidation chamber; preheating the oxidant to a temperature at which when the oxidant and fuel are mixed in the oxidation chamber, the temperature of resulting mixture exceeds the autoignition temperature of said mixture; and conducting a process in a process chamber which is in a heat exchange relationship with the oxidation chamber, whereby a controlled heat flux is provided to the process chamber at a desired temperature profile and at a rate of heat flux sufficient to complete the process being conducted therein.