Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6221310
-
Patent Number
6,221,310
-
Date Filed
Friday, July 9, 199925 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, April 24, 200123 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- King; Roy
- McGuthry-Banks; Tima
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 266 268
- 266 153
- 266 48
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A reactor system that includes a reactor nozzle for use with a reactor vessel and process for its use for producing sodium metal, by a reaction of an alkali hydroxide, preferably sodium hydroxide, as a reactant, with methane gas as a reductant, at high heat. The invention includes heating apparatus therewith for supplying heated sodium hydroxide and methane gas along with oxygen or compressed air to a reactor nozzle that sprays the materials therethrough to provide a breakup of the materials into fine particulates with mixing thereof in a burner area or portion of a reactor vessel wherein a heated area is provided to cause a reaction of the sodium hydroxide and methane, producing sodium metal vapors along with carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases, which vapors and gases are then passed to a quench assembly that cools the vapor and gas flow to below the condensation temperature of sodium, causing sodium metal to condense therefrom and pass to a storage tank for later use, with the carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases vented therefrom. The quench assembly includes first and second quench coolers that sequentially receive, and in stages cool, the vapor and gas flow with the produced sodium metal to enter the storage tank below the sodium metal level therein with the storage tank further including a volume of a liquid having a lesser specific gravity than, and is non-reactive with, sodium metal for prohibiting a back reaction of the sodium metal.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
A system, apparatus and process for practice for the reduction of sodium hydroxide with natural gas in the presence of heat to produce, after quenching, sodium metal as a product of the thermodynamic reaction.
2. Prior Art
The invention is in a system and apparatus for practicing a process where separate flows of a heated liquid sodium hydroxide, oxygen and heated methane are sprayed through a mixing nozzle to strike one another and mix for burning in a burner area of a reactor vessel, with vaporous sodium metal, carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases, the product of that burning that is passed from the reactor vessel for quenching to rapidly cool and liquify the sodium into metal that is then passed to a storage vessel with the carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases passed for discharge or recycling in the system.
Apparatus and processes for refining sodium metal are old in the art, with a recent U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/262,876 filed Mar. 5, 1997, by one of the inventors being an example of a new system to include a reactor vessel wherein a heated mixture of sodium hydroxide and methane is provided to vaporize the mix into sodium metal vapors, carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas, which mix is then quenched to separate out the liquid sodium metal from the gases, with the liquid sodium then passed for use. Unique therefrom, the present invention provides a nozzle arrangement for spraying separate flows of heated sodium hydroxide, oxygen and methane together in a burner area of a reactor vessel creating a chemical reaction that produces a sodium metal vapor, and carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases, which mix is passed to a quench chamber wherein vaporized sodium metal is condensed to a liquid that is drawn off for use.
Very earlier apparatus and processes are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 342,897 to Castner; U.S. Pat. Nos. 380,775 and 380,776 to Thowless; and U.S. Pat. No. 460,985 to Netto, as examples of systems that utilize a carbonaceous material as a reactive agent, usually carbon in powder form, that is to react with the compound containing sodium or potassium in the presence of high heat to produce free sodium. Such processes have, however, not only required that a number of complex steps be performed to finally produce sodium metal and, unlike the invention, they have generally been single batch processes only.
Additionally, a French Patent No. 603,825, shows sodium metal being reacted with iron in powder form by first vaporizing the mix and then condense out sodium vapor at temperatures below the sodium condensation temperature. Such process has, however, required that it be conducted in a vacuum and that sodium vapors as are produced be removed from a reaction zone and condensed. Further, in the '825 patent, like a later U.S. Pat. No. 2,642,347 to Gilbert, sodium metal vapor is produced from a condensation of sodium carbonate that has been reacted with carbon at a heat of from 1000 degrees C to 1200 degrees C, which vaporization takes place after the sodium metal vapor has been conducted away from the reaction. Condensation in the Gilbert '347 patent utilizes surfaces of steel balls that are maintained at a temperature below that required for sodium vaporization, with vapor contact with the steel ball surfaces condensing sodium metal. The above cited systems are each essentially a batch system, unlike the present invention, that is a continuous system where sodium metal is produced in liquid form and is continuously drawn from a bottom vessel of a quench chamber, and neither involves a use of sodium hydroxide and methane as reactants. Nor do the either of the systems of these patents proved, as does the invention, a novel mixing spray nozzle that directs individual flows of the heated reactants against one another to break the flows into fine particulates, mixing them together in a high heat atmosphere, to react and produce vaporous sodium metal, and carbon monoxide and hydrogen gasses, with the mix then quenched to liquify sodium metal that is then removed for use. With such quenching taken place in a vessel or vessels that maintain a cooled surface, such as a coil receiving a coolant liquid passed therethrough and/or may include spraying of a non-reactive coolant into the vaporous mix as it enters the quench cooler, which quenching condenses out sodium metal from the reactant vapors that is then drained into a storage vessel.
A U.S. Pat. No. 2,930,689 to McGriff teaches a submerged combustion of methane in molten sodium carbonate and includes a separation wall to prevent the combustion gases, water and carbon dioxide, from entering into the reaction of methane or carbon with sodium carbonate. The McGriff process requires an operating temperature of from 1150 to 1250 degrees C, with carbon or methane fed into the hot sodium carbonate, and with sodium carbonate continuously added. The process requires a continuous addition of carbon, preferably coke in powdered form, to perpetuate the reaction. In practice, handling of a solid material, such as carbon, is a disadvantage that is not present in a practice of the invention. Further, McGriff '689 does not include a mixing nozzle or quenching arrangement like that of the present invention, but provides for an immediate reaction at high heat to produce vaporous sodium metal like that of the invention.
While McGriff '689, like the invention, teaches a use of methane as one of the reactants for producing sodium metal, that production is from a molten sodium carbonate, and further, unlike the invention, it requires that carbon, in powdered form, be continuously passed into the reaction vessel. Also, unlike the invention, the McGriff '689 patent provides for burning of the introduced methane producing a high heat in the presence of carbon, with methane fed into hot sodium carbonate and with carbon, as solid coke in powdered form, continuously added for the reaction to proceed. Further the McGriff '689 patent does not deal with problems inherent in quenching sodium metal from a mix of gaseous carbon monoxide (CO) and sodium (Na), and fails to recognize and deal with a back reaction as will occur as the gases cool where sodium metal tends to react with carbon monoxide to produce sodium carbonate (Na
2
CO
3
), which problem of back reaction the invention addresses and solves.
Further, a patent to Deyrup, U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,346, like the invention, incorporates a step of quenching of a hot vapor containing a free alkaline metal to cool the alkaline metal to a molten state, and deals with a handling of a back reaction as the sodium vapor is quenched from the carbon monoxide and sodium gases. Unlike the invention, however, the Deyrup '346 patent involves a use of large amounts of tin, must be operated at high temperatures, and, of course, does not involve a mixing spray nozzle arrangement like that of the invention. Also, the Deyrup '346 patent teaches a multi-step process to provide for a quenching of the sodium metal and accordingly, in its operation, it is likely that a large percentage of the collected sodium metal will be lost to back reaction, and further the system of the Deyrup '346 patent is not continuous.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a system, apparatus and process for separating out sodium metal from a mixture of heated sodium hydroxide as a reactant with the sodium hydroxide, heated methane and oxygen sprayed together through a single nozzle apparatus into a high heat area of a reactor vessel to produce metal sodium in a vapor state along with carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases, with the vapor and gaseous mix then quenched to liquify sodium metal that is drawn off for use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system, apparatus and process for continuously producing sodium metal from a reaction of heated sodium hydroxide as the reactant with methane as a reductant in the presence of oxygen to produce high heat in a reactor vessel, forming a vapor and gaseous mix of sodium metal, carbon monoxide and hydrogen that is then rapidly quenched to produce liquid sodium metal, with carbon monoxide and hydrogen as off gases that are exhausted to atmosphere or are recycled into the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an nozzle apparatus and process to produce, from a reaction of hot sodium hydroxide as a reactant with methane as a reductant in the presence of oxygen combined as a mixture and injected into a reactor vessel burner zone to produce a temperature that is well above the vaporization temperature of sodium metal of approximately two thousand (2,000) to twenty-eight hundred (2800) degrees F., to vaporize sodium metal from the mixture and form carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases, the sodium metal vapors and gases to pass to a quench chamber for rapid cooling, precipitating sodium metal from the flow that is collected and passed from the quench unit for processing, with the gases passed for venting or recycling.
Another object of the present invention is to provide, for practicing the process of the invention, a quench apparatus arranged as primary and secondary, or first and second chambers that operate in series to receive and, in passage of the vapor and gaseous mix, to cool the mix to below the condensation temperature of sodium metal, condensing out sodium metal while discouraging a back reaction of the sodium metal.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide, in a quenching apparatus of the invention, for performing a rapid cooling of the vaporized and gaseous mix constituents, that is a two stage first and second vessel arrangement provided to efficiently precipitate of essentially all the available sodium metal from the vaporous and gaseous mix.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a simple spray nozzle for spraying separate flows of the constituents of heated sodium hydroxide, methane and oxygen from the single nozzle that directs the flows together creating fine thoroughly mixed particulates in a burner portion or section of a reactor vessel, providing a rapid reaction of the constituents at high heat to form a flow of sodium metal vapors, and carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases, with that flow then passed through first and second quench chambers that cool the flow to condense sodium metal.
Still another object of the present invention is to prevent a back reactor of the condensed sodium metal during a continuous production of liquid sodium metal that can then drawn from the quench vessel as a continuous process.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a reactor vessel and process for practice therein to efficiently produce sodium metal that is essentially automated and, except for a close monitoring or temperatures and pressures in a reactor vessel, requires little human involvement in a continuous refining of sodium metal from a liquid sodium hydroxide.
The system, apparatus and process of the invention is for processing sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as a reactant that is combined with, in a preferred embodiment, methane gas or other appropriate combustible hydrocarbon as a reductant, and reducing the mixture by high heat in the presence of oxygen to produce a combined flow of vaporized sodium metal and carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases. The system and apparatus includes a reactor nozzle wherethrough are simultaneously passed, preferably, separate flows of heated sodium hydroxide and methane and oxygen, with the nozzle directing the flows therefrom to impinge upon and mix with one another, forming fine particulates within a burn area of a reactor vessel, with the constituents in the combined flows immediately reacting producing vaporous sodium metal from the mix and forming carbon monoxide and hydrogen gasses. The sodium metal vapors and gases are then passed to a first of two quench coolers that, preferably, also receives a flow of a coolant liquid that is non-reactive with sodium metal directed therein, and thence to a second to further reduce the temperature of the vaporous and gaseous mix, to precipitate sodium metal therefrom. A back reaction of the liquid sodium metal to sodium carbonate (Na
2
CO
3
) is discouraged by the injection of the coolant liquid and the speed of quenching and, along with the presence of an inert gas, preferably nitrogen, in the reactor vessel and quench cooler. The sodium metal is then passed to a holding vessel that contains a material that is non-reactive with and is lighter than sodium metal to float thereon that is preferably the coolant liquid as passed to the first quench cooler that is circulated from the holding vessel to the first quench cooler. The sodium metal is thereby contained in a non-reactive state until it is drawn off for use. The system is operated as a continuous process, with the temperature in the top or burner zone of the reaction vessel wherein the sodium hydroxide, oxygen and methane are sprayed from the single nozzle, maintained at from two thousand (2,000) to twenty eight hundred (2,800) degrees F., preferably approximately twenty-five hundred (2,500) degrees F., with the reaction to produce sodium metal, along with carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases taking place at approximately nineteen hundred (1,900) degrees F. The quenching process is preferably conducted in an inert atmosphere and at less than atmospheric pressure, minimizing the number of molecules as are present as could react with the sodium metal causing a back reaction producing sodium carbonate. In a practice of the process of the invention, the process constituents consisting of flows of heated sodium hydroxide and methane along with oxygen are separately and continuously passed through the nozzle of the invention, spraying against one another to mix and form fine particulates in a burner portion of the reactor vessel wherein a flame area is maintained. An immediate reaction thereby takes place that produces vaporous sodium metal along with carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases that are then passed to a quench assembly for rapid cooling. Sodium metal is thereby produced, with the carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases vented as waste or are for passed recycling to be burned for heating, as desired. Sodium hydroxide that is the reactant in a practice of the process of the invention may be a waste product, as is produced in a number of commercial processes, or may be supplied from any number of sources.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings that illustrate that which is presently regarded as the best mode for carrying out the invention:
FIG. 1
is a schematic of a sodium metal production facility of the invention where sodium metal is produced in a reaction of heated sodium hydroxide with heated methane in an oxygen environment and at a high heat, where the reaction constituents are separately sprayed from a single nozzle that directs the sprays against one another, forming a flow of well mixed fine particles within a burner area of a reactor vessel, thereby cracking the mixture to produce vaporous sodium metal along with carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases, with the vapor and gases then passed for rapid cooling in a two stage quenching apparatus, wherein sodium metal is condensed from the mix and is passed to a storage vessel wherein it is maintained beneath a non-reactive material to discourage any back reaction until drawn therefrom for use;
FIG. 2
is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line
2
—
2
of
FIG. 1
of the reactor nozzle of the invention;
FIG. 2A
shows a lower end plan view of the reactor nozzle of
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 3
shows an enlarged end view of the end of the nozzle of
FIG. 2
showing the reactive materials being sprayed out of the nozzle end, striking one another forming fine mixed particles that provide a large surface area for reaction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1
shows a schematic of a plant
10
for refining sodium metal from a reactant of sodium hydroxide with, preferably, methane as a reductant in the presence of oxygen at a high or cracking heat in a reactor vessel
11
, shown herein as a cylinder, through it should be understood, another shape of vessel could be so used, to vaporize sodium metal from the constituent mix, and with the sodium metal then condensed from a vaporous and gaseous mix in a quench assembly
12
.
In the schematic of
FIG. 1
, the plant includes a single reactor vessel
11
along with a pair of separate serially connected chambers or coolers as the quench assembly
12
. The reactor vessel
11
, as shown in the drawings, incorporates a reactor nozzle
13
that is configured to have three separate longitudinal passages
14
,
15
and
16
, respectively therethrough, with the individually passages for transporting, respectively, a sodium hydroxide solution that has been heated to approximately two thousand (2,000) degrees F. through the center passage
14
; with oxygen gas passed through the middle passage
15
; and with methane gas that has been heated to approximately fifteen hundred (1,500) degrees F. through the outer passage
16
, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
. It should, however, be understood that, in practice, the oxygen flow can be a compressed air flow within the scope of this disclosure and can be combined with the sodium hydroxide flow, allowing for a use of a reactor nozzle
13
having only a center passage
14
and an outer passage
16
, within the scope of this disclosure and further than a hydrocarbon other than methane can be utilized as the reductant within the scope of this disclosure. The liquid and gaseous mix is thereby injected into a top section
11
a
of the reactor vessel
11
and into a burner area of the reactor vessel that receives a burnable material, preferably methane or natural gas, through a gas pilot
17
that extends into the vessel top section
11
a
or burner portion that is ignited to produce a hot fire, though another burnable material can be so used, or even an electric furnace arrangement can be so employed within the scope of this disclosure. So arranged, the oxygen flow that is injected through passage
15
promotes a high heat of burning in the top section
11
a
or burner portion that receives the heated fine particulate mixture of sodium hydroxide and methane and oxygen, providing a rapid temperature to the mixture to increase to approximately between two thousand (2,000) and twenty-eight (2,800) degrees F., to cause an immediate reaction or cracking of the mix into sodium metal vapor and carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases. At this high heat, the reaction will be almost instantaneous and the combined vapor and gaseous mix can then be passed to the quench assembly for rapid cooling, causing the sodium metal vapor to condense to a liquid that can then be drawn off, as set out and discussed in detail hereinbelow.
The plant
10
includes a caustic or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) tank
20
that receives, through a hinged top
21
, a supply of caustic sodium hydroxide
22
that is preferable an anhydrous NaOH caustic prills or beads though, it should be understood, such caustic can be a waste product from another manufacturing process, within the scope of this disclosure. A burner
23
receives a high pressure flow of methane gas from a source
24
for burning and directs the burner output, that is mixed with air from a blower
25
, through a line
26
that runs through the tank
20
, heating the sodium hydroxide
22
, to vent, through a line
27
, carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrogen and oxygen. The caustic sodium hydroxide solution is initially heated in tank
20
to approximately seven hundred fifty (750) degrees F. and is then passed therefrom through a valve
28
and is pumped by pump
29
through line
30
into a heating coil
31
that is contained in vessel
32
. A burner
33
is mounted in the vessel
32
bottom to receive methane that is fed thereto through a feed line
33
a
that receives the flow of methane from a high pressure methane source
24
. The methane gas is mixed with air that is provided through a blower
34
and a burner control
35
provides a desired heat output, with the vessel
32
vented through line
36
. After passage of the sodium hydroxide solution through coil
31
it emerges into line
31
a
having a temperature that has been raised to approximately two thousand (2,000) degrees F. Additionally, methane gas, under pressure, is directed through a line
37
to pass through a valve
38
and is directed through a line
39
that parallels the coil
31
, to emerge from the vessel
32
as line
39
a
that contains the methane that has been heated to a temperature of approximately fifteen hundred (1,500) degrees F. The respective heated sodium hydroxide solution and methane gas travel through the separate passages through the nozzle
13
and are mixed together by spraying them through an injection plate
46
, the flows to strike one another in front of a nozzle face
13
a
, and with oxygen or compressed air provided through a line
41
from a compressor
42
that draws fresh air through an inlet
42
a
that is also directed through the nozzle
13
from a tank
40
and through a line
40
a
, wherein line
41
may be connected as an alternative or to augment the flow of oxygen from tank
40
. The respective gases and sodium hydroxide solution are injected under pressure from the reactor nozzle
13
striking one another apart from the nozzle face
13
a
, as set out below.
The reactor nozzle
13
is mounted, as shown in
FIG. 1
, in the head or top end
11
a
of the reactor vessel
11
that preferably has ceramic walls
11
b
, as the vessel liner, that will withstand the effects of the high heat atmosphere therein along with the effects of the heat stimulated reaction of the heated caustic solution and methane that produces a rapid vaporization of sodium metal, and the ceramic vessel walls are non-reactive with sodium metal to prevent any unwanted back reaction of the vaporized sodium metal to form sodium carbonate (Na
2
CO
3
). The reactor nozzle
13
provides for separated passage of the heated methane and sodium hydroxide solutions along with oxygen or compressed air for mixing these constituents in front of its injection end
13
a
, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
. Preferably, the sodium hydroxide passage
14
is a center tube or pipe
45
that is open the length thereof and has its injection end covered with an injection plate
46
wherein a plurality of spaced holes or perforations
47
are formed, that pass the separate sodium hydroxide methane and oxygen flows. The spaced holes or perforations
47
act as nozzles for directing sodium hydroxide, methane and oxygen or compressed air sprays under pressure therethrough to impinge or strike one another so as to cause both a break up of the sprayed constituents into fine particulates and turbulence to thoroughly mix the respective flows together in the high heat environment as is present at the top
11
a
of the reactor vessel
11
. The combined fine particulate constituents provide a large surface area that will rapidly be heated to provide complete reaction of the sodium hydroxide and methane to form, respectively, sodium metal in vaporous form, along with carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases. The oxygen or compressed air as is passed through a nozzle chamber
48
is to promote combustion in the reactor vessel providing the preferred high heat of between two thousand (2,000) to twenty-eight (2,800) degrees F. and is approximately twenty-five (2,500) degrees F. that, in turn, provides for a rapid reaction or cracking of the constituents in the flows, producing sodium metal. Further, where compressed air is so used, a large volume of nitrogen (N) is thereby present that is, of course, inert and prevents an undesired back reaction of the sodium metal vapors into sodium carbonate (Na
2
CO
3
).
The reactor nozzle
13
, in addition to its center pipe
45
, includes an inner sleeve
48
having an open annular space along its length, is closed across its upper end at
49
and includes a feed port
50
whereto the line
40
a
from the oxygen or compressed air source is connected. Oxygen or compressed air is passed through the feed port
50
and flows between the pipe
45
carry the heat sodium hydroxide solution and outer sleeve
51
that transports the heated methane with the oxygen or compressed air flow thereby heated by the pipe
45
and sleeve
51
walls which oxygen or compressed air flow is passed through holes or perforations
47
in the injection plate
46
, spraying into the sprays of sodium hydroxide and methane which sprayed flows are thereby broken into fine particulates with the fine particles presenting a large reaction surface and are thoroughly mixed with the oxygen presence to promote a rapid heating of the mixed flows in the flame area at the top
11
a
of reactor vessel
11
producing a rapid reaction or cracking. The reactor nozzle
13
further includes the outer sleeve
51
that has an open annular cavity therealong, is closed across its top end
52
and includes a feed port
53
whereto is connected line
39
a
. Heated methane gas or other suitable hydrocarbon, such as heating oil, propane (C
2
H
6
), or the like is passed from line
39
a
through feed port
53
to travel through the outer sleeve annular cavity and out the holes or perforations
47
formed in the injection plate, spraying therefrom into engagement with the sprays of sodium hydroxide and oxygen or compressed air, so as to thoroughly mix therewith and react with the sodium hydroxide in the high heat atmosphere. In
FIG. 3
is shown the respective sprays as are sprayed out from holes or perforations
47
impinge or strike one another, providing fine thoroughly mixed flow of particles.
In
FIG. 1
the sprays from reactor nozzle
13
are shown sprayed into the top area
11
a
of the reactor vessel
11
. A fuel flow is passed through the gas pilot
17
and is ignited within the top area
11
a
to provide a flame or burner area that receives the sprays from reactor nozzle
13
. So arranged, an immediate reaction of the sodium hydroxide and methane will take place in the reactor vessel top area
11
a
, forming vaporized sodium metal and carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases by the reaction:
CH
4
+NaOH→CO+Na+2.5H
2
The vapor and gaseous mix are then passed from the reactor vessel
11
through a bottom vent
55
and into an inlet
57
of a first quench cooler
56
of the quench assembly
12
.
The first quench cooler
56
, as shown in
FIG. 1
, is a hollow vessel, identified as a tube or cylinder
58
though another shape of vessel could be so used, that connects at a vapor and gas inlet
57
, to bottom vent
55
of the reactor vessel to pass the flow from that reactor vessel
11
and into the cylinder
58
. The cylinder
58
is closed across end
59
wherethrough inlet and exhaust coolant lines
61
a
and
61
b
, respectively are passed that connect into a chill coil
60
that is positioned within an open longitudinal center area of the cylinder
58
. Further, which cylinder
58
and end
59
adjacent to vapor and gas inlet
57
, can be connected to a spray end
90
a
of an inert fluid flow line
90
that connects at
90
b
into a liquid sodium tank
67
to drain an inert fluid
68
therefrom. So arranged, inert fluid
68
removed from tank
67
is pumped by pump
91
to pass through a valve
92
and be sprayed into the vapor and gaseous flow passed into the first quench cooler
56
. This spray of inert fluid
68
to provide, as a direct quench, for an initial cooling of the flow to initially lower the mix temperature and provides for a formulation of an envelope around the individual sodium particles, preventing an unwanted back reaction of sodium into sodium carbonate (Na
2
CO
3
). The chill coil
60
to provide rapid cooling to the vapor and gas flow receives a coolant flow pumped therethrough, creating a cold outer surface that is contacted by the vapor and gas flow from the reactor chamber. So arranged, the vapor and gas flow is initially or further cooled and is then passed through a vent coupling
57
a
to a second quench cooler
62
of the quench assembly
12
.
The second quench cooler
62
is also shown as a cylinder
63
, though another vessel shape could be so used, and wherein a final chill coil
64
is fitted that is to receive the vapor and gaseous mixture flow thereover, cooling that flow to below the vaporization temperature of sodium metal. So arranged, sodium metal is thereby condensed out of the vapor and gaseous flow to a liquid state and falls through a discharge end
65
of the cylinder
63
to pass through a line
65
a
and into a liquid sodium holding tank
67
, shown as a volume
70
. In practice, the temperature of the vaporous and gaseous mix within the second quench cooler
62
is reduced to below three hundred (300) degrees F., whereat sodium metal vapors condenses into a liquid, with the carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases as remain in the flow, along with some carbon dioxide and water vapor, then exhausted through a cylinder vent end
66
a
and passed through an exhaust line or stack
66
to atmosphere or to a recycling line for reprocessing and use in a plant system, not shown, as is practical and profitable to the process, within the scope of this disclosure. In which passage through the stack
66
the gases are passed through a flame arrester
66
b
that is to eliminate a possibility of an unwanted ignition of the mix of gases, including the gaseous hydrogen.
Shown in
FIG. 1
, the line
65
a
extends into the liquid sodium tank
67
to just above the bottom thereof to discharge liquid sodium from the second quench cooler
62
through end
66
b
to below the level of the liquid sodium
70
maintained therein. Further, to maintain the integrity of the sodium metal
70
, precluding a back reaction thereof where the sodium metal reacts to form a sodium hydroxide, the sodium metal
70
is covered by a layer of an inert liquid
68
, such as kerosene, though other liquid could be so used within the scope of this disclosure. As set out above, the inert liquid
68
preferably kerosene or other appropriate liquid can be drawn out of the liquid sodium tank
67
to serve as an initial coolant for lowering the temperature and encapsulating sodium metal particles in the first quench cooler
56
. Such drawing off of inert fluid
68
should be limited so as not to uncover the liquid sodium to with, of course, the inert liquid
68
as is directed into the first quench cooler
56
to return to the liquid sodium tank
67
through the discharge end
65
of the second quench cooler
62
.
Like the coolant liquid supplied to the first quench cooler
56
, a refrigerant is supplied to and discharged from the second quench cooler
56
through branches of lines
61
a
and
61
b
, respectively, Line
61
a
is connected to a refrigerant flow from a dowtherm cooler
71
that condenses the refrigerant by cooling it, as illustrated by a fan
72
, and directs that liquid refrigerant into a surge tank
73
. The liquid refrigerant, shown at
75
, is then passed through a valve
75
to a pump
76
into the line
61
a
that branches to flow to both the first and second quench coolers
56
and
62
. The discharge flow from each quench cooler then flows through branched return lines
61
b
, with line
61
b
connected to an inlet side of the dowtherm cooler
71
.
To prohibit the occurrence of a back reaction in the reaction or cracking process as takes place in the reactor vessel, a nitrogen source, shown as a tank
80
, is linked through line
80
a
to a manifold
81
that is connected through line
81
a
into the top of sodium holding tank
67
to provide a nitrogen atmosphere above the kerosene
68
level. Further, a branch line
81
b
from the manifold
81
connects into the supply line
40
a
from the oxygen source tank
40
that passes nitrogen therethrough to control the volume of oxygen as is passed through nozzle
13
to a volume to support combustion in the top
11
a
or reactor vessel
11
only, to provide that essentially all of the oxygen as is supplied with the sodium hydroxide and methane into the reactor vessel will be consumed in the combustion taking place there or, as an alternative, with a use of compressed air, the flow into nozzle
13
will contain both oxygen and nitrogen without a need for a separate source of nitrogen gas. Sodium metal
70
is drawn from beneath the level in tank
67
from a discharge line
84
, through a valve
85
and pump
86
for use.
Hereinabove has been shown and described a preferred apparatus and system of my invention for producing sodium metal from sodium hydroxide reacted with methane in the presence of a high heat of approximately two thousand (2,000) to twenty-eight hundred (2,800) degrees F. to crack mixed sprays of sodium hydroxide and methane with oxygen alone or with oxygen in compressed air, to produce sodium metal vapors from the reaction sodium metal vapor with carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases, with the sodium metal vapors then condensed into a liquid by a rapid cooling of the vapor and gaseous mix, which sodium metal is then drained off in a continuous process. It should, however, be understood that the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which subject matter we regard as our invention.
Claims
- 1. A system for extracting sodium metal from a reaction of sodium hydroxide and methane gas at high heat comprising, a reactor vessel; separate sources of sodium hydroxide and methane; means for heating each of said separate sources of sodium hydroxide and methane; a reactor nozzle; means for passing said heated sodium hydroxide and methane into first and second passages that are formed in a housing of said reactor nozzle that is fitted into said reactor vessel; a source of oxygen and means for passing said oxygen into said reactor vessel, and which said first and second passages each include an exhaust port that is fitted into a nozzle face and mounts an orifice end therein, and which individual ports receive separate flow of said sodium hydroxide and methane that are transported as separate flows and are sprayed through the orifice ends, which said orifices are formed to individually direct said flows of sodium hydroxide and methane gas against one another, spaced from said reactor nozzle end so as to mix and form sodium hydroxide and methane flows that mix with the oxygen flow passed into said reactor vessel, providing fine particulates; means for providing a heat area within a reaction portion of said reactor vessel where the temperature is from two thousand to twenty eight hundred degrees F, to raise the temperature of the mixture of sodium hydroxide, methane and oxygen particles to where a reaction takes place that produces sodium metal vapors, carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases; means for venting said sodium vapors, carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases to a quench assembly means for cooling said vapor and gaseous mix below the condensation temperature of sodium metal, liquefying sodium metal; means for passing said liquid sodium metal to a sodium metal storage tank; and means for venting said carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases through an exhaust.
- 2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the reactor nozzle housing includes a third passage that is connected to receive the oxygen flow through an entry port means in said reactor nozzle, and said third passage directs said oxygen flow into an orifice in the reactor nozzle end, spraying that flow therefrom to strike and mix with the sprays of sodium and hydroxide and methane.
- 3. The system as recited in claim 1, further including means for heating the flows of sodium hydroxide and methane prior to their passage into the reactor nozzle.
- 4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the reactor vessel is a cylinder whose interior is lined with fire bricks and wherein is fitted the reactor nozzle, and which said reactor vessel is open to pass a flow of vaporous and gaseous sodium metal, carbon monoxide and hydrogen therethrough into the quench assembly means; and including a means for maintaining an area within said cylinder that receives the mixed sprays of sodium hydroxide and methane and oxygen at a temperature between two thousand and twenty-eight hundred degrees F, causing a reaction of said sodium hydroxide and methane to produce, as reaction products, a discharge flow of hot sodium metal vapors and carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases.
- 5. The system as recited in claim 4, further including a source of a fluid that is inert to sodium metal; and means for directing said fluid into the quench assembly means and into the discharge flow.
- 6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the fluid is kerosene.
- 7. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the quench assembly means includes a first quench cooler having a housing that is open and connects to receive the discharge flow of hot sodium metal vapors and carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases from the reactor vessel, includes a cooling coil means containing a refrigerant media whereover said discharge flow is directed, initially cooling said discharge flow that is then passed through a housing vent end; and a second quench cooler that includes a housing arranged to receive said discharge flow through an inlet end and includes a secondary cooling coil wherethrough a refrigerant media is passed, and whereover said discharge flow is directed, reducing the vapor and gases mixture temperature to below the condensation temperature of sodium metal that thereby is liquified and the liquified sodium metal is directed out of a sodium metal discharge opening in said second quench cooler housing to pass into a sodium metal collection tank, with the remaining carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases passed through a vent stack of said second quench cooler.
- 8. The system as recited in claim 7, further including a source of nitrogen gas and means for supplying said nitrogen gas into the quench assembly and sodium metal collection tank.
- 9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the nitrogen gas is connected into the line supplying oxygen to the reactor nozzle to maintain a desired oxygen content to support burning in said reactor chamber and be fully consumed therein.
- 10. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the refrigerant is maintained in a closed system traveling from a dowtherm cooler to a surge tank wherefrom it is pumped by a pump means through lines connected into the coils of both the first and second quench coolers.
- 11. The system as recited in claim 1, further including an exhaust line from the sodium metal storage tank that received sodium metal from the quench assembly means and connects below a level of sodium metal in said sodium metal storage tank, and said sodium metal storage tank connects to a line to receive a volume of kerosene therein that floats upon the volume of sodium metal to prohibit a reverse reaction of said sodium metal.
- 12. The system as recited in claim 1, further including means for cooling the sodium metal vapors and carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas from a temperature of approximately twenty-five hundred degrees F. in the reactor vessel to a temperature of approximately three hundred degrees F. in the quench assembly means.
- 13. The system as recited in claims 1, wherein sodium hydroxide is heated by passage through a heating coil to a temperature of from thirteen hundred to seventeen hundred degrees F. prior to passage into the reactor nozzle; and the methane is heated in a line that parallels said heating coil to a temperature of from seventeen hundred to twenty-one hundred degrees F. prior to passage into the reactor nozzle.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
603825 |
Dec 1924 |
FR |