Nozzle Reactor Systems and Methods of Use

Abstract

A nozzle reactor system for increasing the conversion rate of material feed injected into the nozzle reactor system. The system includes two or more nozzle reactors aligned in parallel. A main stream of material to be upgraded is divided such that one stream is produced for each nozzle reactor in the system. Each nozzle reactor includes an interior reactor chamber and an injection passage and material feed passage that are each in material injecting communication with the interior reactor chamber. Furthermore, the injection passage is aligned transversely to the injection passage. The injection passage is configured to accelerate cracking material passed therethrough to a supersonic speed. The product produced from each of the nozzle reactors is combined into one product stream.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nozzle reactor system comprising:
 a stream dividing apparatus comprising a first output port and a second output port;   a first nozzle reactor having a feed material injection port in fluid communication with the first output port of the stream dividing apparatus, and an ejection end;   a second nozzle reactor having a feed material injection port in fluid communication with the second output port of the stream dividing apparatus, and an ejection end; and   a mixing apparatus having a first input port in fluid communication with the ejection end of the first nozzle reactor, and a second input port in fluid communication with the ejection end of the second nozzle reactor.   
     
     
         2 . The nozzle reactor system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first nozzle reactor comprising in combination:
 a reactor body having an interior reactor chamber with an injection end and an ejection end; 
 an injection passage mounted in the nozzle reactor in material injecting communication with the interior reactor chamber, the injection passage having (a) an enlarged volume injection section, an enlarged volume ejection section, and a reduced volume mid-section intermediate the enlarged volume injection section and enlarged volume ejection section, (b) a material injection end, and (c) a material ejection end in injecting communication with the interior reactor chamber; 
 a material feed passage penetrating the reactor body and being (a) adjacent to the material ejection end of the injection passage and (b) transverse to an injection passage axis extending from the material injection end to the material ejection end in the injection passage; and 
   the second nozzle reactor comprising in combination:
 a reactor body having an interior reactor chamber with an injection end and an ejection end; 
 an injection passage mounted in the nozzle reactor in material injecting communication with the interior reactor chamber, the injection passage having (a) an enlarged volume injection section, an enlarged volume ejection section, and a reduced volume mid-section intermediate the enlarged volume injection section and enlarged volume ejection section, (b) a material injection end, and (c) a material ejection end in injecting communication with the interior reactor chamber; 
 a material feed passage penetrating the reactor body and being (a) adjacent to the material ejection end of the injection passage and (b) transverse to an injection passage axis extending from the material injection end to the material ejection end in the injection passage; and 
   
     
     
         3 . The nozzle reactor system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the enlarged volume injection section of each of the first and second nozzle reactors includes a converging central passage section, and the reduced volume mid-section and the enlarged volume ejection section of each of the first and second nozzle reactors includes a diverging central passage section. 
     
     
         4 . The nozzle reactor system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the converging central passage section, the reduced volume mid-section, and the diverging central passage section of each of the first and second nozzle reactors provide a radially inwardly curved passage side wall intermediate the material injection end and material ejection end in the injection passage of each of the first and second nozzle reactors. 
     
     
         5 . The nozzle reactor system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein (a) the interior reactor chamber of each of the first and second nozzle reactors has a central interior reactor chamber axis extending from the injection end to the ejection end of the interior reactor chamber and (b) an injection passage axis of each of the first and second nozzle reactors is coaxial with the central interior reactor chamber axis of each of the first and second nozzle reactors. 
     
     
         6 . The nozzle reactor system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the enlarged volume injection section, reduced volume mid-section, and enlarged volume ejection section in the injection passage of each of the first and second nozzle reactors cooperatively provide a substantially isentropic passage for a cracking material through the injection passage of each of the first and second nozzle reactors. 
     
     
         7 . The nozzle reactor system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the material feed passage of each of the first and second nozzle reactors is annular. 
     
     
         8 . The nozzle reactor system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the interior reactor chamber of each of the first and second nozzle reactors includes a cross-sectional area and wherein the cross-sectional area alternates between maintaining constant and increasing in a direction from the injection end to the ejection end. 
     
     
         9 . The nozzle reactor system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the stream dividing apparatus comprises a distillation tower. 
     
     
         10 . The nozzle reactor system as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an upstream nozzle reactor located upstream of the stream dividing apparatus and wherein an ejection of the upstream nozzle reactor is in fluid communication with an input port of the stream dividing apparatus.   
     
     
         11 . A material cracking method comprising:
 injecting a first material stream into a stream dividing apparatus and producing a first divided stream and a second divided stream;   injecting the first divided stream into a first nozzle reactor and injecting the second divided stream into a second nozzle reactor;   injecting a stream of cracking material into the first nozzle reactor and injecting a stream of cracking material into the second nozzle reactor; and   combining a first nozzle reactor product from the first nozzle reactor and a second nozzle reactor product from the second nozzle reactor in a mixing apparatus.   
     
     
         12 . The material cracking method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the first divided stream and the second divided stream are injected into the first and second nozzle reactor at a direction transverse to the direction the cracking material is injected into the first and second nozzle reactor. 
     
     
         13 . The material cracking method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the cracking material is steam. 
     
     
         14 . The material cracking method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the first material stream hydrocarbon material. 
     
     
         15 . The material cracking method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the hydrocarbon material comprises bitumen. 
     
     
         16 . The material cracking method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the first divided stream has a different composition from the second divided stream. 
     
     
         17 . The material cracking method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the first material stream comprises material collected from the ejection end of an upstream nozzle reactor.