NATURAL GAS PROCESSING TECHNIQUE Russian patent published in 1999 - IPC

FIELD: chemical and petrochemical industries. SUBSTANCE: natural gas is processed under pressure by steam-oxygen or steam-air conversion of carbons to produce methanol, higher alcohols, and ammonia which involves catalytic steam pre-conversion of raw carbon in adiabatic reactor, decomposition of gas mixture obtained at steam conversion stage in tubular converter followed by secondary decomposition at oxygen stage in shaft reactor; specific area of heat-transfer surface in tubular converter is found from equation given in description of invention so as to maintain desired temperature conditions. Temperature of gas mixture obtained as result of oxygen conversion at outlet from intertube space is maintained between 600 and 670 c and that of source steam-carbon mixture at adiabatic reactor inlet, between 580 and 650 C. This increases service life of reaction tubes by three or four times. EFFECT: improved service life of reaction tubes. 2 cl, 1 dwg