Process for producing gas mixtures

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR CONVERTING HYDROCARBON GAS TO HYDROGEN AND AN OXIDE OF CARBON WHICH COMPRISES COMPRESSING AIR AND BURNING THE FUEL WITH SAID AIR IN AT LEAST ONE OF MORE THAN TWO HEAT REGENERATIVE ZONES FOR ALTERNATE COMBUSTION AND REFORMING CYCLES BOTH OPERATED AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PRESSURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 3-50 ATMOSPHERE, CONTINUING THE COMBUSTION UNTIL THE RESPECTIVE REGENERATIVE ZONE IS RAISED TO A REFORMING TEMPERATURE WHILE WITHDRAWING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS UNDER PRESSURE, UTILIZING THE ENERGY OF SUCH COMBUSTION PRODUCTS TO COMPRESS THE AIR, DISCONTINUING COMBUSTION AND PASSING HYDROCARBON GAS ALONG WITH A REFORMING AGENT THROUGH SAID RESPECTIVE REGENERATIVE ZONE UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PRESSURE WHEREBY HYDROGEN AND AN OXIDE OF CARBON ARE PRODUCED, DISCONTINUING THE PASSAGE OF THE HYDROCARBON AND THE REFORMING AGENT WHEN THE TEMPEATURE OF SAID RESPECTIVE ZONE FALLS BELOW THE REFORMING TEMPERATURE, CONTINUING THEREAFTER ALTERNATIVE CYCLES OF COMBUSTION AND REFORMING UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PRESSURE. CONDUCTING THE SAME CYCLES IN ALL OF SAID ZONES, AND OPERATING SAID CYCLES OUT OF PHASE WITH RESPECT TO DIFFERENT ZONES, IN SUCH A MANNER THAT A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS AND CONSTANT FLOW OF HEATING EXHAUST GASES IS MAINTAINED TO SAID UTILIZING STAGE.