Method for processing carbonaceous solids

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN AND RECOVERING HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING A BODY OF FINELY DIVIDED CARBONACEOUS SOLIDS WITHIN A FIRST ZONE IN A DENSE TURBULENT SOLIDS PHASE, MAINTAINING SAID BODY AT A HIGH TEMPERATURE BY INTRODUCING HOT SOLIDS INTO SAID FIRST ZONE, REACTING WATER VAPOR WITH THE CARBONACEOUS SOLIDS WHEREBY CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN ARE PRODUCED, CONTINUOUSLY SEPARATING GASEOUS PRODUCTS AND SOLIDS, SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING INCANDESCENT SOLIDS FROM THE DENSE TURBULENT SOLIDS PHASE, INTRODUCING THE WITHDRAWN INCANDESCENT SOLIDS INTO A SECOND CONTACTING ZONE IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO ALL HEAT REQUIRES THEREIN INTRODUCING RAW FINELY DIVIDED CARBONACEOUS SOLIDS INTO SAID SECOND CONTACTING ZONE, MAINTAINING THE FINELY DIVIDED SOLIDS WITHIN SAID SECOND ZONE IN A DENSE TURBULENT SOLIDS PHASE CONTINUOUSLY SEPARATING GASES AND SOLIDS WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE, SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING SOLIDS FROM SAID SECOND ZONE, TRANSFERRING THE WITHDRAWN SOLIDS TO A THIRD CONTACTING ZONE, SUPPLYING AN OXYGENCONTAINING GAS TO SAID THIRD ZONE AND PASSING IT THROUGH THE ZONE AT A RATE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN A DENSE TURBULENT SOLIDS PHASE THEREIN, MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SOLIDS WITHIN SAID ZONE AT A HIGHLY LEVEL BY BURNING A PORTION OF THE CARBONACEOU SOLIDS WITH SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS, WITHDRAWING A PORTION OF THE HOT CARBONACEOUS SOLIDS FROM THE DENSE TURBULENT SUSPENDED PHASE, AND SUPPLYING AT LEAST A PART OF SAID WITHDRAWN SOLIDS TO THE FIRST ZONE.