Process for preparing synthesis gases

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS FOR PREPARING A SYNTHESIS GAS COMPOSED ESSENTIALLY OF HYDROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE MOLAR RATIO APPROXIMATING 2:1 FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF HYDROCARBONS, OXYGENATED HYDROCARBONS AND MIXTURES THEREOF, WHEREIN A HYDROCARBON GAS AND STEAM ARE PASSED IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH A HEATED REFRACTORY MATERIAL IN A REACTION ZONE, AT A REACTION TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE AT WHICH THE REACTANTS INTERACT ENDOTHERMICALLY TO FORM HYDROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE, AND WHEREIN THE REFRACTORY MATERIAL IN THE REACTION ZONE IS PERIODICALLY HEATED TO REACTION TEMPERATURE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES EFFECTING THE CONVERSION OF THE FEED HYDROCARBON GAS INTO HIGH YIELDS OF SYNTHESIS GAS HAVING A MOLAR RATIO OF H2 AND CO OF APPROXIMATELY 2:1 UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY THERMALLY SELF-CONTAINED CONDITIONS BY THE STEPS INCLUDING PASSING A HYDROCARBON GAS IN CONTACT WITH THE HEATED REFRACTORY MATERIAL AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE EFFECTIVE TO SUBSTANTIALLY CRACK THE HYDROCARBON GAS TO FORM GASEOUS PORDUCTS OF CRACKING AND DEPOSIT RESULTANT SOLID CARBON UPON THE REFRACTORY MATERIAL, RECOVERING THE SAID GASEOUS PRODUCTS OF CRACKING, THEREAFTER PASSING A MIXTURE OF ADDITIONAL HYDROCARBON GAS AND STEAM IN CONTACT WITH THE REFRACTORY MATERIAL AND CARBON AT A RELATIVELY LOWER TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE AT WHICH STEAM REACTS WITH BOTH THE DEPOSITED CARBON AND THE HYDROCARBON GAS, AND REGULATING THE PROPORTION OF HYDROCARBON GAS AND STEAM SUCH THAT THE OXIDATION PRODUCT IS A SYNTHESIS GAS COMPRISING HYDROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE MOLAR RATIO OF APPROXIMATELY 2:1.