Synthesis gas- manufacture

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SYNTHESIS GAS, COMPRISING INJECTING A MIXTURE OF NATURAL GAS AND OXYGEN AT A VELOCITY DESCRIBED HEREAFTER, INTO A FIRST CYLINDRICAL ZONE HAVING A DIAMETER GREATER THAN ITS LENGTH, IN A DIRECTION TANGENT TO THE INNER SIDE WALL OF SAID FIRST CYLINDRICAL ZONE, AND IN A MOLE RATIO OF OXYGEN TO NATURAL GAG HIGHER THAN AN OVERALL OXYGEN TO NATURAL GAS MOLE RATIO DESCRIBED HEREAFTER AND LOWER THAN THAT REQUIRED FOR COMPLETELY BURNING THE TANGENTIALLY INTRODUCED NATURAL GAS; BURNING SAID TANGENTIALLY INTRODUCED NATURAL GAS IN SAID FIRST CYLINDRICAL ZONE, AND REGULATING SAID BURNING AS DESCRIBED HEREAFTER; PASSING COMBUSTION GAS FORMED FROM SAID BURNING, FROM SAID FIRST CYLINDRICAL ZONE INTO AND THROUGH A SECOND CYLINDRICAL ZONE IONGER THAN, COAXIAL WITH, AND ADJACENT SIAD FIRST CYLINDRICAL ZONE, AND HAVING A DIAMETER SMALLER THAN THAT OF SAID FIRST CYLINDRICAL ZONE; REGULATING SIAD BURNING TO PRODUCE HEAT TO MAINTAIN A TEMPERATURE THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND CYLINDRICAL ZONES WITHIN THE LIMITS OF 2000-2500* F.; MAINTAINING SAID VELOCITY OF TANGENTIALLY INJECTED NATURAL GAS AND OXYGEN SUFFICIENTLY HIGH THAT SAID COMBUSTION GAS FOLLOWS AN INWARD SPIRAL PATH IN SAID FIRST CYLINDRICAL ZONE AND A HELICAL PATH THROUGH SAID SECOND CYLINDRICAL ZONE ADJACENT THE INNER WALL OF AT LEAST AN INITIAL PORTION THEREOF; PASSING OXYGEN AND NATURAL GAS AXIALLY INTO SAID FIRST CYLINDRICAL ZONE IN A MOLE RATIO OF OXYGEN TO NATURAL GAS LOWER THAN SAID OVERALL MOLE RATIO, AND THROUGH SAID SECOND CYLINDRICAL