Preparation of gaseous fuel

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF FORMING A MIXTURE OF GASES CONTAINING A PREPONDERANCE OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING A FLUIDIZED BED OF A POWDERED NON -CARBONACEOUS REFACTORY MATERIAL IN A CONFINED REACTION ZONE, FEEDING TO SAID REACTION ZONE LIQUIFIED HYDROCARBONCEOUS MATERIAL, SEPARATELY CHARGING A MIXTURE OF OXYGEN AND STEAM TO SAID REACTION ZONE, MAINTAINING A TEMPERATURE IN THE FLUIDIZED BED OF POWDERED REFRACTORY MATERIAL NOT ABOVE 2000* F. BUT SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO CAUSE A REACTION BETWEEN THE BITUMINOUS MATERIAL, THE OXYGEN AND THE STEAM TO FORM A GASEOUS MIXTURE CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN, WITHDRAWING A GASEOUS PRODUCT CONTAINING THE CARBON MONOXIDE, THE OXYGEN AND THE HYDROGEN FROM THE SAID FLUIDIZED BED, DISCHARGING THE MIXTURE INTO A SPACE DISPOSED IN SAID REACTION ZONE ABOVE SAID FLUIDIZED BED OF POWDERED REFRACTORY MATERIAL IN SAID ZONE, ADDING OXYGEN TO SAID SPACE TO CONVERT FURTHER HYDROCARBONACEOUS MATERIAL IN SAID SPACE TO ADDITIONAL QUANTITIES OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 2000*-3000* F., BUT SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN SAID FIRST NAMED TEMPERATURE, AND RECOVERING FROM SAID SPACE A GASEOUS MATERIAL SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF HYDROCARBONS AND CONTAINING A PREPONDERANCE OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF FORMING A MIXTURE OF GASES CONTAINING A PREPONDERANCE OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING A FLUIDIZED BED OF A POWDERED NON -CARBONACEOUS REFACTORY MATERIAL IN A CONFINED REACTION ZONE, FEEDING TO SAID REACTION ZONE LIQUIFIED HYDROCARBONCEOUS MATERIAL, SEPARATELY CHARGING A MIXTURE OF OXYGEN AND STEAM TO SAID REACTION ZONE, MAINTAINING A TEMPERATURE IN THE FLUIDIZED BED OF POWDERED REFRACTORY MATERIAL NOT ABOVE 2000* F. BUT SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO CAUSE A REACTION BETWEEN THE BITUMINOUS MATERIAL, THE OXYGEN AND THE STEAM TO FORM A GASEOUS MIXTURE CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN, WITHDRAWING A GASEOUS PRODUCT CONTAINING THE CARBON MONOXIDE, THE OXYGEN AND THE HYDROGEN FROM THE SAID FLUIDIZED BED, DISCHARGING THE MIXTURE INTO A SPACE DISPOSED IN SAID REACTION ZONE ABOVE SAID FLUIDIZED BED OF POWDERED REFRACTORY MATERIAL IN SAID ZONE, ADDING OXYGEN TO SAID SPACE TO CONVERT FURTHER HYDROCARBONACEOUS MATERIAL IN SAID SPACE TO ADDITIONAL QUANTITIES OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 2000*-3000* F., BUT SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN SAID FIRST NAMED TEMPERATURE, AND RECOVERING FROM SAID SPACE A GASEOUS MATERIAL SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF HYDROCARBONS AND CONTAINING A PREPONDERANCE OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN.