Manufacture of synthesis gas

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A SYNTHESIS GAS MIXTURE OF HYDROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE WHEREIN A FINELY DIVIDED COAL IS FLUIDIZED, CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCED INTO A REACTION ZONE, REACTED WITH STEAM AND OXYGEN UNDER SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, AND THE HOT GASEOUS REACTION PRODUCTS ARE EXPANDED WITH THE PRODUCTION OF EXTERNAL WORK, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISES FLUIDIZING FINELY DIVIDED COAL IN A STREAM OF RECYCLED SYNTHESIS GAS, PASSING SAID STREAM OF FLUIDIZED COAL INTO ONE OF AT LEAST TWO STORAGE ZONES MAINTAINED UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, INTERRUPTING THE PASSAGE OF SAID FLUIDIZED COAL INTO SAID STORAGE ZONE WHILE MAINTAINING THE COAL THEREIN IN FLUIDIZED CONDITION, INCREASING THE PRESSURE IN SAID STORAGE ZONE AT A SUPERATMOSPERIC PRESSURE AT LEAST EQUAL TO THAT EXISTING IN THE REACTION ZONE, MAINTAINING A VERTICAL COLUMN OF SAID FLUIDIZED COAL BELOW SAID STORAGE ZONE AND COMMUNICATING THEREWITH, SAID VERTICAL COLUMN OF BEING OF SUFFICIENT HEIGHT TO PRODUCE A FLUID PRESSURE HEAD OVER THE BOTTOM OF SAID COLUMN, OPENING THE BOTTOM OF SAID VERTICAL COLUMN TO SAID REACTION ZONE, CONVEYING SAID FLUIDIZED COAL FROM SAID STORAGE ZONE THROUGH SAID COLUMN INTO SAID REACTION ZONE BY A STREAM OF RECYCLED SYNTHESIS GAS, CLOSING THE BOTTOM OF SAID VERTICAL COLUMN FROM SAID REACTION ZONE WHEN SAID STORAGE ZONE IS NEARLY EMPTY, VENTING SAID STORAGE ZONE UNTIL THE PRESSURE THEREIN IS SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC AND REPEATING SAID CYCLE WHILE AT LEAST ONE OTHER STORAGE ZONE IS BEING FILLED AND EMPTIED IN AN ALTERNATE SEQUENCE.