Protection of refractories in a reaction system from high temperatures by blanketing gases

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SYNTHESIS GAS, COMPRISING INTRODUCING A HYDROCARBON GAS AND OXYGEN IN PROPORTIONS FOR EXOTHERMICALLY REACTING WITH EACH OTHER TO FORM SYNTHESIS GAS, INTO THE CENTRAL PORTION OF AN ELONGATED REACTION CHAMBER IN A DIRECTION OF LONGITUDINAL FLOW, AND EXOTHERMICALLY REACTING SAID HYDROCARBON AND OXYGEN THEREIN TO FORM SAID SYNTHESIS GAS, COOLING THE WALLS OF SAID CHAMBER TO A TEMPERATURE LOWER THAN THAT OF SAID EXOTHERMIC REACTION BY INTRODUCING A HYDROCARBON GAS TOGETHER WITH AN OXIDIZING GAS OF AN ENDOTHERMICALLY REACTING TYPE INTO SAID CHAMBER ADJACENT THE WALLS THEREOF AND INTERMEDIATE SAID WALLS AND SAID EXOTHERMICALLY REACTING GASES IN SAID CENTRAL PORTION IN RELATIVE PROPORTIONS AND AMOUNTS TO ABSORB UP TO THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF HEAT FROM SAID EXOTHERMIC REACTION THAT CAN BE TOLERATED SO AS TO REACT AND ENDOTHERMICALLY FORM SYNTHESIS GAS WHILE STILL MAINTAINING THE OVER-ALL SYNTHESIS GAS-FORMING REACTION IN SAID CHAMBER EXOTHERMIC, AND RECOVERING AS PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS, FROM SAID CHAMBER, SYNTHESIS GAS CONSTITUTED OF PRODUCT OF SAID ENDOTHERMIC AND EXOTHERMIC REACTIONS.