Preparation of synthesis gas

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A HYDROCARBON SYNTHESIS GAS CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF HYDROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE WHICH COMPRISES FEEDING INTO A GAS INLET ZONE AT ONE END OF A METHANE REFORMING ZONE, A GAS STREAM COMPRISING A THICK LAYER OF THE ORDER OF AT LEAST 10 FEET OF METHANE, CO2 AND H2O, FEEDING A FUEL GAS AND A COMBUSTION-SUPPORTING GAS TO A COMBUSTION ZONE SPACED VERTICALLY FROM SAID GAS INLET ZONE, CARRYING OUT A COMBUSTION REACTION WHEREIN A FLUE GAS COMPRISING SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF CO2 AND H2O IS PRODUCED, MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID COMBUSTION ZONE AT ABOUT 2800* TO 4000* F., PASSING SAID FLUE GAS AS A THICK LAYER OF AT LEAST 10 FEET, MOVING HORIZONTALLY AND CONCURRENTLY WITH THE THICK LAYER OF SAID FIRST-NAMED GAS STREAM THROUGH SAID REACTION ZONE, CARRYING OUT A METHANE REFORMING REACTION IN SAID ZONE, FURNISHING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE HEAT REQUIRED FOR SAID REFORMING REACTION AS RADIANT ENERGY FROM SAID FLUE GAS, ABSORBING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID RADIANT ENERGY IN SAID THICK LAYER OF SAID GAS UNDERGOING REFORMING WHEREBY SAID THICK LAYER ACTS SUBSTANTIALLY AS A BLACK BODY FOR SAID ABSORPTION, AND SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING FLUE GAS AND A GAS MIXTURE COMPRISING SYNTHESIS GAS AT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID REACTION ZONE FROM SAID GAS INLET ZONE.