Method for partial combustion of carbonaceous materials

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN BY REACTION OF A SOLID CARBONACEOUS FUEL IN PARTICLE FORM WITH STEAM AND UNCOMBINED OXYGEN WHEREIN SAID REACTION IS CONDUCTED AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE ABOUT 2,000* F. AUTOGENOUSLY MAINTAINED BY SAID REACTION, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING SAID FUEL AND OXYGEN INTO A FIRST REACTION ZONE OF RELATIVELY SMALL CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA, EFFECTING REACTION OF ONLY A PORTION OF SAID WITH SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID OXYGEN IN SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE FORMING A STREAM OF PRIMARY REACTION PRODUCTS CONTAINING UNCONSUMED FUEL PARTICLES, INTRODUCING SAID STREAM OF PRIMARY REACTION PRODUCTS INTO ONE END OF A SEPARATE SECOND REACTION ZONE OF RELATIVELY LARGE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA AS COMPARED TO SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE AND FLOWING SAID STREAM ALONG THE AXIS OF SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE TOWARD THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF, INTRODUCING STEAM FREE FROM SAID SOLID FUEL INTO THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID REACTION ZONE INTO ADMIXTURE WITH SAID PRIMARY REACTION PRODUCTS, REVERSING THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF SAID STREAM AT SAID OPPOSITE END OF SAID REACTION ZONE FORMING A SECONDARY STREAM ENVELOPING SAID PRIMARY STREAM AND FLOWING COUNTERCURRENT TO SAID PRIMARY STREAM, AND WITHDRAWING PRODUCT GASES FROM SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE FROM AN AREA ADJACENT THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID STREAM OF PRIMARY REACTION PRODUCTS.