Gasification of carbonaceous solids to hydrogen-rich gas and fuel gas

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE GASIFICATION OF A SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL CONTAINING VOLATILIZABLE CONSTITUENTS WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING SAID SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL INTO A CARBONIZATION ZONE INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH HOT GASES COMPRISING CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM 1,000* F. TO 1,500* F. AND A PRESSURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 100 TO 800 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GAUGE WHEREBY VOLATILIZABLE CONSTITUENTS ARE VOLATILIZED AND METHANE IS FORMED; INTRODUCING THE RESULTING CARBONACEOUS RESIDUE FROM THE CARBONIZATION ZONE INTO A GASIFICATION ZONE, REACTING SAID RESIDUE WITH A MIXTURE OF OXYGEN AND STEAM AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM 1,400* F. TO 2,100* F., TO PRODUCE CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN AS PRINCIPAL REACTION PRODUCTS; PASSING THE RESULTING GASES FROM THE GASIFICATION ZONE TO THE CARBONIZATION ZONE AS THE SOURCE OF HOT GASES; DISCHARGING PRODUCT GASES FROM THE CARBONIZATION ZONE; SEPARATING ENTRAINED SOLIDS AND READILY LIQUEFIABLE CONSTITUENTS THEREFROM; AND SUBJECTING THE RESIDUAL GASEOUS PRODUCT COMPRISING CARBON MONOXIDE, HYDROGEN AND METHANE TO LIQUEFACTION AND FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION TO OBTAIN A METHANE-RICH FUEL GAS AND SYNTHESIS GAS COMPRISING CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN IN SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTIONS ADAPTED FOR FISCHER-TROPSCH SYNTHESIS.