Manufacture of synthesis gas

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR GENERATING A CARBON MONOXIDE-HYDROGEN SYNTHESIS GAS, WHICH COMPRISES SEPARATELY CHARGING A STREAM OF OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS AND A STREAM OF HYDROCARBON AT HIGH VELOCITIES DIRECTLY INTO A REACTION ZONE FREE FROM PACKING AND CATALYST, EFFECTING MIXING OF SAID STREAMS BY IMPINGEMENT UPON ONE ANOTHER WITHIN SAID REACTION ZONE, SAID HYDROCARBON STREAM BEING SUBSTANTIALLY DEVOID OF FREE OXYGEN PRIOR TO REACHING THE ZONE OF IMPINGEMENT MIXING, REGULATING THE PROPORTIONS OF SAID STREAMS SO THAT THE QUANTITY OF OXYGEN SUPPLIED TO THE REACTION ZONE IS IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT STOICHIOMETRICALLY REQUIRED TO CONVERT ALL THE CARBON IN SAID HYDROCARBON TO CARBON MONOXIDE AND LESS THAN THE AMOUNT STOICHIOMETRICALLY REQUIRED TO CONVERT ALL OF THE CARBON IN SAID HYDROCARBON TO CARBON DIOXIDE, AUTOGENOUSLY MAINTAINING THE REACTION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 2000* F. AND HIGHER, REACTING THE MIXTURE OF HYDROCARBON AND OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN THE REACTION ZONE DURING UNIDIRECTIONAL AND UNDEFLECTED FLOW THROUGH THE REACTION ZONE, CONSUMING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE FREE OXYGEN DURING FLOW THROUGH SAID REACTION ZONE THEREBY MINIMIZING THE FORMATION OF FREE CARBON, AND WITHDRAWING FROM THE REACTION ZONE AND EFFLUENT STREAM OF CARBON MONOXIDE-HYDROGEN SYNTHESIS GAS SUBSTANTIALLY DEVOID OF FREE OXYGEN AND CONTAINING NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 5 MOL PER CENT OF HYDROCARBON.