Process for pyrolytic cracking of hydrocarbons and gasification of coal

Claim 1

A COMBINATION PROCESS FOR EFFECTING SUCCESSIVELY THE GASIFICATION OF COAL AND THE PYROLITIC, NON-CATALYTIC CRACKING OF HYDROCARBONS IN THE PRESENCE OF SAID COAL WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: MAINTAINING A CONFINED TREATING ZONE PARTIALLY FILLED WITH A GRID-SUPPORTED BED OF SAID COAL INCLUDING AN UPPER REGION CONTAINING FRESH COAL, AN INTERMEDIATE REGION CONTAINING INCANDESCENT COAL DERIVED FROM THE COMBUSTION OF SAID COAL IN THE PRESENCE OF OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS, AND A LOWER REGION CONTAINING COAL ASH RESULTING FROM SAID COMBUSTION, UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTING FRESH COAL OVER THE SURFACE OF SAID BED FROM A DISTRIBUTING ZONE MAINTAINED IMMEDIATELY ABOVE SAID TREATING ZONE, MAINTAINING A CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF FRESH COAL TO SAID DISTRIBUTING ZONE FROM A SUPPLY ZONE LOCATED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE ABOVE SAID DISTRIBUTING ZONE, SAID FRESH COAL BEING CONVEYED BETWEEN SAID SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTING ZONES AS AN ELONGATED COMPACT MOVING COLUMN FORMING A SEAL LEG, REMOVING COAL ASH FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID TREATING ZONE THROUGH SAID GRID, THE REMOVAL OF SAID COAL ASH AND THE SUPPLY OF SAID FRESH COAL BEING REGULATED TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT BED LEVEL WITHIN SAID TREATING ZONE, PASSING THE COAL ASH DISCHARGED THROUGH SAID GRID BY FREE FALL TO THE SURFACE OF A BED OF COAL ASH PARTIALLY FILLING A CONFINED ASH-RECEIVING ZONE LOCATED DIRECTLY BENEATH SAID TREATING ZONE, DISCHARGING COAL ASH FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID ASHRECEIVING ZONE AT A RATE ADAPTED TO CONSTANTLY MAINTAIN SAID BED OF COAL ASH THEREIN, THE FOREGOING STEPS BEING SIMULTANEOUSLY ACCOMPANIED BY THE SEQUENTIAL STEPS OF: PASSING OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID GRIDSUPPORTED BED UNDER CONDITIONS SUITABLE FOR EFFECTING THE COMBUSTION OF SAID COAD, AND REMOVING THE GASEOUS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS COLLECTED IN THE UPPER REGION OF SAID TREATING ZONE ABOVE SAID GRID-SUPPORTED BED; PASSING STEAM UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID ASH-RECEIVING AND TREATING ZONES TO PURGE THE SAME OF SAID GASEOUS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS AND TO FORM WATER-GAS WHILE PASSING THROUGH SAID INTERMEDIATE REGION, SAID WATER-GAS BEING REMOVED FROM SAID GAS-COLLECTING REGION OF SAID TREATING ZONE; PASSING HYDROCARBONS UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID TREATING ZONE BY PYROLYTICALLY CRACK THE HYDROCARBONS, AND REMOVING THE GASEOUS CRACKING PRODUCTS SEPARATELY FROM SAID GAS-COLLECTING REGION; AGAIN PASSING STEAM UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID ASHRECEIVING AND TREATING ZONES TO PURGE SAME OF SAID GASEOUS CRACKING PRODUCTS; AND THEREAFTER AGAIN PASSING OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID GRID-SUPPORTED BED TO REHEAT SAID COAL TO THE DESIRED STAGE OF INCANDESCENCE IN PREPARATION FOR A REPEATED CYCLE OF OPERATION.