Production of gas

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN INFLAMMABLE GAS BY GASIFICATION OF A CARBONACEOUS FUEL WHEREIN THE SENSIBLE HEAT CONTAINED IN THE INFLAMMABLE GAS PRODUCED IS EMPLOYED TO PREHEAT AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GASIFYING AGENT, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: TRANSFERRING HEAT FROM THE HOT INFLAMMABLE GAS PRODUCED TO LIQUID MERCURY BY INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE IN A FIRST HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE AND THEREBY VAPORIZING SAID MERCURY; SATURATING THE OXYGEN-CONTAINING GASIFYING AGENT WITH STEAM BY SPRAYING WITH HOT WATER IN A SATURATOR; PASSING THE STEAM SATURATED OXYGEN-CONTAINING GASIFYING AGENT THROUGH A SECOND HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE; PASSING SAID VAPORIZED MERCURY FROM THE FIRST HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE THROUGH THE SECOND HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION TO THE STEAM SATURATED OXYGEN-CONTAINING GASIFYING AGENTS AND THEREBY CONDENSING SAID MERCURY; RECIRCULATING THE CONDENSED LIQUID MERCURY TO SAID FIRST HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE; CIRCULATING THE WATER NOT ABSORBED BY THE GASIFYING AGENT DURING SAID SPRAYING IN THE SATURATOR TO A THIRD HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE PROVIDED WITH A CORROSIONRESISTANT HEAT-TRANSFER MATERIAL; TRANSFERRING WASTE HEAT FROM A FLUID HEAT CARRIER TO THE CIRCULATED WATER BY INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE IN SAID THIRD HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE TO PRODUCE HOT WATER FOR SAID SPRAYING; AND ADDING FRESH WATE TO SAID CIRCULATED WATER TO REPLACE WATER ABSORBED BY SAID GASIFYING AGENT DURING SAID SPRAYING.