Gasification of solid carbonaceous materials

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE GENERATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN FROM A SOLID CARBONACEOUS FUEL BY PARTIAL OXIDATION IN AN UNPACKED REACTION ZONE WHEREIN SAID SOLID FUEL IN FINE PARTICLE FORM IS REACTED WITH FREE OXYGEN AND STEAM WHILE SUSPENDED IN GASEOUS REACTANTS AND REACTION PRODUCTS AT A PRESSURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 100 TO ABOUT 600 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GUAGE AND AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 2000 TO ABOUT 3500*F., THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A FLUID SLURRY OF SOLID FUEL PARTICLES IN A VAPORIZABLE LIQUID REACTANT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF WATER AND LIQUID HYDROCARBONS, INTRODUCING SAID SLURRY AS A CONTINUOUS STREAM INTO AN EXTERNALLY HEATED TUBULAR HEATING ZONE AT A LINEAR VELOCITY OF AT LEAST ONE-HALF FOOT PER SECOND, EFFECTING VAPORIZATION OF SUBSTANTIALY ALL OF SAID LIQUID FROM SAID SLURRY WITHIN SAID HEATING ZONE AT AN ELEVATED PRESSURE IN EXCESS OF THE PRESSURE IN SAID REACTION ZONE THEREBY FORMING A STREAM OF DISPERSION OF SAID SOLID PARTICLES IN RESULTING VAPOR MOVING AT A VELOCITY IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 25 FEET PER SECOND, AND PASSING SAID STREAM OF DISPERSION INTO SAID REACTION ZONE INTO INTIMATE ADMIXTURE WITH GAS CONTAINING FREE OXYGEN AT A VELOCITY IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 30 FEET PER SECOND.