Process for production of combustible gases

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A GAS CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE COMPRISING INJECTING AXIALLY INTO A REACTION CHAMBER WHILE AT IGNITION TEMEPRATURE A FIRST MIXTURE OF A CARBONACEOUS FUEL AND A FREE OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SUBSTANTIALLY PURE OXYGEN AND OXYGEN-ENRICHED AIR, THE OXYGEN OF SAID GAS IN SAID FIRST MIXTURE BEING IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT NECESSARY TO CONVERT ALL OF THE CARBON OF THE FUEL IN SAID FIRST MIXTURE TO CARBON DIOXIDE, WHEREBY SAID FIRST MIXTURE IGNITES SUBSTANTIALLY IMMEDIATELY UPON ITS ENTRY INTO THE REACTION CHAMBER TO FORM A COMBUSTION ZONE ADJACENT ITS POINT OF ENTRY, AXIALLY INJECTING AN ANNULAR STREAM OF AN ENDOTHERMIC GASIFYING AGENT OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND STREAM INTO THE REACTION CHAMBER IN SURROUNDING RELATION TO SAID FIRST MIXTURE TO FLOW BETWEEN SAID COMBUSTION ZONE AND THE WALLS OF THE REACTION CHAMBER, AXIALLY INJECTING INTO THE REACTION CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID FIRST MIXTURE AND SAID ANNULAR STREAM OF ENDOTHERMIC GASIFYING AGENT, A SECOND MIXTURE OF A CARBONACEOUS FUEL AND A FREE OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS SELECTED THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SUBSTANTIALLY PURE OXYGEN AND OXYGEN-ENRICHED AIR, THE OXYGEN OF SAID GAS OF SAID SECOND MIXTURE BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT INSUFFICIENT TO CONVERT ALL OF THE CARBON OF THE FUEL IN SAID SECOND MIXTURE TO CARBON DIOXIDE, THE TOTAL OXYGEN CONTENT OF BOTH MIXTURES BEING INSUFFICIENT TO CONVERT THE TOTAL CARBON CONTENT OF BOTH MIXTURES TO CARBON DIOXIDE AND SAID SECOND MIXTURE BEING DIRECTED AT SAID COMBUSTION ZONE THEREBY PROMOTING ITS IGNITION BY THE HEAT OF THE FIRST MIXTURE WITH PARTIAL COMBUSTION OF SAID SECOND MIXTURE CLOSER TO ITS POINT OF ENTRY, TO PROMOTE MORE RAPID PARTIAL COMBUSTION FAVORING THE FORMATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE; THEREAFTER INTERDIFFUSING SAID ENDOTHERMIC GASIFYING AGENT AND THE HOT COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND MIXTURES FOR REACTION TO FORM THE FINAL GAS CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE.