Manufacture of synthesis gas

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE GASIFICATION OF A SOLID CARBONACEOUS FUEL WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A SLURRY OF PARTICLES OF SAID CARBONACEOUS FUEL IN WATER, PASSING SAID SLURRY AS A CONFINED STREAM THROUGH AN EXTERNALLY HEATED ELONGATED HEATING ZONE OF VAPORIZE SUBSTANTIALLY OF ALL OF THE WATER IN SAID SLURRY AND TO FORM A DISPERSION OF PARTICLES OF SAID CARBONACEOUS FUEL IN STEAM, WITHDRAWING SAID DISPERSION FROM THE HEATING ZONE AT A VELOCITY OF AT LEAST 50 FEET PER SECOND, INTRODUCING THE PARTICLES OF SOLID CARBONACEOUS FUEL DISPERSED IN STEAM INTO AN ELONGATED REACTION ZONE, INTRODUCING GAS COMPRISING UNCOMBINED OXYGEN INTO THE REACTION ZONE WITH THE DISPERSION, IMPARTING A VELOCITY IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 50 FEET PER SECOND AND AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THE VELOCITY AT WHICH THE DISPERSION IS REMOVED FROM THE HEATING ZONE OF THE RESULTING STREAM OF PARTICLES DISPERSED IN STEAM AND SAID GAS IN THE ELONGATED REACTION ZONE OF EFFECT HIGHLY TURBULENT FLOW IN THE REACTION ZONE, PASSING THE STREAM OF SAID PARTICLES DISPERSED IN STREAM AND SAID GAS THROUGH SAID ELONGATED REACTION ZONE AT A PRESSURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT ATMOSPHERIC TO ABOUT 600 P.S.I.G. AND AT AN AUTOGENOUS TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 1500*F. TO ABOUT 2000*F. THEREBY EFFECTING A REACTION BETWEEN SAID UNCOMBINED OXYGEN AND SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID SOLID PARTICLES OF SAID DISPERSION TO YIELD A PRODUCT GAS COMPRISING HYDROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE, SAID VELOCITY IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 50 FEET PER SECOND BEING MAINTAINED IN THE REACTION ZONE SAID REACTION IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE AND DISCHARGING PRODUCT GAS COMPRISING CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN FROM SAID REACTION ZONE.