Reaction of gaseous hydrocarbons with oxygen

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A SYNTHESIS GAS CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE, CARBON DIOXIDE, HYDROGEN AND NOT MORE THAN 0.2% METHANE WHICH COMPRISES MIXING IN A MIXING ZONE VOID OF SOLIDS A PREHEATED HYDROCARBON GAS AND AN AMOUNT OF A PREHEATED O2-CONTAINING GAS INSUFFICIENT FOR COMPLETE COMBUSTION OF SAID HYDROCARBON GAS AT A RATE OF FLOW HIGH ENOUGH TO AVOID FLAME FORMATION IN SAID MIXING ZONE, PASSING THE MIXED GASES THROUGH AN ENLARGED ZONE VOID OF SOLIDS WITHOUT FLAME FORMATION IN SAID ENLARGED ZONE AND THEREIN REDUCING THE FLOW VELOCITY OF SAID MIXED GASES TO A VELOCITY LESS THAN ONE-HALF THE VELOCITY OF SAID GASES AT THE ENTRANCE OF SAID ENLARGED ZONE, THEN PASSING THE MIXED GASES FROM SAID ENLARGED ZONE INTO AND THROUGH A LAYER ADJOINING SAID ENLARGED VOID ZONE AND ABOUT 6-20 CENTIMETERS IN DEPTH, SAID LAYER BEING MADE UP OF A GRANULAR, REFRACTORY MATERIAL CATALYTICALLY INERT TOWARD A HYDROCARBON-OXYGEN REACTION AND HAVING A GRAIN SIZE OF ABOUT 10-20 MILLIMETERS, ND IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER CONTACTING SAID MIXED GASES WITH A FIXED BED COMBUSTION CATALYST.