Method for the production of carbon monoxide from solid fuels

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE GASIFICATION OF A SOLID CARBONACEOUS FUEL, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A FLUID MIXTURE OF SAID SOLID CARBONACEOUS FUEL WITH A VAPORIZABLE LIQUID, PASSING SAID FLUID MIXTURE THROUGH A HEATING ZONE, HEATING SAID MIXTURE IN SAID HEATING ZONE TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE ABOUT 700* F. VAPORIAING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID LIQUID AND VOLATILIZING A PORTION OF SAID SOLID FUEL THEREBY FORMING A DISPERSION OF SOLID FUEL RESIDUE IN RESULTING VAPORS, SEPARATING A STREAM COMPRISING A PORTION OF SAID RESULTING VAPORS FROM A GAS GENERATOR FUEL FEED STREAM COMPRISING REMAINING VAPORS AND CARBONACEOUS FUEL RESIDUE, CONTACTING SAID GAS GENERATOR FUEL FEED STREAM WITH AN OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS IN A REACTION ZONE AT AN AUTOGENOUS REACTION TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1800 TO 3500* F. FORMING PRODUCTS COMPRISING CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN, CONTACTING EFFLUENT PRODUCTS FROM SAID REACTION ZONE WITH SAID SEPARATED STREAM AT A COMBINED TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 1200* F. IN A SECOND REACTION ZONE THEREBY FORMING ADDITIONAL HYDROGEN AND NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS, PASSING SAID CARBON MONOXIDE, HYDROGEN AND ADDITIONAL FORMED HYDROGEN INTO CONTACT WITH A METHANIZATION CATALYST AT METHANIZING CONDITIONS IN A METHANIZING ZONE, AND SEPARATING WATER AND CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE PRODUCT OF SAID METHANIZING ZONE THEREBY FORMING A GAS OF HIGH HEATING VALUE.