Quadri-phase low pressure method for partial liquefaction of coal

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR CONTINUOUS THERMAL TREATMENT OF COAL FOR THE RECOVERY OF VALUES THEREFROM BY INTRODUCING CRUSHED COAL INTO A VERTICAL RETORT HAVING A SERIES OF GAS ISOLATED ZONES AND OPERABLE AT SUBSTANTIAL PRESSURES, DISTILLING PRIMARY VOLATILE MATTER FROM THE COALL IN A DISTILLATION ZONE OF SAID RETORT WHILE UTILIZING HYDROGEN AT HIGH TEMPERATURE AND SYSTEM PRESSURE AS A THERMAL CARRIER FLUID FOR ACCOMPLISHING SAID DISTILLATION, FEEDING THE COAL TO A LOWER GAS SEPARATED ZONE OF SAID RETORT AND PARTIALLY OXIDIZING THE CHAR REMAINING FROM SAID DISTILLATION STEP WHILE PREVENTING THE COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF SAID OXIDATION STEP FROM ENTERING THE DISTILLATION ZONE, FEEDING THE OXIDIZED HOT CHAR TO A LOWER GAS SEPARATED ZONE OF SAID RETORT AND PASSING METHANE THROUGH THE PARTIALLY OXIDIZED HOT CHAR TO DISASSOCIATE THE METHANE INTO HYDROGEN AND CARBON, AND PASSING THE HOT HYDROGEN SO PRODUCED AT SYSTEM PRESSURE INTO THE DISTILLATION ZONE TO BE UTILIZED AS HE THERMAL CARRIER GAS, THE IMPROVEMENT THAT COMPRISES; REPEATING THE STEPS OF PARTIAL OXIDATION OF CHAR AND FEEDING THE HOT CHAR TO A LOWER GAS SEPARATED ZONE WITH A PORTION OF THE CHAR BY RECYCLING A PORTION OF THE CHAR FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE LOWEST RECITED ZONE UP TO THE UPPER PORTION OF THE ZONE FOR ACCOMPLISHING PARTIAL COMBUSTION.