Method and apparatus for treating solid fuels and petroleum oils

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF TREATING A WATER-CONTAINING PARTICULATE SOLID CARBONACEOUS FUEL AND A PETROLEUM OIL HAVING A RELATIVELY LOW CONTENT OF COMPONENTS BOILING BELOW 250* C. AT NORMAL PRESSURE, THE STEPS OF INTRODUCING A MIXTURE OF SAID PETROLEUM OIL AND OF SAID CARBONACEOUS FUEL AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE INTO A REACTION CHAMBER FILLED BUT PARTLY WITH SAID PETROLEUM OIL AND BEING MAINTAINED AT AN ELEVATED PRESSURE AND AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE BOILING POINT OF WATER AT SAID ELEVATED PRESSURE SO THAT SAID CARBONACEOUS FUEL INITIALLY FLOATS ON SAID OIL IN SAID REACTION CHAMBER WHILE WTER IS EVAPORATED THEREFROM AND UPON PARTIAL EVAPORATION OF WATER SAID CARBONACEOUS FUEL SINKS DOWNWARDLY IN SAID PETROLEUM OIL INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER; MOVING SAID CARBONACEOUS FUEL FROM SAID REACTION CHAMBER ALONG A SUBSTNATIALLY HORIZONTAL PATH THROUGH A LAYER OF SID HOT OIL COMMUNICATING WITH THE OIL IN SAID REACTION CHAMBER THEREBY WITHDRAWING ADDITIONAL STEAM FROM SAID CARBONACEOUS FUEL; SEPARATING SAID CARBONACEOUS FUEL FROM SAID LAYER OF OIL; AND HEATING THE THUS SUBSTANTIALLY WATER-FREE CARBONACEUS FUEL TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO CRACK THE OIL CONTAINED IN AND ADHERING TO SAID CARBONACEOUS FUEL.