Continuous steam-iron process for making fuel gas

Abstract

Abstract IN A CONTINUOUS STEAM-IRON PROCESS WHEREIN FINELY DIVIDED IRON OXIDES ARE REDUCED IN A REDUCTION ZONE AND THE REDUCED IRON OXIDES ARE REACTED WITH STEAM AND HYDROCARBONACEOUS SOLIDS IN AN OXIDATION ZONE TO MAKE FUEL GAS, THE REDUCTION OF THE IRON OXIDES IS EFFECTED BY MEANS OF A CONTINUOUSLY RECIRCULATING STREAM OF HOT, FINELY DIVIDED CARBONACEOUS SOLIDS WHICH ARE MIXED WITH THE IRON OXIDES IN A DOWNWARDLY MOVING BED UNDER REDUCING CONDITIONS, AND HEAT IS SUPPLIED TO THE REDUCTION ZONE BY THE CARBONACEOUS SOLIDS WHICH ARE HEATED BY PARTIAL COMBUSTION OUTSIDE THE REDUCTION ZONE. IN THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PROCESS, THE MIXTURE OF REDUCED IRON OXIDES AND CARBONACEOUS SOLIDS FROM THE REDUCTION ZONE IS SEPQRATED IN A FLUIDIZED SEPARATION ZONE INTO A STREAM OF REDUCED IRON OXIDES AND A STREAM OF CARBONACEOUS SOLIDS. THE STREAM OF REDUCED IRON OXIDES IS CONDCTED TO THE OXIDATION ZONE WHERE THE REDUCEDIRON OXIDES FALL THROUGH A FLUIDIZED BED OF HYDROCARBONACEOUS SOLIDS IN COUNTERCURRENT FLOW RELATIONSHIP TO STEAM, WHEREBY A PRODUCT GAS IS PRODUCED WHICH CONTAINS METHANE BY VIRTUE OF THE REACTION OF THE HYDROGEN (PRODUCED BY THE STEAM-IRON REACTION) WITH THE HYDROCARBONAACEOUS SOLIDS.

Inventors

• 👤 James L Johnson
• 👤 Frank C Schora Jr
• 👤 Paul B Tarman

Bibliographic Details