Method of coal pretreatment

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE GASIFICATION OF A FINELY DIVIDED SOLID CARBONACEOUS FEED MATERIAL TO PRODUCE A HOT GASEOUS PRODUCT BY A GASIFICATION REACTION IN A FLUIDIZED GASIFICATION REACTION BED WHEREIN THE CARBONACEOUS FEED MATERIAL MUST BE PRETREATED BEFORE PASSAGE TO THE FLUIDIZED REACTION BED, TO PREVENT CAKING OF THE FEED MATERIAL DURING THE GASIFICATION REACTION THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES I. PASSING THE FINELY DIVIDED FEED MATERIAL AND A FLUIDIZING GAS INTO A SOLID DISTRIBUTION ZONE MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW ABOUT 500*F TO PRODUCE A FLUIDIZED BED OF FEED MATERIAL; II. SAID DISTRIBUTION ZONE POSITIONED SUPERJACENT TO THE FLUIDIZED REACTION BED SAID ZONE COMPRISING A CHAMBER HAVING A SOLIDS INLET, A FLUIDIZING GAS INLET AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART DISTRIBUTION CONDUITS PASSING THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER AND TERMINATING WITHIN SAID CHAMBER AT A POINT ABOVE THE SOLIDS INLET AND FLUIDIZING GAS INLET; III. WITHDRAWING A FLUIDIZED MIXTURE OF FEED MATERIAL AND FLUIDIZING GAS FROM THE FLUIDIZED BED OF FEED MATERIAL; IV. PASSING THE WITHDRAWN FLUIDIZED MIXTURE OF FEED MATERIAL AND FLUIDIZING GAS DOWN THROUGH THE DISTRIBUTION CONDUITS; V. DISCHARGING THE FLUIDIZED MIXTURE OF FEED MATERIAL AND FLUIDIZING GAS FROM EACH CONDUIT A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE ABOVE THE FLUIDIZED GASIFICATION BED AND INTO A PRETREATMENT ZONE POSITIONED ABOVE SAID GASIFICATION BED WHEREIN THE FEED MATERIAL FROM EACH CONDUIT, AS IT IS DISCHARGED, IS PERMITTED TO SETTLE DOWNWARD TOGETHER TO THE FLUIDIZED GASIFICATION BED;