Process for making a reducing gas

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING GASEOUS MIXTURES COMPRISING PRINCIPALLY HYDROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE COMPRISING SIMULTANEOUSLY INTRODUCING INTO THE REACTION ZONE OF A FREE-FLOW UNPACKED NONCATALYTIC GAS GENERATOR A FREE-OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS, A LIQUID HYDROCARBONACEOUS FUEL, A METHANE-RICH GAS COMPRISING AT LEAST 22 MOLE % OF METHANE AND H2O FROM AND EXTERNAL SOURCE, SAID FREE-OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS COMPRISING 0.6 TO 1.2 ATOMS OF FREE OXYGEN PER ATOM OF CARBON PRESENT IN THE REACTION ZONE METHANE RICH GAS COMPRISING 0.25 TO 0.75 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID METHANE-RICH GAS FOR EACH PART BY WEIGHT OF SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBONACEOUS FUEL, AND SAID H2O BEING INTRODUCED IN AN AMOUNT IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0.05 TO 0.20 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF H2O PER PRT BY WEIGHT OF THE COMBUSTIBLE FUEL IN SAID REACTION ZONE; REACTING SAID MATERIALS BY PARTIAL OXIDATION IN SAID REACTION ZONE AT AN AUTOGENOUS TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1,500* TO 3,500*F. AND AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1 TO 250 ATMOSPHERES; AND REMOVING FROM SAID REACTION ZONE A PRODUCT GAS STREAM COMPRISING H2, CO, H2O, CO2 AND PARTICULATE CARBON IN THE AMOUNT OF ABOUT 0.01 TO 20 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF CARBON IN THE LIQUID HYDROCARBON; WHEREIN THE REDUCING RATIO MOLES H2+CO/H2O+CO2 OF SAID PRODUCT GAS IS AT LEAST ABOUT 9.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein said methane-rich gas is selected from the group consisting of substantially pure methane, natural gas, coke oven gas, and fuel gas comprising principally H2, CO, and CH4.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein said liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel is selected From the group consisting of liquefied petroleum gas; heavy fuel oil, petroleum distillates and residua, gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, crude petroleum, reduced crude, asphalt, gas oil, residual oil, shale oil, tar-sand oil, aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, xylene, coal tar; cycle gas oil from fluid catalytic cracking operations, furfural extract of coker gas oil; aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, organic waste liquors having some fuel value, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 5

The process of claim 3 wherein said liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel is a slurry comprising a liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel selected from the group in claim 3 and a dry solid carbonaceous fuel selected from the group consisting of petroleum coke, shale, tar sands, and coke from coal, or coal.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein said free-oxygen containing gas is selected from the group consisting of substantially pure oxygen, oxygen-enriched air, and air.

Claim 7

A process for producing reducing gas, fuel gas, or synthesis gas comprising continuously introducing into the reaction zone of a free-flow unpacked noncatalytic gas generator by way of the annulus of an annulus-type burner at a velocity in the range of about 30 feet per second to sonic velocity a dispersion comprising from about 0.25 to 0.75 parts by weight of methane-rich gas for each part by weight of a liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel said methane-rich gas containing at least 22 mole % methane-and from about 0.05 to 0.20 parts by weight of H2O from an external source per part by weight of the combustible fuel in said reaction zone; simultaneously and continuously introducing into said reaction zone by way of the center conduit of said annulus burner so as to impinge and mix with said dispersion a stream of free-oxygen containing gas at a velocity in the range of about 30 feet per second to sonic velocity, wherein the atomic ratio of free oxygen in said free-oxygen containing gas to carbon in the fuel is in the range of about 0.6 to 1.2; and reacting said materials in said reaction zone by partial oxdation at an autogenous temperature in the range of about 1,500* to 3,500*F. and at a pressure in the range of about 1 to 250 atmospheres; whereby a product gas stream is produced having a reducing ratio moles H2+CO/CO2+H2O of a least 9.

Claim 8

A process for producing reducing gas, fuel gas, or synthesis gas comprising continuously introducing into the reaction zone of a free-flow unpacked noncatalytic gas generator by way of the annulus of an annulus-type burner at a velocity in the range of about 30 feet per second to sonic velocity a dispersion comprising from about 0.25 to 0.75 parts by weight of methane-rich gas for each part by weight of a liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel said methane-rich gas containing at least 22 mole % methane-and from about 0.05 to 0.20 parts by weight of H2O from an external source per part by weight of the combustible fuel in said reaction zone; simultaneously and continuously introducing into said reaction zone by way of the center conduit of said annulus burner so as to impinge and mix with said dispersion a stream of free-oxygen containing gas at a velocity in the range of about 30 feet per second to sonic velocity, wherein the atomic ratio of free oxygen in said free-oxygen containing gas to carbon in the fuel is in the range of about 0.6 to 1.2; and reacting said materials in said reaction zone by partial oxdation at an autogenous temperature in the range of about 1,500* to 3,500*F. and at a pressure in the range of about 1 to 250 atmospheres; whereby a product gas stream is produced having a reducing ratio moles H2+CO/CO2+H2O of a least 9.

Claim 9

The process fo claim 6 wherein all or a protion of the H2O is fed to the generator mixed with the free-oxygen containing gas.

Claim 10

A process for producing reducing gas, fuel gas, or synthesis gas in the reaction zone of a free-flow unpacked noncatalytic gas generator provided with an axially aligned annulus-type burner for introducing materials into said reaction zone, wherein said annulus burner comprises a center conduit, an inner annulus passage disposed about and separated from said center conduit and an outer annulus passage disposed about and separated from said inner annulus passage, comprising continuously introducing into said reaction zone by way of said center conduit a first gaseous stream comprising a free-oxygen containing gas selected from the group consisting of air, oxygen-enriched air, and substantially pure oxygen, and where the atomic ratio of free oxygen in said free-oxygen containing gas to carbon in a liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel is in the range of about 0.6 to 1.2; simultaneously and continuously introducing into said reaction zone by way of said inner annulus passage a second gaseous stream comprising a dispersion of about 0.25 to 0.75 parts by weight of methane-rich gas for each part by weight of said liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel said methane-rich gas containing at least 22 mole % methane- and from about 0.05 to 0.20 parts by weight of H2O from an external source per part of the combustible fuel in said reaction zone; simultaneously and continuously introducing into said reaction zone by way of sAid outer annulus a third gaseous stream selected from the group consisting of air, oxygen-enriched air, nitrogen, a portion of the effluent gas from the gas generator that is cooled and recycled, and cooled cleaned and compressed off-gas from an ore reduction zone; and said first, second and third gaseous streams being introduced into said reaction zone at velocities in the range of about 30 feet per second to sonic velocity and in amounts to provide by partial oxidation an autogenous reaction temperature in the range of about 1,500*to 3,500*F. at a pressure in the range of about 1 to 250 atmospheres, thereby producing a product gas stream substantially comprising H2, CO, CO2, H2O, CH4, and a small amount of particulate carbon.

Claim 11

A process for producing reducing gas, fuel gas, or synthesis gas in the reaction zone of a free-flow unpacked noncatalytic gas generator provided with an axially aligned annulus-type burner for introducing materials into said reaction zone, wherein said annulus burner comprises a center conduit, an inner annulus passage disposed about and separated from said center conduit and an outer annulus passage disposed about and separated from said inner annulus passage, comprising continuously introducing into said reaction zone by way of said center conduit a first gaseous stream comprising a free-oxygen containing gas selected from the group consisting of air, oxygen-enriched air, and substantially pure oxygen, and where the atomic ratio of free oxygen in said free-oxygen containing gas to carbon in a liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel is in the range of about 0.6 to 1.2; simultaneously and continuously introducing into said reaction zone by way of said inner annulus passage a second gaseous stream comprising a dispersion of about 0.25 to 0.75 parts by weight of methane-rich gas for each part by weight of said liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel said methane-rich gas containing at least 22 mole % methane- and from about 0.05 to 0.20 parts by weight of H2O from an external source per part of the combustible fuel in said reaction zone; simultaneously and continuously introducing into said reaction zone by way of sAid outer annulus a third gaseous stream selected from the group consisting of air, oxygen-enriched air, nitrogen, a portion of the effluent gas from the gas generator that is cooled and recycled, and cooled cleaned and compressed off-gas from an ore reduction zone; and said first, second and third gaseous streams being introduced into said reaction zone at velocities in the range of about 30 feet per second to sonic velocity and in amounts to provide by partial oxidation an autogenous reaction temperature in the range of about 1,500*to 3,500*F. at a pressure in the range of about 1 to 250 atmospheres, thereby producing a product gas stream substantially comprising H2, CO, CO2, H2O, CH4, and a small amount of particulate carbon.

Claim 12

The process of claim 8 wherein said product gas stream has a reducing ratio moles H2+CO/CO2+H2O of at least 9.