Process for producing reducing gas

Claim 2

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A REDUCING GAS MIXTURE COMPRISING PRINCIPALLY CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN BY THE PARTIAL OXIDATION OF A HYDROCARBON FUEL WITH A FREE-OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AIR, OXYGEN-ENRICHED AIR, I.E., GREATER THAN 21 MOLE % OXYGEN, AND SUBSTANTIALLY PURE OXYGEN,I.E. GREATER THAN 95 MOLE % OXYGEN AND OPTIAONALLY IN THE PRESENCE OF A TEMPERATURE MODERATING GAS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF H2O, CO2, N2, A COOLED PORTION OF REDUCING GAS, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, IN A FREE-FLOW REACTION ZONE OF A REDUCING GAS GENERATOR AT AN AUTOGENOUS TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1,500* TO 3,500*F AND A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1 TO 350 ATMOSPHERES WITH THE INCIDENTAL PRODUCTION OF MINOR AMOUNTS OF PARTICULATE CARBON, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING:

Claim 3

MIXING IN A SEPARATE MIXING ZONE ALL OF THE EFFLUENT REDUCING GAS LEAVING SAID FREE-FLOW REACTION ZONE WITH AN UPGRADED REDUCING GAS MIXTURE GAS MIXTURE FROM STEP (3) WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY COOLED TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 100* TO 700*F TO PRODUCE A PRODUCT GAS STREAM CONSISTING OF AN IMPROVED REDUCING GAS MIXTURE CONTAINING REDUCED AMOUNTS OF WATER VAPOR AND PARTICULATE CARBON AND HAVING A LOWER TEMPERATURE THAN SAID EFFLUENT GAS FROM SAD REACTION ZONE:

Claim 4

MIXING IN A SEPARATE MIXING ZONE ALL OF THE EFFLUENT REDUCING GAS LEAVING SAID FREE-FLOW REACTION ZONE WITH AN UPGRADED REDUCING GAS MIXTURE GAS MIXTURE FROM STEP (3) WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY COOLED TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 100* TO 700*F TO PRODUCE A PRODUCT GAS STREAM CONSISTING OF AN IMPROVED REDUCING GAS MIXTURE CONTAINING REDUCED AMOUNTS OF WATER VAPOR AND PARTICULATE CARBON AND HAVING A LOWER TEMPERATURE THAN SAID EFFLUENT GAS FROM SAD REACTION ZONE:

Claim 5

INTRODUCING A PORTION OF SAID IMPROVED REDUCING GAS MIXTURE INTO A GAS-COOLING AND SCRUBBING ZONE FOR REMOVAL OF ENTRAINED PARTICULATE CARBON LOCATED DOWNSTREAM FROM SAID MIXING ZONE: AND

Claim 6

INTRODUCING A PORTION OF SAID IMPROVED REDUCING GAS MIXTURE INTO A GAS-COOLING AND SCRUBBING ZONE FOR REMOVAL OF ENTRAINED PARTICULATE CARBON LOCATED DOWNSTREAM FROM SAID MIXING ZONE: AND

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 provided with the additional steps of removing CO2 and H2S from the reducing gas mixture leaving step (2).

Claim 8

introducing a portion of said improved reducing gas mixture into a gas-cooling and scrubbing zone for removal of entrained particulate carbon located downstream from said mixing zone; and

Claim 9

introducing a portion of said improved reducing gas mixture into a gas-cooling and scrubbing zone for removal of entrained particulate carbon located downstream from said mixing zone; and

Claim 10

withdrawing cooled and cleaned reducing gas mixture from said gas-cooling and scrubbing zone in (2), compressing same to above the pressure of said effluent reducing gas from said reducing gas generator, and introducing said compressed reducing gas mixture into the mixing zone in (1) as said upgraded reducing gas mixture, wherein the ratio of moles of upgraded reducing gas stream per mole of effluent reducing gas streeam from said free-flow reaction zone is in the range of about 0.2 to 0.6.

Claim 11

withdrawing cooled and cleaned reducing gas mixture from said gas-cooling and scrubbing zone in (2), compressing same to above the pressure of said effluent reducing gas from said reducing gas generator, and introducing said compressed reducing gas mixture into the mixing zone in (1) as said upgraded reducing gas mixture, wherein the ratio of moles of upgraded reducing gas stream per mole of effluent reducing gas streeam from said free-flow reaction zone is in the range of about 0.2 to 0.6.

Claim 12

The process of claim 1 provided with the additional steps of cleaning a portion of the off-gas from a separate ore-reduction zone by removing entrained soot and dust particles in a gas scrubbing zone; cooling in a gas cooling zone; and purifying said portion of off gas in a gas purification zone by removing gaseous impurities selected from the group consisting of CO2, H2O, H2S, NH3, COS, and mixtures thereof; and mixing said cleaned, cooled and purified portion of off-gas at a temperature in the range of about ambient to 400*F. with a portion of the reducing gas from said gas cooling and scrubbing zone in step (2) to produce the upgraded reducing gas mixture which is compressed and introduced into step (1), whereby said improved reducing gas mixture leaves step (1) with a temperature in the range of about 2,300* to 1, 500*F.

Claim 13

WITHDRAWING COOLED AND CLEANED REDUCING GAS MIXTURE FROM SAID GAS-COOLING AND SCRUBBING ZONE IN (2), COMPRESSING SAME TO ABOVE THE PRESSURE OF SAID EFFLUENT REDUCING GAS FROM SAID REDUCING GAS GENERATOR, AND INTRODUCING SAID COMPRESSED REDUCING GAS MIXTURE INTO THE MIXING ZONE IN (1) AS SAID UPGRADED REDUCING GAS MIXTURE, WHEREIN THE RATIO OF MOLES OF UPGRADED REDUCING GAS STREAM PER MOLE OF EFFLUENT REDUCING GAS STREAM FROM SAID FREE-FLOW REACTION ZONE IS IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0.2 TO 0.6.

Claim 14

WITHDRAWING COOLED AND CLEANED REDUCING GAS MIXTURE FROM SAID GAS-COOLING AND SCRUBBING ZONE IN (2), COMPRESSING SAME TO ABOVE THE PRESSURE OF SAID EFFLUENT REDUCING GAS FROM SAID REDUCING GAS GENERATOR, AND INTRODUCING SAID COMPRESSED REDUCING GAS MIXTURE INTO THE MIXING ZONE IN (1) AS SAID UPGRADED REDUCING GAS MIXTURE, WHEREIN THE RATIO OF MOLES OF UPGRADED REDUCING GAS STREAM PER MOLE OF EFFLUENT REDUCING GAS STREAM FROM SAID FREE-FLOW REACTION ZONE IS IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0.2 TO 0.6.

Claim 15

The process of claim 3, wherein said ore-reduction zone is an iron-ore blast furnace for reducing iron oxides to iron.

Claim 16

The process of claim 3 provided with the additional step of removing CO2 and H2S from the reducing gas mixture leaving the gas scrubbing zone and the gas cooling zone located downstream from said mixing zone.