Coal gasification plant

Claim 1

A slagging gasifier of the kind in which coal or other carbonaceous fuel is introduced into the top of a column-like gasifying vessel and is gasified under high pressure and temperature by means of oxygen and steam introduced near the fuel bed through tuyeres, a residual ash collecting as a molten slag and iron in the hearth of the gasifier vessel from which it is periodically discharged downwardly through a slag tap orifice in the hearth into water contained in a quenching chamber, the molten slag and iron being maintained molten in the hearth by directing hot combustion products from a main burner up the slag tap orifice, said main burner comprising an annular ring positioned beneath and surrounding said slag tap orifice, the improvement wherein there is provided a main burner ignition system located at a position in said quench chamber remote from said main burner and comprising a neat gas nozzle burner, a gas supply tube passing through a wall of said quench chamber and connected to said nozzle burner, and an ignitor positioned adjacent the nozzle of said neat gas nozzle burner, said gas nozzle burner being located below said main burner and out of the way of slag which passes through said slag tap orifice, the arrangement being such that in use, neat gas is fed to the nozzle burner such that, upon ignition, a long flame issues from the nozzle burner which is directed towards the main burner for igniting or re-igniting thereof.