Method of producing synthesis gas

Claim 1

A method of producing synthesis gas from flowable liquid containing coal hydrogenation residues, which comprises: passing said liquid containing hydrogenation residue by means of a positive displacement pump system into a screw extruder consisting of an evaporation zone followed by a mechanical compression stage, said passing of the residue into the extruder occurring through a liquid space in the bottom of said extruder; subjecting said liquid containing hydrogenation residue to distillation under conditions in which the pressure decreases from 0.6 bar to 0.01 bar or decreases from 0.1 bar to about 0.02 bar and the temperature increases from 200° C. to 400° C. or increases from 250° C. to 350° C. through the length of the evaporation zone of said extruder, thereby producing gases and vapors and viscous unvolatilized remaining material; withdrawing said gases and vapors evolved; repressurizing said unvolatilized remaining material; and introducing said material directly into a gasification reactor as said material is obtained from said mechanical compression stage of said extruder.

Claim 2

A method of producing synthesis gas from flowable liquid containing coal hydrogenation residues, which comprises: passing said liquid containing hydrogenation residue by means of a positive displacement pump system into a screw extruder consisting of an evaporation zone followed by a mechanical compression stage, said passing of the residue into the extruder occurring through a liquid space in the bottom of said extruder; subjecting said liquid containing hydrogenation residue to distillation under conditions in which the pressure decreases from 0.6 bar to 0.01 bar or decreases from 0.1 bar to about 0.02 bar and the temperature increases from 200° C. to 400° C. or increases from 250° C. to 350° C. through the length of the evaporation zone of said extruder, thereby producing gases and vapors and viscous unvolatilized remaining material; withdrawing said gases and vapors evolved; repressurizing said unvolatilized remaining material; and introducing said material directly into a gasification reactor as said material is obtained from said mechanical compression stage of said extruder.