Gasification of solid carbonaceous materials

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR GASIFICATION OF ASH-CONTAINING SOLID CARBONACEOUS FUEL IN A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL TUBULAR HEATING AND GASIFICATION ZONES WHICH COMPRISES SUSPENDING SAID SOLID FUEL IN FINELY DIVIDED PARTICLE FORM IN A STREAM OF OXIDIZING GAS IN A FIRST HEATING ZONE EFFECTING IGNITION AND PARTIAL COMBUSTION OF A PORTION OF THE OXIDIZABLE CONSTITUENTS THEREFROM AND HEATING OF SAID SOLID PARTICLES TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE ABOUT 1200*F., SEPARATING GASEOUS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS FROM RESULTING HEATED PARTICLES OF SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, SUSPENDING HEATED SOLID PARTICLES FROM SAID HEATING ZONE IN STEAM IN A FIRST GASIFICATION ZONE EFFECTING REACTION BETWEEN CARBON AND STEAM TO PRODUCE CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN, SEPARATING GASEOUS PRODUCTS COMPRISING CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN FROM PARTIALLY GASIFIED SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, SUSPENDING PARTIALLY GASIFIED SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL FROM SAID FIRST GASIFICATION ZONE IN A COMBUSTION SUPPORTING GAS IN A SECOND HEATING ZONE EFFECTING IGNITION AND COMBUSTION OF A PORTION OF THE RESIDUAL CARBON THEREFROM AND REHEATING SAID SOLID PARTICLES, SEPARATING GASEOUS PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION FROM RESULTING CARBONACEOUS RESIDUE, CONTACTING SAID HEATED RESIDUE FROM SAID SECOND HEATING ZONE WITH STEAM IN A SECOND GASIFICATION ZONE EFFECTING FURTHER REACTION WITH CARBON CONTAINED IN SAID RESIDUE THEREBY PRODUCING ADDITIONAL CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN, SEPARATING GASEOUS PRODUCTS COMPRISING CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN FROM RESULTING PARTICLES OF CARBONACEOUS RESIDUE CONTAINING SAID ASH AND RESIDUAL CARBON, SUBJECTING SAID RESIDUE FROM SAID SECOND GASIFICATION ZONE TO SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE COMBUSTION, AND PASSING RESULTING GASEOUS PRODUCTS OF SAID COMPLETE COMBUSTION INTO INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH REACTANTS UNDERGOING GASIFICATION IN SAID SECOND GASIFICATION ZONE.