PATENTS

2544. ------. [ODELL, W. W.] (Columbia Engineering & Management Corp.). Combustible Gas. United States Patent 1,930,443, Oct. 10, 1933; appl. filed May 22, 1930. Chem. Abs., vol. 28, 1934, p. 293.

Relates to the manufacture of gas by air-blasting an ignited fuel bed to bring it to incandescence, separately introducing a hydrocarbon material into a stream of superheated steam, and thoroughly mixing and heating the steam and hydrocarbon material to > 540°, introducing the heated gaseous product into the incandescent fuel bed from above, and removing the resulting gas from beneath. The gas generated contains 2.0-3.5 times as much H2 as CO and is substantially free from suspended C resulting from pyrolysis of the hydrocarbon material. Describes apparatus.