3742.     ---------------,  [WRIGHT, C. C.]  Hydrogen or Synthesis Gas by the Oxygen Gasification of Solid Fuels.  Mineral Industries, vol. 17, No. 3, December 1947, pp. 1, 3.

        Basic processes for the conversion of coal to synthesis gas are:  Gasification of lump or sized fuel in a fixed bed with steam and O₂ or air; gasification of fine coal in a fluidized bed using steam and O₂; and gasification of finely pulverized coal carried in a gas stream with steam alone or with steam and O₂.  Economic consideration will be the deciding factor.  The fixed-bed process developed by the Consolidated Mining & Smelting Co. of Canada has been investigated for the production of raw synthesis gas and of H₂ from both coke and anthracite.  The process has probable interest for use in the United States.  O₂, produced by the Claude process, is saturated with H₂O and then passes with steam through the fuel bed.  The raw synthesis gas produced is scrubbed and passed through a converter where it reacts with steam in the presence of a catalyst to form H₂ and CO; the CO₂ being removed by scrubbing with H₂O at 225 lb. pressure.  In terms of generator volume, the gasification rates for coke exceed those of the conventional water gas process and compare favorably with most of the fluidized- and pulverized-coal processes.  With small sizes of anthracite, gasification rates were only about 50% of those for large sizes.  The efficiency of the fixed bed O₂ producer compares favorably with that of any other process yet developed as regards C, O₂, and steam consumption.  The over-all economics depend largely upon the cost of O₂ and fuel suitable for the process.

        ----------.  See abs. 1163.