PATENTS

      139.     ------.  [BARR, F. T.]  (Standard Oil Development Co.).  Process for Producing Gas Mixtures.  United States Patent 2,556,835, June 12, 1951; appl. filed Dec. 29, 1945, Serial No. 638,423; 4 claims (Cl. 48-196).

Process for the production of H₂ and CO mixtures from hydrocarbons by reforming them with agents such as steam and CO₂, wherein the reforming process is carried out under pressure, and consists of first heating the regenerator zone to the proper pressure-reforming temperature by burning fuel with compressed air.  When the temperature is reached the combustion products are withdrawn and the hydrocarbons are entered into the heated zone together with the reforming agent at substantially the same pressure under which the combustion occurred.  When the reforming reaction has proceeded long enough to cause the zone to fall below the reforming temperature, the flow of reactants is stopped, and the combustion procedure is resumed again.  In this manner, a cycle combustion and reforming process, under a more or less uniform pressure, is carried on.  8 United States patents and 1 foreign patent cited.