PATENT

3495. ----- [STANDARD OIL CO.]  Gaseous Fuels.  British Patent 640,907; appl. filed Sept. 10, 1946.  Petroleum (London), vol. 13, 1950, p. 328.

Heating value of gaseous product from gasification of solid carbonaceous material is improved by passing the mixture through a fluidized hydrogenation catalyst under suitable conditions of temperature and pressure.  The feed gas is preheated to conversion temperature before entering the converter.  Temperature is maintained uniform, 500°-575° F. by supply and removal of heat at any point of the catalyst zone.  A wide range of catalyst may be used and a pressure up to 2,000 p. s. i.  Cooled catalyst may be returned downward in a vertical column suspended in gas to form a catalyst suspension of relatively low density, which is returned to the conversion zone under the pseudo-hydrostatic pressure of vertical column.  Preheating is effected with heat of reaction or by indirect heat exchange with the hot catalyst or reaction products.  Claims include gasification of solid materials with steam to produce CO-H₂ mixture.  Purified coal gas may be added to the gas mixture in the conversion zone.  Part of the product may be continuously recycled.