| abstract |
Production of synthesis gas from a slurry of particulate solid carboniferous fuels, e.g., petroleum coke, coke from bituminous coal, coal, oil shale, tar sands, pitch, or mixtures of these materials in water or in a hydrocarbon liquid fuel. The amount of particulate solid carboniferous fuel in a pumpable slurry may be increased to 75 wt. percent and the particle size of the solid fuel may be increased to pass through a 12 mesh screen by the addition of 2 to 10 wt. percent of soot as produced, for example, by the partial oxidation of crude oil. The slurry at a relatively low velocity in the range of 5 to 50 feet per second is mixed with a stream of oxidizing gas at a relatively high velocity in the range of 200 feet per second to sonic velocity at the burner tip to form an atomized dispersion of water, hydrocarbon liquid fuel, oxidizing gas, and solid carboniferous fuel. Under synthesis gas-generating conditions, the atomized dispersion is reacted to produce a gaseous mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. By this process, pumpable slurry feeds of low-cost solid carboniferous fuels may be gasified in a synthesis gas generator without being preheated. |