GB673164A - Improvements in the production of gases containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen from finely divided solid fuels - Google Patents

Abstract

673,164. Gasifying powdered fuel. KOPPERS CO., Inc. Dec. 7, 1949 [Dec. 7,1948], No. 31419/49. Classes 55 (i) and 55 (ii). Combustible gas is produced by forming a suspension in oxygen or oxygen enriched air under pressure, of a finely divided fuel such as coal or lignite, injecting the suspension as a jet into an internally heated chamber where the fuel partly burns, introducing steam or carbon dioxide under the same pressure around the jet, so that it reacts with the gases and unburnt fuel therefrom to form a combustible gas. The process is similar to that described in' Specification 673,161 except that the earlier process is conducted at atmospheric pressure. In the apparatus shown, powdered fuel from hoppers 2 and 3 and oxygen under pressure from pipe 8 are mixed in mixer 7 and injected through a pipe 10 to form a jet in a conical gasification chamber 13 which is internally heated so. that the fuel ignites and is partly burnt in the jet. An annular orifice 14 surrounds the pipe 10 and admits steam, at the same pressure as the oxygen and preheated to 450-500‹ C. by combustion gases from burners 23, as an envelope around the jet, thus protecting the walls of the chamber from the high temperature thereof. The gases and unburnt fuel from the fuel-oxygen jet react with the steam lower in the chamber to form a gas of composition CO 2 11.8 per cent; CO 43.1 per cent; H 2 43.1 per cent; N 2 &c. 2.0 per cent. To prevent methane formation, the gas is cooled to 500‹ C. by cold gas entering at 28 and then passed in series through water jacketed chambers 22 and 18 where the solid residues are deposited and finally through a fire-tube boiler 19 to outlet 21 which is controlled by a valve so as to maintain a steady pressure of between 5 and 20 atmospheres in chamber 13.