Cylindrical pressure reactor for producing a combustible gas

Abstract

The gasification of solid fuels or mixtures of solid and liquid fuels takes place in a cylindrically-shaped pressure reactor vessel having feed jets at the top of the vessel for introducing the fuel and the gasification medium into the vessel. A ring-shaped chamber containing a bath of molten iron surrounds a gas discharge pipe within the lower portion of the vessel. A water bath is established below the lower rim of the discharge pipe in the vessel and pipe means passing through the side wall of the vessel at an elevation above the lower rim of the discharge pipe and below the ring-shaped chamber discharge the gases liberated within the vessel. Reactor means are provided for utilizing the residual heat of the gases passing from the vessel. In one embodiment, the reactor means comprise a fluidized bed chamber into which coal and steam are injected to utilize the residual heat of the gases. Cyclones receive the products from the fluidized bed to separate the gases from the solid particles, the latter being introduced into the pressure reactor vessel for gasification. In a second embodiment of the reactor means, liquid fuels and the gasification medium are sprayed into a fluidized bed for utilization of the heat of the gases produced in the pressure reactor to crack the liquid fuels.