Gasifier Throat Cooling

A method of operating a gasifier comprising:

• indirectly transferring heat from a refractory material having a refractory temperature to a coolant having a coolant temperature and a liquid stability limit;
• wherein the method comprises a dryout mode characterized by increasing the refractory temperature from ambient temperature to about 100° C. and a heating mode characterized by increasing the refractory temperature from about 100° C. to the liquid stability limit of the coolant;
• wherein during the dryout mode the coolant temperature is maintained between a dryout mode lower temperature limit and a dryout mode upper temperature limit;
• wherein during the heating mode the coolant temperature is maintained between a heating mode lower temperature limit and a heating mode upper temperature limit.

A gasifier for converting a carbonaceous feedstock to produce syngas comprising a reactor section configured to react the carbonaceous feedstock with an oxidant to produce syngas, a quench section configured to contact the syngas with a quench bath, and a throat section configured to convey the syngas from the reactor section to the quench section:

• wherein the throat section comprises a throat refractory material and a cooling element in thermal contact with the throat refractory material;
• wherein the quench section comprises a dip tube having an inlet in fluid flow communication with the throat section and an outlet in fluid flow communication with the quench bath;
• wherein the quench section further comprises a low liquid level located above the outlet of the dip tube;
• wherein the quench bath has a level at or above the low liquid level;
• wherein the quench section further comprises a quench heat exchanger in thermal contact with the quench bath;
• wherein the cooling element comprises an inlet in fluid flow communication with the outlet of the quench heat exchanger;
• and
• wherein at least a portion of the quench heat exchanger is located above the outlet of the dip tube and below the low liquid level.