Apparatus for the production of cleaned and cooled synthesis gas

An apparatus for continuously producing a high pressure stream of cleaned and cooled synthesis gas, reducing gas, or fuel gas comprising:

• a vertical cylindrical refractory lined pressure vessel containing a reaction zone comprising an unobstructed free-flow vertical cylindrical central passage, a top central inlet and a bottom central outlet;
• burner means mounted in said top inlet for introducing into said reaction zone reactant streams comprising solid carbonaceous fuel and free oxygen containing gas, with or without a temperature moderator, said solid carbonaceous fuel undergoing a partial oxidation reaction in the reaction zone;
• a thermally insulated first gas diversion and residue separation chamber with an upper central inlet means connected to the bottom outlet means of said reaction zone by way of a connecting passage, whereby the downflowing hot raw gas stream generated in said reaction zone and containing entrained residue from the partial oxidation reaction passes down through said connecting passage and expands into said first gas diversion and residue separation chamber whose net internal volume is smaller than that of said reaction zone and where the velocity of the hot gas stream is reduced and a portion of said entrained residue is separated;
• a bottom central outlet means in said first gas diversion and residue separation chamber for discharging said separated portion of residue into a first slag chamber located below;
• a side outlet in said first gas diversion and residue separation chamber from which exits about 80 to 100 vol. % of the hot raw gas stream less said separated portion of residue;
• a thermally insulated transfer line with an upstream end connected to the side outlet of said first gas diversion and residue separation chamber, and with the downstream end discharging said hot ga stream from the first gas diversion and residue separation chamber into the inlet means of at least one thermally insulated gas-solids impingement separation means, said gas-solids impingement separation means having inlet and upper outlet means for the hot gas stream and bottom outlet means for the residue separated therein and being located in a second separate vertical pressure vessel wherein changes in the direction and velocity of the hot gas stream take place and additional entrained residue is separated from the hot gas stream, a second slag chamber located in the bottom of said second vessel below the bottom outlet means of said gas-solids impingement separation means for receiving said separated residue;
• means defining a cylindrical vertical radiant cooling zone with a longitudinal free-flow unobstructed central passage, the lower portion of said radiant cooling zone being in communication with the upper outlet means of said gas-solids impingement separation means whereby hot gas from said gas-solids impingement separation means is passed upward into the bottom of said radiant cooling zone where at least a portion of the residue entrained therein is separated by gravity, said radiant cooling means being located along the inside walls of said second pressure vessel for cooling by indirect heat exchange the hot gas stream from said gas-solids impingement separation means passing upward through the radiant cooling zone, an upper outlet means in said second vessel for discharging cleaned and cooled synthesis gas, reducing gas, or fuel gas from said radiant cooling zone, and a lower outlet for discharging separated residue from said second slag chamber.