Method of manufacturing combustible gaseous products

A method of manufacturing combustible gaseous products from carbonaceous materials comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a primary reaction chamber and maintaining a first electric arc zone at the bottom of the primary chamber, and providing a secondary reaction chamber containing an incandescent coke bed, each chamber being of a vertical configuration;
• b) charging carbonaceous material into the top of the primary chamber and maintaining a substantially constant volume level of material above the first electric arc zone therein;
• c) continuously moving the carbonaceous material downwardly through the primary chamber and into contact with the electric arc zone to electrothermally and photochemically activate the gasification of the material and produce a raw product gas therefrom;
• d) passing the raw product gas upwardly through the downwardly moving carbonaceous material in countercurrent heat exchange therewith to initiate pyrolysis of the incoming material and produce a condensable product and a noncondensable product;
• e) removing the raw product gas and noncondensable product from the top of the primary chamber and introducing same into the secondary chamber;
• f) refluxing the condensable product with the downwardly moving carbonaceous material toward the bottom of the primary chamber, and
• g) passing the raw product gas and noncondensable product through the incandescent coke bed in the second chamber to produce a refined product gas comprised mainly of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.