摘要 |
The invention relates to the conversion of fuel (solid and/or liquid) to reducing and/or synthesis gas by contacting the fuel in a fluidized conversion bed (13) with a solid oxygen donor (e.g. CaSO4) at a fuel conversion temperature (e.g. 850 to 1150 DEG C) in the presence of at least one gas/vapour phase substance such as H2 and/or H2O and/or CO and/or CO2 which serves to promote and or mediate the transfer of oxygen from the donor to the fuel and preferably in the absence of non-reactive gases (e.g. N2) whereby the fuel is converted to a reducing and-or synthesis gas product by (inter alia) partial oxidation employing the oxygen of the solid oxygen donor, the latter being reduced (e.g. CaS). The reduced donor is exothermically oxidized in a fluidized oxidation bed (35) by contact with an oxygen-containing gas (e.g. air) and re-used for converting further quantities of fuel. Moieties (e.g. sulfur/sulfur compounds) whose presence is undesirable in the gas product may be removed by a solid moiety-fixing agent (e.g. CaO) in the conversion bed (13). The moiety-fixing properties of the latter are at least partly regenerated in a fluidized regenerator bed (48) by treatment in a suitable regenerating atmosphere, and the regenerated moiety-fixing agent is returned to the conversion bed (13) directly and/or indirectly via the oxidation bed (35). |