PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF A METHANE-RICH GAS

摘要

An improved process for the production of a methane-rich town gas is described wherein the hot gaseous product of the partial combustion of a carbonaceous fuel is passed into a carbureting zone at a temperature of from about 650 DEG to about 1100 DEG C and therein enriched with a volatile hydrocarbon carburant which on evaporation into the gaseous product of partial combustion is thermally cracked to form lower molecular weight hydrocarbons including methane gas. In this process the methane content of the carbureted gas is substantially increased and the formation of soot and coke during cracking of the hydrocarbon fraction in the carburetor is suppressed by mixing the hot gaseous product of partial combustion with a cool hydrogen-containing gas to cool the hot gas product to a temperature in the range described, prior to carburetion with the volatile hydrocarbon carburant.