Patent ID: 8252073

Claim:
A process for the gasification of a carbonaceous material, comprising the steps of: a. introducing a dry feedstock into a reactor lower section and partially combusting therein with a gas stream comprising an oxygen-containing gas or steam to evolve heat and form products comprising hot synthesis gas and molten slag; b. passing said synthesis gas from step a) upward into a reactor upper section and injecting at least one cooling agent into said reactor upper section, wherein said hot synthesis gas from step a) transfers heat to said at least one cooling agent, thereby producing a cooled synthesis gas; c. introducing a slurry of particulate carbonaceous material in a liquid carrier into said reactor upper section downstream from the point of injecting the cooling agent of step b), and drying the slurry with said cooled synthesis gas from step b) in said reactor upper section to form mixture products comprising a dry solid stream and a gaseous stream, wherein said drying occurs at a temperature that prevents the formation of tar and is below the temperature at which tar is formed, thereby producing a tar-free gaseous stream, wherein the temperatire of said reactor upper section after step b) and prior to step c) is maintained between 600° F and 2000° F and at a pressure in a range of 14.7 psig to 2000 psig; d. passing said mixture products through a separating device, wherein said dry solid stream is separated from said tar-free gaseous stream; and e. recycling said dry solid stream back to said reactor lower section, wherein said dry solid stream comprises ash, char, and dried carbonaceous solid particles formed in the unfired reactor upper section, and wherein said dry solid stream is used as dry feedstock for said reactor lower section.