Patent ID: 7670586

Claim:
A process for the production of synthesis gas (“syngas”) comprising carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen, said process comprising; exothermically reacting hydrocarbon-containing fuel with an oxidant gas comprising molecular oxygen in a first reactor to produce an exothermically-generated syngas product, the exothermically-generated syngas product includes solid-carbon components; combining a stream of reactive diluent fluid with a stream of said exothermically-generated syngas product to produce a reactive mixture, the reactive diluent fluid is recycled from downstream processing; gasifying at least a portion of the solid-carbon components in the exothermically-generated syngas product using the reactive diluent fluid; reacting said reactive mixture in a catalytic second reactor to produce a reacted syngas product; and endothermically reforming hydrocarbon-containing fuel gas with steam over a catalyst in a heat exchange reformer to produce a heat exchange-reformed syngas product, wherein at least a portion of the heat required in the generation of said heat exchange-reformed syngas product is obtained by recovering heat from said reacted syngas product thereby cooling said reacted syngas.