In a preferred form, this disclosure relates to a plastic thrust bearing for engaging and setting the axial end position of an armature shaft of a dynamo-electric machine. The thrust bearing comprises a generally cylindrical plug which is adapted to be inserted within a threaded opening in a housing containing the armature shaft until its forward end thereof abuttingly engages the end of the armature shaft and an insert or wedge integrally connected to the plug via fracturable webs. The plug is bifurcated to provide a pair of spaced legs and the wedge is adapted to be driven between the legs to radially expand the same and cause the teeth of the threaded opening to bite into the legs to securely retain the thrust bearing in place.
An end play restriction wedge restricts the end play of a rotatable shaft with respect to a housing. The end play restriction wedge includes a female-wedge housing and a male wedge. The female-wedge housing has a U-shaped cross-section defined by an intermediate wall and outwardly extending side walls connected adjacent each end of the intermediate wall. The intermediate wall has a thrust plate surface along one side and an angled ramp along an opposite side. The angled ramp and outwardly extending side walls define a tapered aperture extending through the housing with an enlarged opening adjacent a first end of the housing. The male wedge is positioned adjacent the enlarged opening of the housing to be driven into the tapered aperture in response to an external force acting on an outer end of the wedge. The wedge has an angled camming surface engageable with the angled ramp after entering the aperture of the housing for driving the thrust plate surface toward the free end of the rotatable shaft to be engaged.
Raw synthesis gas produced by the gasification of coal, heavy oil or similar carbonaceous material is contacted with a reforming catalyst at a temperature in the range between about 1000.degree. and about 1800.degree. F. and at a pressure between about 100 and about 2000 psig prior to adjustment of the carbon monoxide-to-hydrogen ratio and treatment of the gas to increase its B.t.u. content. This catalytic reforming step eliminates C.sub.2 + compounds in the gas which tend to form tarry downstream waste products requiring further treatment, obviates polymerization problems which may otherwise interfere with upgrading of the gas by means of the water gas shift and methanation reactions, and improves overall process thermal efficiency by making possible efficient low level heat recovery.
