Method and apparatus for the production of shale oil from oil shale

Claim 1

A SYSTEM FOR RECOVERY OF SHALE OIL FROM OIL SHALE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN UPRIGHT HEAT EXCHANGER, AN UPRIGHT RETORTING VESSEL AND A CRACKING REACTOR, SAID UPRIGHT HEAT EXCHANGER PROVIDED THEREIN WITH ELEVATING MEANS FOR ELEVATING PARTICULATE SOLID MATERIAL AND PROVIDED THEREIN WITH INTERMEDIATE COLLECTING MEANS FOR LIQUEFIED PRODUCT AND FURTHER PROVIDED WITH LIQUID AND GASEOUS COLLECTING MEANS IN THE BOTTOM THEREOF, CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID HEAT EXCHANGER AND SAID RETORT VESSEL AND ADAPTED FOR TRANSFERRING PARTICULATE SOLID MATERIAL FROM SAID HEAT EXCHANGER TO SAID RETORT VESSEL, SAID RETORT VESSEL PROVIDED WITH AN OUTLET OPENING NEAR THE UPPER END THEREOF AND FURTHER PROVIDED WITH TWO SEPARATE FEED INLETS NEAR THE BOTTOM THEREOF ONE AT A HIGHER POSITION THAN THE OTHER AND A DISCHARGE OPENING AT THE BOTTOM FOR REMOVAL OF PARTICULATE SOLID MATERIAL THEREFROM, A FIRST CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID OUTLET OPENING NEAR THE UPPER END OF SAID RETORT VESSEL WITH AN INLET OPENING AT ONE END OF SAID CRACKING REACTOR, A SECOND CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID HEAT EXCHANGER WITH AN INTERMEDIATE POINT OF SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING OXYGEN INTO SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS BETWEEN SAID INTERMEDIATE POINT AND SAID CRACKING REACTOR, SAID CRACKING REACTOR PROVIDED WITH AN OUTLET OPENING AT THE OTHER END THEREOF AND CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID OUTLET OPENING OF SAID CRACKING REACTOR WITH THE UPPER SECTION OF SAID HEAT EXCHANGER.

Claim 2

A SYSTEM FOR RECOVERY OF SHALE OIL FROM OIL SHALE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN UPRIGHT HEAT EXCHANGER, AN UPRIGHT RETORTING VESSEL AND A CRACKING REACTOR, SAID UPRIGHT HEAT EXCHANGER PROVIDED THEREIN WITH ELEVATING MEANS FOR ELEVATING PARTICULATE SOLID MATERIAL AND PROVIDED THEREIN WITH INTERMEDIATE COLLECTING MEANS FOR LIQUEFIED PRODUCT AND FURTHER PROVIDED WITH LIQUID AND GASEOUS COLLECTING MEANS IN THE BOTTOM THEREOF, CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID HEAT EXCHANGER AND SAID RETORT VESSEL AND ADAPTED FOR TRANSFERRING PARTICULATE SOLID MATERIAL FROM SAID HEAT EXCHANGER TO SAID RETORT VESSEL, SAID RETORT VESSEL PROVIDED WITH AN OUTLET OPENING NEAR THE UPPER END THEREOF AND FURTHER PROVIDED WITH TWO SEPARATE FEED INLETS NEAR THE BOTTOM THEREOF ONE AT A HIGHER POSITION THAN THE OTHER AND A DISCHARGE OPENING AT THE BOTTOM FOR REMOVAL OF PARTICULATE SOLID MATERIAL THEREFROM, A FIRST CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID OUTLET OPENING NEAR THE UPPER END OF SAID RETORT VESSEL WITH AN INLET OPENING AT ONE END OF SAID CRACKING REACTOR, A SECOND CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID HEAT EXCHANGER WITH AN INTERMEDIATE POINT OF SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING OXYGEN INTO SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS BETWEEN SAID INTERMEDIATE POINT AND SAID CRACKING REACTOR, SAID CRACKING REACTOR PROVIDED WITH AN OUTLET OPENING AT THE OTHER END THEREOF AND CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID OUTLET OPENING OF SAID CRACKING REACTOR WITH THE UPPER SECTION OF SAID HEAT EXCHANGER.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF RETORTING OIL SHALE WHICH COMPRISES; INTRODUCING PREHEATED OIL SHALE INTO THE UPPER SECTION OF A RETORT, CAUSING A BED OF SAID OIL SHALE TO MOVE DOWNWARD THROUGH A RETORTING ZONE IN SAID RETORT COUNTERCURRENTLY TO A STREAM OF HOT COMBUSTION GASES AND SUPERHEATED STEAM IN PROPORTIONS AND SENSIBLE HEAT CONTENT AND HAVING A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO RETORT THE OIL SHALE TO SHALE OIL AND SPENT SHALE; PRODUCING SAID COMBUSTION GASES BY MAINTAINING THROUGH THE USE OF OXYGEN AND THE SPENT SHALE FROM WHICH SHALE OIL HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY VAPORIZED A ZONE OF COMBUSTION IN THE LOWER SECTION OF SAID RETORT; PRODUCING SAID SUPERHEATED STEAM BY INTRODUCING WATER DIRECTLY UPON THE HOT SPENT SHALE FROM THE ZONE OF COMBUSTION AT A POINT BELOW THE ZONE OF COMBUSTION AND SIMULTANEOUSLY COOLING SAID HOT SPENT SHALE AND SUPERHEATING SAID STEAM UPON UPWARD PASSAGE OF THE STEAM TO AND THROUGH SAID COMBUSTION ZONE; AND REMOVING THE COOLED SPENT SHALE FROM THE RETORT.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF RETORTING OIL SHALE WHICH COMPRISES; INTRODUCING PREHEATED OIL SHALE INTO THE UPPER SECTION OF A RETORT, CAUSING A BED OF SAID OIL SHALE TO MOVE DOWNWARD THROUGH A RETORTING ZONE IN SAID RETORT COUNTERCURRENTLY TO A STREAM OF HOT COMBUSTION GASES AND SUPERHEATED STEAM IN PROPORTIONS AND SENSIBLE HEAT CONTENT AND HAVING A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO RETORT THE OIL SHALE TO SHALE OIL AND SPENT SHALE; PRODUCING SAID COMBUSTION GASES BY MAINTAINING THROUGH THE USE OF OXYGEN AND THE SPENT SHALE FROM WHICH SHALE OIL HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY VAPORIZED A ZONE OF COMBUSTION IN THE LOWER SECTION OF SAID RETORT; PRODUCING SAID SUPERHEATED STEAM BY INTRODUCING WATER DIRECTLY UPON THE HOT SPENT SHALE FROM THE ZONE OF COMBUSTION AT A POINT BELOW THE ZONE OF COMBUSTION AND SIMULTANEOUSLY COOLING SAID HOT SPENT SHALE AND SUPERHEATING SAID STEAM UPON UPWARD PASSAGE OF THE STEAM TO AND THROUGH SAID COMBUSTION ZONE; AND REMOVING THE COOLED SPENT SHALE FROM THE RETORT.