Process for retorting oil shale

Abstract

Abstract A NOVEL AND THERMALLY EFFICIENT PROCESS FOR RETORTING OIL SHALE IS PROVIDED WHICH UTILIZES THE HEAT IN THE SPENT SHALE AND IN THE SHALE OIL VAPORS TO HEAT THE RAW SHALE WITHOUT CONDENSING SHALE OIL VAPORS ON THE RAW SHALE AND WITHOUT CONTAMINATING THE SHALE OIL VAPORS WITH OTHER GASEOUS MATERIAL SUCH AS FLUE GAS. THE NOVEL PROCESS OF THIS INVENTION COMPRISES DISTILLING SHALE OIL VAPORS IN A RETORTING ZONE FROM RAW SHALE HEATED TO A RETORTING TEMPERATURE, SEPARATING HOT SPENT SHALE FROM THE RETORTING ZONE, PASSING A CIRCULATING STREAM OF A NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON SUCH AS NATURAL GAS, PROPANE, BUTANE, OR MIXTURES THEREOF IN CONTACT WITH HOT SPENT SHALE SEPARATED FROM THE RETORTING ZONE AND IN INDIRECT EXCHANGE WITH THE SHALE OIL VAPORS, THEREBY HEATING THE NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON TO A HIGH TEMPERATURE, PASSING THE CIRCULATING STREAM OF SAID NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON THUS HEATED TO A HIGH TEMPERATURE INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH RAW SHALE, THEREBY PREHEATING IT, HEATING A PARTICULATE SOLID HEAT RANSFER MEDIUM, PARTICULARLY THE HOT SPENT SHALE, TO A TEMPERATURE IN EXCESS OF THE RETORTING TEMPERATURE, PASSING PREHEATED RAW SHALE AND THE THUS HEATED PARTICULATE SOLID HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM INTO DIRECT CONTACT IN THE RETORTING ZONE THEREBY HEATING THE PREHEATED RAW SHALE TO A RETORTING TEMPERATURE.

Inventors

• 👤 Clyde E Gessner

Bibliographic Details