US3858397A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Carrying out heat-promotable chemical reactions in sodium chloride formation cavern
Assignee: Akzo Nobel Salt Inc
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Filing: 1970-03-19
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Granted: 1975-01-07
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Expires: 1990-03-19
Abstract
Abstract Chemical reactions, requiring heat are effected without air pollution contributions at reaction sites in underground cavities which are uniquely located to take advantage of little known and rarely occurring subterranean heat supply and heat conducting characteristics of certain geological structures extending in thermal continuity with heat sources far below reach of modern bore hole drilling techniques. Reactants are fed to the cavity and products are removed therefrom by means of passageways through bore holes extending from the earth''s surface into the cavities. The activities are located at such depths, in highly heat conductive mineral spires or domes or the like which occur in thermal continuity with othewise inaccessible geological formations comprising unlimited sources of earth core heat, as to draw upon such unlimited supplies of heat at such rates and temperatures as will promote the desired chemical reaction.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles H Jacoby
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 06:24
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/28; E21B43/281; B; B01; B01J; B01J12/00; B01J12/005; E21B43/16; E21B43/24; F; F24; F24T; F24T10/00; F24T10/20; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/10; Y10; Y10S; Y10S423/00; Y10S423/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
261 words
A METHOD OF PERFORMING A CHEMICAL REACTION WHICH COMPRISES: DETERMINING THE LOCATION OF AN UNDERGROUND SODIUM CHLORIDE SALT FORMATION HAVING HEAT CONDUCTIVITY CHARACTERISTICS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE SURROUNDING GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES, SAID FORMATION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO THERMAL CONNECTION WITH A DEEP SEATED HEAT SOURCE, SAID HEAT SOURCE BEING AT A DEPTH WHICH IS INACCESSIBLE BY COMMERCIALLY PRACTICABLE BORE HOLE DRILLING TECHNIQUES, SAID FORMATION EXTENDING UPWARDLY TO A LEVEL WHICH IS ACCESSIBLE BY COMMERCIALLY PRACTICABLE BORE HOLE DRILLING TECHNIQUES, DISSOLVING A CAVITY TO FORM A REACTION CAVERN OF SELECTED SIZE WITHIN SAID FORMATION AT A DEPTH OF AT LEAST 10,000 FEET BELOW SEA LEVEL SUFFICIENT TO INSURE A SELECTED TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 100*C IN SAID CAVERN AND TERMINATING THE DISSOLUTION OF SAID CAVITY AT A SELECTED SIZE WHICH PROVIDES A HEAT TRANSFER AREA SUCH THAT HEAT ENERGY WILL FLOW FROM SAID SOURCE TO SAID CAVERN AT A SELECTED RATE SO AS SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINOUSLY TO REPLENISH HEAT ABSTRACTED THEREFROM AT SAID SELECTED RATE AND MAINTAIN SAID SELECTED TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID CAVERN, FEEDING MATERIAL WHICH IS INERT WITH RESPECT TO THE SALT AND IS A REACTANT OF A HEAT-PROMOTABLE CHEMICAL REACTION WHICH WILL OCCUR AT SAID SELECTED TEMPERATURE THROUGH A PASSAGEWAY TO SAID CAVERN AT SUCH RATE AS TO ELEVATE THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF TO THE REACTION TEMPERATURE AND THEREBY INITIATE AND MAINTAIN THE CHEMICAL REACTION WHILE HOLDING THE REACTANT IN SAID CAVERN FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME TO PRODUCE A REACTION PRODUCT, AND REMOVING THE REACTION PRODUCT FROM THE CAVERN AT A RATE INSUFFICIENT TO ABSTRACT HEAT ENERGY THEREFROM AT SAID SELECTED RATE.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
261 words
A METHOD OF PERFORMING A CHEMICAL REACTION WHICH COMPRISES: DETERMINING THE LOCATION OF AN UNDERGROUND SODIUM CHLORIDE SALT FORMATION HAVING HEAT CONDUCTIVITY CHARACTERISTICS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE SURROUNDING GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES, SAID FORMATION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO THERMAL CONNECTION WITH A DEEP SEATED HEAT SOURCE, SAID HEAT SOURCE BEING AT A DEPTH WHICH IS INACCESSIBLE BY COMMERCIALLY PRACTICABLE BORE HOLE DRILLING TECHNIQUES, SAID FORMATION EXTENDING UPWARDLY TO A LEVEL WHICH IS ACCESSIBLE BY COMMERCIALLY PRACTICABLE BORE HOLE DRILLING TECHNIQUES, DISSOLVING A CAVITY TO FORM A REACTION CAVERN OF SELECTED SIZE WITHIN SAID FORMATION AT A DEPTH OF AT LEAST 10,000 FEET BELOW SEA LEVEL SUFFICIENT TO INSURE A SELECTED TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 100*C IN SAID CAVERN AND TERMINATING THE DISSOLUTION OF SAID CAVITY AT A SELECTED SIZE WHICH PROVIDES A HEAT TRANSFER AREA SUCH THAT HEAT ENERGY WILL FLOW FROM SAID SOURCE TO SAID CAVERN AT A SELECTED RATE SO AS SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINOUSLY TO REPLENISH HEAT ABSTRACTED THEREFROM AT SAID SELECTED RATE AND MAINTAIN SAID SELECTED TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID CAVERN, FEEDING MATERIAL WHICH IS INERT WITH RESPECT TO THE SALT AND IS A REACTANT OF A HEAT-PROMOTABLE CHEMICAL REACTION WHICH WILL OCCUR AT SAID SELECTED TEMPERATURE THROUGH A PASSAGEWAY TO SAID CAVERN AT SUCH RATE AS TO ELEVATE THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF TO THE REACTION TEMPERATURE AND THEREBY INITIATE AND MAINTAIN THE CHEMICAL REACTION WHILE HOLDING THE REACTANT IN SAID CAVERN FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME TO PRODUCE A REACTION PRODUCT, AND REMOVING THE REACTION PRODUCT FROM THE CAVERN AT A RATE INSUFFICIENT TO ABSTRACT HEAT ENERGY THEREFROM AT SAID SELECTED RATE.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of reactants is fed to the cavern, at least one of which is fed from aboveground, and a reaction product is partially cooled by passage through the ground from the cavern to aboveground by heat transfer to the intervening rock.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of reactants is fed to the cavern from aboveground through separate passageways, and remain separate until they enter the cavern, where they are mixed together and the temperature thereof is raised to a temperature which is high enough to promote the heat-promotable chemical reaction, and a product of the reaction is sent aboveground by passage through a separate passageway from those through which the reactants are fed from aboveground to the cavern.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of reactants is fed to the cavern through a single passageway, in which they are mixed before reaching the cavern.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the flows of reactant(s) and product(s) are so controlled that the dwell time of the reaction mixture in the cavern is sufficient to promote substantial completion of the chemical reaction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method according to claim 1 including the step of analizing the chemical composition of the product and controlling the flows of reactants and products so as to regulate the reaction temperature and/or dwell of the reactant (s) in the reaction cavern to obtain a satisfactory yield of product (s).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method according to claim 6 wherein the proportions of reactants are maintained substantially constant and the flow thereof and of the reaction product are regulated in response to a monitoring of the composition of a reaction product being discharged from the passageway from the cavern to aboveground.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-01-06 | 1978-07-08 | 1979-01-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-01-06 | 1982-07-08 | 1983-01-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-01-06 | 1986-07-08 | 1987-01-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |