Method of pre-heating particles of a hydrocarbon-bearing substrate and an apparatus therefor

Claim 1

A method of preheating particles of a hydrocarbon-bearing substrate by means of hot spent substrate, said particles having a diameter of 0.5 to 5 mm; comprising the steps of: providing a horizontal fluidized flow of hydrocarbon-bearing substrate and a horizontal fluidized flow of hot spent substrate, while maintaining the hot spent substrate in indirect, countercurrent flow with respect to the flow of the hydrocarbon-bearing substrate; providing a series of heat transfer loops defining two or more heat transfer stages located between the flows of the hydrocarbon-bearing substrate and the hot spent substrate, each heat transfer loop containing a circulating heat transfer fluid, and each loop being in heat transfer contact with each of said fluidized flows; choosing said heat transfer fluids such that part of the loops operate in the temperature range of from 65° to 100° C. and part in the temperature range of from 100° to 300° C. maintaining the horizontal flow of the hot spent substrate in substantially fluidized bed condition in two or more stages, said hot spent substrate being cooled in a staged manner; maintaining the horizontal flow of the hydrocarbon-bearing substrate in a substantially fluidized bed condition in two or more stages; and indirectly heating the hydrocarbon-bearing substrate in a staged manner from ambient temperature to about 250° C. by means of heat transferred from the hot spent substrate by the heat transfer loops.

Claim 2

A method of preheating particles of a hydrocarbon-bearing substrate by means of hot spent substrate, said particles having a diameter of 0.5 to 5 mm; comprising the steps of: providing a horizontal fluidized flow of hydrocarbon-bearing substrate and a horizontal fluidized flow of hot spent substrate, while maintaining the hot spent substrate in indirect, countercurrent flow with respect to the flow of the hydrocarbon-bearing substrate; providing a series of heat transfer loops defining two or more heat transfer stages located between the flows of the hydrocarbon-bearing substrate and the hot spent substrate, each heat transfer loop containing a circulating heat transfer fluid, and each loop being in heat transfer contact with each of said fluidized flows; choosing said heat transfer fluids such that part of the loops operate in the temperature range of from 65° to 100° C. and part in the temperature range of from 100° to 300° C. maintaining the horizontal flow of the hot spent substrate in substantially fluidized bed condition in two or more stages, said hot spent substrate being cooled in a staged manner; maintaining the horizontal flow of the hydrocarbon-bearing substrate in a substantially fluidized bed condition in two or more stages; and indirectly heating the hydrocarbon-bearing substrate in a staged manner from ambient temperature to about 250° C. by means of heat transferred from the hot spent substrate by the heat transfer loops.

Claim 9

A method of preheating particles of a hydrocarbon-bearing oil shale in two or more stages by means of hot spent oil shale, said particles having a diameter of 0.5 to 5 mm, comprising the steps of: providing a horizontal fluidized flow of hydrocarbon-bearing oil shale and a horizontal fluidized flow of hot spent shale, while maintaining the horizontal flow of the hot spent shale in substantially fluidized bed condition in two or more stages and in indirect, counter-current flow with respect to the flow of the hydrocarbon-bearing oil shale, said hot spent shale having an initial temperature of 700° C. and being cooled down in a staged manner to a temperature of about 80° C.; providing a series of heat transfer loops defining two or more heat transfer stages located between the flows of the hydrocarbon-bearing oil shale and the hot spent oil shale, each heat transfer loop containing a circulating heat transfer fluid, and each loop being in heat transfer contact with each of said fluidized flows, said heat transfer fluid vaporizing and condensing while circulating between said flows; maintaining the horizontal flow of the hydrocarbon-bearing oil shale in substantially fluidized bed condition in two or more stages; and indirectly heating the hydrocarbon-bearing oil shale in a staged manner from ambient temperature to about 250° C. by means of heat transferred from the hot spent oil shale by the heat transfer loops.

Claim 10

A method of preheating particles of a hydrocarbon-bearing oil shale in two or more stages by means of hot spent oil shale, said particles having a diameter of 0.5 to 5 mm, comprising the steps of: providing a horizontal fluidized flow of hydrocarbon-bearing oil shale and a horizontal fluidized flow of hot spent shale, while maintaining the horizontal flow of the hot spent shale in substantially fluidized bed condition in two or more stages and in indirect, counter-current flow with respect to the flow of the hydrocarbon-bearing oil shale, said hot spent shale having an initial temperature of 700° C. and being cooled down in a staged manner to a temperature of about 80° C.; providing a series of heat transfer loops defining two or more heat transfer stages located between the flows of the hydrocarbon-bearing oil shale and the hot spent oil shale, each heat transfer loop containing a circulating heat transfer fluid, and each loop being in heat transfer contact with each of said fluidized flows, said heat transfer fluid vaporizing and condensing while circulating between said flows; maintaining the horizontal flow of the hydrocarbon-bearing oil shale in substantially fluidized bed condition in two or more stages; and indirectly heating the hydrocarbon-bearing oil shale in a staged manner from ambient temperature to about 250° C. by means of heat transferred from the hot spent oil shale by the heat transfer loops.