Conduction heating of hydrocarbonaceous formations
A waveguide structure is emplanted in the earth to bound a particular volume of an earth formation with a waveguide structure formed of respective rows of discrete elongated electrodes wherein the spacing between rows is greater than the distance between electrodes in a respective row and in the case of vertical electrodes substantially less than the thickness of the hydrocarbonaceous earth formation. Electrical power at no more than a relatively low frequency is applied between respective rows of the electrodes to deliver power to the formation while producing relatively uniform heating thereof and limiting the relative loss of heat to adjacent barren regions to less than a tolerable amount. At the same time the temperature of the electrodes is controlled near the vaporization point of water thereat to maintain an electrically conductive path between the electrodes and the formation.
- Assignee:
- IIT Research Institute
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4545435
- OSTI ID:
- 5958979
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 29 Apr 1983; Other Information: PAT-APPL-489849
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BITUMENS
THERMAL RECOVERY
OIL SANDS
ELECTRIC HEATING
IN-SITU PROCESSING
ELECTRODES
FIELD PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT
HEAT LOSSES
THERMAL EFFICIENCY
THERMOELECTRIC HEATERS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY LOSSES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HEATERS
HEATING
LOSSES
MATERIALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
TAR
040401* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- In Situ Methods
True & Modified