Isothermal fluidised-bed pyrolysis of Australian oil shales in superheated steam
Samples of three Australian oil shales (Condor, Nagoorin, Rundle) were pyrolysed in steam at 450, 500 and 550/sup 0/C in a bench-scale fluidised-bed reactor at atmospheric pressure; the yields and compositions of the oils and gases produced were compared with corresponding results from Fischer assays. The maximum yield of oil occurred at 500/sup 0/C for all three shales. The yields (expressed as percentages of the Fischer assay yield at 500/sup 0/C max.) were: Rundle 110%; Condor 128%; Nagoorin 134%. The yields of oil from the Rundle and Condor shales were almost identical with those obtained by fluidised-bed pyrolysis in steam at a heating rate of 12/sup 0/C min/sup -1/. This suggests that flash heating has no effect on the oil yields from these shales and that the yield enhancement is due entirely to the effect of the sweep gas. Reduced coking was identified as the primary reason for the increased oil yields but reduced cracking also appeared to be significant for the Nagoorin oil shale. At 550/sup 0/C, the three shales yielded less oil than at 500/sup 0/C but the yield of pyrolysis gas increased considerably, suggesting that at this temperature oil cracking was significant.
- Research Organization:
- CSIRO Division of Energy Chemistry, Lucas Heights Research Laboratories, Sutherland
- OSTI ID:
- 6079933
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8404121-
- Journal Information:
- Oil Shale Symp. Proc.; (United States), Conference: 17. oil shale symposium, Golden, CO, USA, 16 Apr 1984
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
OIL SHALES
PYROLYSIS
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
AUSTRALIA
CHEMICAL REACTORS
FISCHER ASSAY
FLUIDIZED BED
HIGH TEMPERATURE
ISOTHERMAL PROCESSES
OIL YIELDS
STEAM
AUSTRALASIA
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MATERIALS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
YIELDS
040402* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Surface Methods