Apparatus and system for processing oil shale. [microwave treatment; evacuation]

Patent · Tue Dec 27 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:5230487

Hanson, L

Apparatus is described for treating oil shale by microwave energy for recovering heated volatile fractions thereof. The microwave oven includes a sloping feeder made of glass, pyrex, or ceramic material, which feeder is reciprocated back and forth along a declining plane so as to advance slowly but progressively oil shale deposited on the top end thereof to the discharge end of the vibrator. Means are provided to evacuate volatile fractions and to feed such gases through preheater tubes to a condenser unit. The preheater tubes are disposed in line with and through the flow of incoming materials so as to tend to regulate material descent as well as preheat the shale. An additional solids heat exchanger is employed underneath the discharge end of the vibratory feeder means so as to slow the descent of the spent shale onto its ultimate conveyor as well as taking heat therefrom and from the magnetron tubes of the oven to conduct such heat upwardly to further increase the preheating effect upon incoming shale. Condenser units are employed and a prime mover-generator unit are used to utilize a portion of the recovery for ultimately powering such magnetron tubes to produce the electromagnetic wave energy necessary to heat the shale and vaporize its bituminous constituents.

• Assignee: TIC; EDB-78-042451; ERA-03-023115
• Patent Number(s): US 4065361
• OSTI ID: 5230487
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040402* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Surface Methods
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CONVEYORS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
EVAPORATION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEATING
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
MICROWAVE RADIATION
MINING EQUIPMENT
OIL SHALES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PUMPS
RADIATIONS
RETORTING
VACUUM PUMPS