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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Process and apparatus for the recovery of oil from shale by indirect heating

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5235679

A system is disclosed for recovering oil from oil-bearing shale rock in which shale is placed on a traveling grate and transported through a preheating zone, a retorting zone where oil is educted from shale, a combustion zone where residual carbon in the shale after the oil is removed, is burned, and a cooling zone. A first gas stream, which may be air, is passed through shale that has traveled on the grate at least to where combustion takes place. This air is thereby heated, and then used to heat a heat-transfer media such as alumina balls from which a second and oxygen-free gas stream extracts the heat. The second gas stream, heated indirectly by the first gas stream but not contaminated with combustion gases from the first gas stream, passes through the shale in the retorting zone to educt oil from the shale and then through the shale in the preheating zone where the educted oil is condensed and becomes suspended as a stable mist in the second gas stream from which the oil may be mechanically separated. 3 claims, 2 figures.

Assignee:
Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co.
Patent Number(s):
US 3644193
OSTI ID:
5235679
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English