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

Shale oil upgrading using radio-frequency energy

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5746598
Western Research Institute has constructed and operated a radio-frequency (rf) reactor system to investigate shale oil upgrading opportunities. The reactor system has been used to develop techniques using rf energy as a nonchemical catalyst to enhance reaction rate or to change the product distribution. This report documents experimental results of eastern and western shale oil desulfurization tests using 2450 MHz rf energy. A series of batch and continuous reactor tests have been conducted using eastern and western shale oil in a tubular reactor located inside the wave guide. Results show that 2,450 MHz of rf energy selectively decomposes sulfur and oxygen components in the eastern and western shale oil when they are processed at 450--500{degree}F (230--260{degree}C). The rate of sulfur removal from shale oil is mainly dependent on the rf power input per unit weight of shale oil introduced. The maximum sulfur removal (32--38%) was obtained when power input was in the range of 0.8 to 1.1 watts per grams of shale oil per hour. Oil residence times between 3 and 12 minutes had no significant effect on sulfur removal rate. The highest sulfur removal (42%) was obtained when the shale oil was treated with 300 watts of rf energy at 450--500{degree}F (230-260{degree}C) for two hours in the batch reactor. 3 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs.
Research Organization:
Western Research Inst., Laramie, WY (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/FE
DOE Contract Number:
FC21-86MC11076
OSTI ID:
5746598
Report Number(s):
DOE/MC/11076-2674; ON: DE89000956
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English