Combustion retorting of oil shale at low void volumes

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5746618

McLendon, T R

Stacked oil shale bricks, with overall bed voids from 8% to 18%, were combustion retorted in a batch, pilot scale sized reactor. Experimental parameters studied were total void volume, oil shale grade, particle size, and retorting gas flow rate and composition. A hypothetical base case of experimental conditions was chosen to being the region of commercial interest and the experimental parameters were varied one at a time from that base case. Oil yield was the dependent variable. Results indicate retorting of oil shale at very low voids is possible and efficient but pressure drops would be relatively high. Decreasing particle size and interstitial velocity, and adding steam increased oil yields. Oil yields varied from 70% to 83% of Fischer Assay. Cracking and combustion account for most of the oil losses.

• Research Organization: Wyoming Univ., Laramie, WY (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5746618
• 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
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COMBUSTION
CRACKING
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
LOSSES
MATERIALS
OIL SHALES
OIL YIELDS
OXIDATION
PARTICLE SIZE
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PRESSURE DROP
PYROLYSIS
RETORTING
SIZE
STEAM
TESTING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VOID FRACTION
VOLUME
YIELDS