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

Method and apparatus for retorting oil shale

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6170315

In a vertical gas combustion shale retort, a downward-moving bed of shale granules is contacted with countercurrently rising gasiform material in a first multi-chambered open end spent shale cooling zone (recycle gas preheat zone), a combustion zone, a shale retorting zone, and a shale preheating zone. The improvement of the above combination of steps resides particularly in the design and arrangement of the multichambered shale cooling zone to improve heat transfer and provide for more uniform heat exchange throughout the cross section of the retort between recycle gas and spent shale particles contacted before passing the preheated recycle gas through the combustion section. In addition, the improvement resides in passing all gaseous material recovered from the combustion section of the retort to a zone for removal of solid particle fines before passing hot gases upward through the retorting zone of the retort. (9 claims)

Assignee:
Mobil Oil Corp.
Patent Number(s):
US 3349022
OSTI ID:
6170315
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English