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Title: Process for retorting oil products contained in shales and sands

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6210665

A plant for retorting oil products contained in shales and sands comprising a continuous retorting in a substantially horizontal retort furnace having any cross-section, into which said shales and sands are introduced by means of hoppers and metering devices and placed on metal conveyors moving in counter-current to gases, means being provided for placing said shales and sands onto said conveyors with a suitable thickness and for stirring the shales and sands, one or more combustion chambers arranged outside said retort furnace, in which hot gases are produced, and one or more input zones along the retort furnace for the admission of hot gases into the retort furnace which hot gases mix with pre-heated circulating gases at the expenses of the sensitive heat of the exhausted shale and sand material, a direct contact condenser at the furnace head, provided for condensing distilled oil products by a cold fluid and a decantation tank arranged beneath said condenser for depurating the process gases from the dust. In the continuous process for retorting oil product contained in shales and sands, carried out in said plant, the shale and sand material is caused to pass through a horizontal heating and distillation step in counter-current to hot gases which convey vapors to a condensation and dust separation step, from which uncondensed gases, substantially containing carbon dioxide, hydrogen, light hydrocarbon fractions, nitrogen and steam are recycled into the distillation step and the condensed oils from said distillation step, as well the fraction of oil that can be extracted from the tunnel retort in liquid phase, are caused to flow out, and decanted and submitted to successive treatments.

Assignee:
Square Spa (Switzerland)
Patent Number(s):
US 4253938
OSTI ID:
6210665
Resource Relation:
Patent Priority Date: Priority date 21 Sep 1979, Italy
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English