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Effect of reduced pressure on oil shale retorting

Journal Article · · Diss. Abstr. Int. B; (United States)
OSTI ID:6317562

The effect of reduced pressures ranging from 0.05 to 0.86 atm on the rate of oil generation, oil yield, and the chemical and physical properties of produced oil were determined as functions of heating rate, the flow rate and type of sweep gas, and the grade of oil shale. First-order kinetics adequately approximated the overall retorting rate regardless of the type and pressure of the sweep gas. The activation energy remained relatively constant with pressure for each sweep gas, while the pre-exponential factor increased as pressure decreased. The rate expressions for retorting with nitrogen and CO/sub 2/ were substantially the same, while retorting with water vapor produced a higher rate constant. A mathematic analysis was conducted to predict the oil yield, the amounts of coke and gas, and the rate of oil generation under reduced pressure.

OSTI ID:
6317562
Journal Information:
Diss. Abstr. Int. B; (United States), Journal Name: Diss. Abstr. Int. B; (United States) Vol. 44:7; ISSN DABBB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English