Mathematical modeling of modified in situ and aboveground oil shale retorting
A one-dimensional mathematical model has been developed for simulating the chemicophysical processes involved in the vertical retorting of a rubblized bed of oil shale. Included in the present model are those processes believed to have the most important effects in either the hot-gas retorting mode or the forward combustion mode. The physical processes are axial convective transport of heat and mass, axial thermal dispersion, gas-solid heat transfer, intraparticle shale thermal conductivity, water vaporization and condensation, wall heat loss, and movement of shale countercurrent to the flow of gas. The chemical reactions within the shale particles are release of bound water, pyrolysis of kerogen, coking of oil, pyrolysis of char, decomposition of carbonate minerals, and gasification of residual organic carbon with CO/sub 2/, H/sub 2/O, and O/sub 2/. The chemical reactions in the bulk-gas stream are combustion and cracking of oil vapor, combustion of H/sub 2/, CH/sub 4/, CH/sub x/, and CO, and the water-gas shift. The governing equations for mass and energy balance are solved numerically by a semi-implicit, finite-difference method. The computer program is written in LRLTRAN (an extended version of FORTRAN) for use on a CDC-7600 or CRAY computer. The bulk-gas flow rate as well as the composition and temperature of both the gas stream and the shale particles are calculated as a function of time and location in the retort.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 6512383
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-53119
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
040401* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
040402 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Surface Methods
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200 -- Mathematics & Computers
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMPUTER CODES
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
ITERATIVE METHODS
L CODES
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
OIL SHALES
ONE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
PROCESSING
RETORTING
TIME DEPENDENCE