Horizontal oil shale and tar sands retort
A horizontal retorting apparatus and method are disclosed designed to pyrolyze tar sands and oil shale, which are often found together in naturally occurring deposits. The retort is based on a horizontal retorting tube defining a horizontal retort zone having an upstream and a downstream end. Inlet means are provided for introducing the combined tar sands and oil shale into the upstream end of the retort. A screw conveyor horizontally conveys tar sands and oil shale from the upstream end of the retort zone to the downstream end of the retort zone while simultaneously mixing the tar sands and oil shale to insure full release of product gases. A firebox defining a heating zone surrounds the horizontal retort is provided for heating the tar sands and oil shale to pyrolysis temperatures. Spent shale and tar sands residue are passed horizontally beneath the retort tube with any carbonaceous residue thereon being combusted to provide a portion of the heat necessary for pyrolysis. Hot waste solids resulting from combustion of spent shale and tar sands residue are also passed horizontally beneath the retort tube whereby residual heat is radiated upward to provide a portion of the pyrolysis heat. Hot gas inlet holes are provided in the retort tube so that a portion of the hot gases produced in the heating zone are passed into the retort zone for contacting and directly heating the tar sands and oil shale. Auxiliary heating means are provided to supplement the heat generated from spent shale and tar sands residue combustion in order to insure adequate pyrolysis of the raw materials with varying residual carbonaceous material.
- Assignee:
- EDB-83-048273
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4347119
- OSTI ID:
- 6601825
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 21 Nov 1980; Other Information: PAT-APPL-208946
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Method of in-situ retorting of carbonaceous material for recovery of organic liquids and gases
Method of in-situ retorting of carbonaceous material for recovery of organic liquids and gases
Related Subjects
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
PYROLYSIS
OIL SANDS
RETORTING
OIL SHALES
COMBUSTION
CONVEYORS
MATERIALS HANDLING
MIXTURES
RETORTS
WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
DECOMPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
DISTILLATION EQUIPMENT
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HAULAGE EQUIPMENT
MATERIALS
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
OXIDATION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
040402* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Surface Methods