Retorting of oil shale

Patent · Tue Jul 14 04:00:00 EDT 1970

OSTI ID:6974107

Schulman, B L; Dengler, H P

A method is described for retorting oil shale in which crushed oil shale is introduced into a vertical retorting system and flows serially through a preheating zone, a retorting zone, and a cooling zone in which the oil shale is contacted with a heated gaseous fluid at a temperature sufficient to decompose kerogen in the oil shale to shale oil and where heat is removed from the oil shale in the cooling zone. A cooling process consists of introduction of liquid water into the cooling zone to remove heat and introducing vaporous water into the retorting system at a point at least adjacent the retorting zone to maintain a temperature within the retorting zone below carbonate decomposition temperature, and below a temperature where substantial cracking of shale oil occurs. By using liquid and vaporous water, introduction of cooling gas into the cooling zone is substantially reduced, if not entirely eliminated. (11 claims)

• Assignee: Esso Research and Engineering Co.
• Patent Number(s): US 3520795
• OSTI ID: 6974107
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040402* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Surface Methods
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CRACKING
DECOMPOSITION
DESIGN
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
KEROGEN
MATERIALS
OIL SHALES
ORGANIC MATTER
PYROLYSIS
RETORTING
STEAM
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES