Retorting of Green River oil shale under high-pressure hydrogen atmospheres
Studies have been carried out on 31- and 24-gallons-of-oil-per-ton oil shale from the Green River Formation to study the effects of pressure, sweep gas rate, and heating rate during batch-wise retorting in a hydrogen atmosphere. The studies were performed in a vertical pressure retort which was heated at a predetermined fixed rate to a final bed temperature of approximately 1,000/sup 0/F. The hydrogen sweep gas was passed downward through the shale bed during the experiments. The effects of pressure ranging from atmospheric to 1,500 psig, nominal heating rates ranging from 25 to 250/sup 0/F/h, and hydrogen sweep gas rates ranging from 10 to 120 scf/h/ft/sup 2/ of bed cross-section have been studied. Oil, gas, water, and spent shale yields are reported along with analyses of product oil, gas, and spent shale. Organic carbon utilization is also reported. Heating rate showed an effect on oil yield for the atmospheric runs; this effect was not noticed under the higher pressure runs. For the run conditions reported, no effect was noticed with variance of hydrogen sweep rate. Oil yields showed a marked increase with increasing hydrogen pressures. The oil produced showed a decrease in oxygen, sulfur, carbon/hydrogen ratio, pour point, viscosity, specific gravity, and average boiling range with increasing hydrogen pressures. Nitrogen content of the oil showed an increase with increasing hydrogen pressures. Other effects noted with increasing hydrogen pressures were increased carbon utilization and increased water production. 14 figures, 11 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Energy Research and Development Administration, Laramie, WY (USA). Laramie Energy Research Center
- OSTI ID:
- 7303278
- Report Number(s):
- LERC/TPR-77/2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
OIL SHALES
RETORTING
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
GREEN RIVER FORMATION
HYDROGEN
OIL YIELDS
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
SHALE OIL
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MINERAL OILS
NONMETALS
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
SYNTHETIC PETROLEUM
YIELDS
040401* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- In Situ Methods
True & Modified