Oil shale retorting and combustion system

Patent · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:864491

Pitrolo, Augustine A ^[1]; Mei, Joseph S ^[2]; Shang, Jerry Y ^[3]

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1. Fairmont, WV
2. Morgantown, WV
3. Fairfax, VA

The present invention is directed to the extraction of energy values from l shale containing considerable concentrations of calcium carbonate in an efficient manner. The volatiles are separated from the oil shale in a retorting zone of a fluidized bed where the temperature and the concentration of oxygen are maintained at sufficiently low levels so that the volatiles are extracted from the oil shale with minimal combustion of the volatiles and with minimal calcination of the calcium carbonate. These gaseous volatiles and the calcium carbonate flow from the retorting zone into a freeboard combustion zone where the volatiles are burned in the presence of excess air. In this zone the calcination of the calcium carbonate occurs but at the expense of less BTU's than would be required by the calcination reaction in the event both the retorting and combustion steps took place simultaneously. The heat values in the products of combustion are satisfactorily recovered in a suitable heat exchange system.

• Research Organization: National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV (United States)
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4373454
• OSTI ID: 864491
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

oil
shale
retorting
combustion
directed
extraction
energy
values
containing
considerable
concentrations
calcium
carbonate
efficient
manner
volatiles
separated
zone
fluidized
bed
temperature
concentration
oxygen
maintained
sufficiently
levels
extracted
minimal
calcination
gaseous
flow
freeboard
burned
presence
excess
air
occurs
expense
btu
required
reaction
event
steps
simultaneously
heat
products
satisfactorily
recovered
suitable
exchange
shale retort
combustion zone
heat exchange
fluidized bed
oil shale
calcium carbonate
shale retorting
shale containing
suitable heat
retorting zone
excess air
energy values
efficient manner
considerable concentrations
/110/122/201/431/