Method for the pyrolytic extraction of hydrocarbon from oil shale
View Patent ↗A method for the pyrolytic extraction of hydrocarbons such as shale oil from kerogen. Oil shale containing kerogen which has been ground into particulate form, is cascaded downwardly between a plurality of rotating trays within a heated processing chamber. As the hydrocarbons are volatized within the chamber, the volatiles are collected and condensed within a condenser or other suitable recovery apparatus.
1. A method for extracting hydrocarbons from oil shale containing kerogen, said method comprising:
supplying oil shale in particulate form to a material processing chamber having an upper processing zone for volatizing hydrocarbons of a first volatility and a lower processing zone for volatizing hydrocarbons of a second volatility lower than the first volatility at least including shale oil, said material processing chamber including a plurality of vertically displaced material trays contained within said upper processing zone and said lower processing zone;
passing said oil shale downwardly within said material processing chamber from one material tray to another underlying material tray;
supplying heat at a first temperature to said upper processing zone and at a second temperature to said lower processing zone for volatizing said hydrocarbons from said kerogen, wherein said first temperature is lower than said second temperature;
discharging a first oil shale component volatized within said upper processing zone from said material processing chamber;
discharging a second oil shale component comprising at least shale oil volatized within said lower processing zone from said material processing chamber;
condensing at least the volatized shale oil component; and
discharging the residual oil shale from said material processing chamber.
2. The method of claim 1 , further including supplying said oil shale in particulate form in the range of about 15 to 325 mesh size.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the residual of said oil shale discharged from said chamber is substantially free of organic contaminants.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said lower processing zone is heated to a temperature in the range of 480° F. to 1200° F.
5. The method of claim 1 , further including condensing each of the volatized oil shale components.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said upper processing zone is heated to a temperature in the range of 480° F. to 1200° F.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said supplying heat comprises supplying heated inert gas.
8. The method of claim 7 , further including distributing said heated inert gas within said material processing chamber by at least one or a plurality of fans.
9. The method of claim 1 , further including maintaining said material processing chamber at a pressure of about ±0.05-±0.10 inches water.
10. The method of claim 1 , further including controlling a temperature profile within the material processing chamber.
11. A method for extracting hydrocarbons from oil shale containing kerogen, said method comprising:
supplying oil shale in particulate form to a material processing chamber having an upper processing zone for volatizing hydrocarbons of a first volatility and a lower processing zone for volatizing hydrocarbons of a second volatility lower than the first volatility at least including shale oil, said material processing chamber including a plurality of vertically displaced material trays contained within said upper processing zone and said lower processing zone;
passing said oil shale downwardly within said material processing chamber from one material tray to another underlying material tray;
supplying heat at a first temperature to said upper processing zone and at a second temperature to said lower processing zone for volatizing said hydrocarbons from said kerogen, wherein said first temperature is lower than said second temperature;
discharging a first oil shale component volatized within said upper processing zone from said material processing chamber through a first outlet port;
discharging a second oil shale component comprising at least shale oil volatized within said lower processing zone from said material processing chamber through a second outlet port;
condensing at least the volatized shale oil component; and
discharging the residual oil shale from said material processing chamber.
12. The method of claim 11 , further including controlling a temperature profile within the material processing chamber.