Carbon strand radio frequency heating susceptor

• US 9,328,243 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2012
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parsche, Francis Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhat, Nina
• Application Number:
  US13/693,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20130096039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 252/502, 252/500, 208/108, 208/215, 219/764
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 95/00 Compositions of bituminous materials, e.g. asphalt, tar, pitch
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/00 Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal mechanical winning of oil from oil-shales, oil-sand, or the like B03B
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/02 by distillation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2214/03 Heating of hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/80 Apparatus for specific applications stoves or ranges F24C7/02

Abstract

A method and apparatus are directed to heating materials by application of radio frequency (“RF”) energy. The materials to be heated may include petroleum ore, such as bitumen, oil sands, oil shale, tar sands, or heavy oil. Petroleum ore is mixed with a substance that includes mini-dipole susceptors such as carbon strands. A source is provided which applies RF energy to the mixture of a power and frequency sufficient to heat the mini-dipole susceptors. The RF energy is applied for a sufficient time to allow the mini-dipole susceptors to heat the mixture to an average temperature greater than about 212° F. (100° C.). Optionally, the mini-dipole susceptors can be removed after the desired average temperature has been achieved. The susceptors may provide advantages for the RF heating of hydrocarbons, such as higher temperatures (sufficient for distillation or pyrolysis), anhydrous processing, and greater speed or efficiency.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) heating composition comprising:

a petroleum ore; and

a plurality of carbon fibers mixed with said petroleum ore and comprising at least one of a plurality of individual carbon fibers, a plurality of carbon fiber floc pieces, and a plurality of carbon fiber cloth pieces.

2. The RF heating composition according to claim 1 wherein said petroleum ore comprises 10% to 90% by volume of a total volume of said petroleum ore and said plurality of carbon fibers.

3. The RF heating composition according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of carbon fibers comprises 1% to 50% by volume of a total volume of said petroleum ore and said plurality of carbon fibers.

4. The RF heating composition according to claim 1 further comprising less than 5% by volume of water.

5. The RF heating composition according to claim 1 wherein said petroleum ore comprises at least one of bituminous ore, oil sand, tar sand, oil shale and heavy oil.

6. The RF heating composition according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of carbon fibers comprises a plurality of individual carbon fibers averaging less than 5 cm in length and less than 0.5 mm in diameter.

7. The RF heating composition according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of carbon fibers comprises a plurality of individual carbon fibers averaging less than 1 cm long and less than 0.1 mm in diameter.

8. The RF heating composition according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of carbon fibers are in the form of carbon fiber cloth pieces averaging dimensions less than 5 cm by 5 cm by 0.5 mm.

9. The RF heating composition according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of carbon fibers are in the form of carbon fiber cloth pieces averaging dimensions less than 1 cm by 1 cm by 0.5 mm.

10. The RF heating composition according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of carbon fibers further comprises a plurality of graphite structural fibers.

11. A radio frequency (RF) heating composition comprising:

a petroleum ore having a dielectric dissipation factor less than 0.05 at 3 GHz; and

a plurality of carbon fibers mixed with said petroleum ore;

said petroleum ore comprising 10% to 90% by volume of a total volume of said petroleum ore and said plurality of carbon fibers;

said plurality of carbon fibers comprising 1% to 50% by volume of the total volume of said petroleum ore and said plurality of carbon fibers.

12. The RF heating composition according to claim 11 wherein said petroleum ore has a dielectric dissipation factor less than 0.01 at 3 GHz.

13. The RF heating composition according to claim 11 further comprising less than 5% by volume of water.

14. The RF heating composition according to claim 11 wherein said petroleum ore comprises at least one of bituminous ore, oil sand, tar sand, oil shale and heavy oil.

15. The RF heating composition according to claim 11 wherein said plurality of carbon fibers comprises at least one of a plurality of individual carbon fibers, a plurality of carbon fiber floc pieces, and a plurality of carbon fiber cloth pieces.

16. The RF heating composition according to claim 11 wherein said plurality of carbon fibers comprises a plurality of individual carbon fibers averaging less than 5 cm in length and less than 0.5 mm in diameter.

17. The RF heating composition according to claim 11 wherein said plurality of carbon fibers are in the form of carbon fiber cloth pieces averaging dimensions less than 5 cm by 5 cm by 0.5 mm.

18. The RF heating composition according to claim 11 wherein said plurality of carbon fibers comprises a plurality of graphite structural fibers.

19. A radio frequency (RF) heating composition comprising:

a petroleum ore; and

a plurality of carbon fibers mixed with said petroleum ore and comprising at least one of a plurality of individual carbon fibers averaging less than 5 cm in length and less than 0.5 mm in diameter and a plurality of carbon fiber cloth pieces having dimensions averaging less than 5 cm by 5 cm by 0.5 mm.

20. The RF heating composition according to claim 19 wherein said petroleum ore comprises 10% to 90% by volume of a total volume of said petroleum ore and said plurality of carbon fibers.

21. The RF heating composition according to claim 19 wherein said plurality of carbon fibers comprises 1% to 50% by volume of a total volume of said petroleum ore and said plurality of carbon fibers.

22. The RF heating composition according to claim 19 further comprising less than 5% by volume of water.

23. The RF heating composition according to claim 19 wherein said petroleum ore comprises at least one of bituminous ore, oil sand, tar sand, oil shale and heavy oil.

24. A radio frequency (RF) heating composition comprising:

a petroleum ore; and

a plurality of carbon fibers mixed with said petroleum ore and having a dielectric dissipation factor less than 0.05 at 3 GHz.

25. The RF heating composition according to claim 24 wherein said petroleum ore comprises 10% to 90% by volume of a total volume of said petroleum ore and said plurality of carbon fibers.

26. The RF heating composition according to claim 24 wherein said plurality of carbon fibers comprises 1% to 50% by volume of a total volume of said petroleum ore and said plurality of carbon fibers.

27. The RF heating composition according to claim 24 further comprising less than 5% by volume of water.

28. The RF heating composition according to claim 24 wherein said petroleum ore comprises at least one of bituminous ore, oil sand, tar sand, oil shale and heavy oil.

29. The RF heating composition according to claim 24 wherein said plurality of carbon fibers further comprises a plurality of graphite structural fibers.