Method for the pyrolytic extraction of hydrocarbon from oil shale
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for extracting shale oil from oil shale containing kerogen, said method comprising:
- cascading oil shale in particulate form between a plurality of trays vertically stacked within at least one heated processing zone provided within a material processing chamber,heating said oil shale within at least one heated processing zone to volatize said shale oil from said kerogen,maintaining said material processing chamber at a pressure of about ±
0.05-±
0.10 inches water;
condensing the volatized shale oil, and discharging the residual of said oil shale from said material processing chamber.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
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.
10 Citations
44 Claims
-
1. A method for extracting shale oil from oil shale containing kerogen, said method comprising:
-
cascading oil shale in particulate form between a plurality of trays vertically stacked within at least one heated processing zone provided within a material processing chamber, heating said oil shale within at least one heated processing zone to volatize said shale oil from said kerogen, maintaining said material processing chamber at a pressure of about ±
0.05-±
0.10 inches water;condensing the volatized shale oil, and discharging the residual of said oil shale from said material processing chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method for extracting shale oil from oil shale containing kerogen, said method comprising:
-
passing oil shale in particulate form downwardly between a plurality of horizontal material supports within a material processing chamber, heating said oil shale within said material processing chamber to a sufficient temperature to volatize said shale oil from said kerogen, maintaining said material processing chamber at a pressure of about ±
0.05-±
0.10 inches water;discharging the volatized shale oil from said material processing chamber, condensing the volatized shale oil, and discharging the residual oil shale from said material processing chamber. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. 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 and a lower processing zone, said material processing chamber including a plurality of vertically displaced material supports extending through said upper processing zone and said lower processing zone; passing said oil shale downwardly within said material processing chamber from one material support to another underlying material support; maintaining said material processing chamber at a pressure of about ±
0.05-±
0.10 inches water;applying heat within said upper and lower processing zones within said material processing chamber for volatizing said hydrocarbons from said kerogen; discharging a first volatized oil shale component from said upper processing zone within said material processing chamber; discharging a second volatized oil shale component from said lower processing zone within said material processing chamber; condensing at least one of the volatized oil shale components, and discharging the residual oil shale from said material processing chamber. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. A method for extracting shale oil from oil shale, said method comprising:
-
transferring oil shale through a heated processing chamber between a plurality of material supports arranged in a vertical stack within said processing chamber, maintaining said processing chamber at a pressure of about ±
0.05-±
0.10 inches water;heating said oil shale within said plurality of material supports, said heating of said oil shale volatizing shale oil contained in said oil shale, and condensing the volatized shale oil. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
-
Specification