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US 4,052,293 AGranted
Method and apparatus for extracting oil from hydrocarbonaceous solid material
AssigneeCRYO-MAID Inc.
InventorsJames L. Mercer, Hachiro J. Togashi
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AssigneeCRYO-MAID Inc.
InventorsJames L. Mercer, Hachiro J. Togashi
Estimating the term…
A closed self-contained system (method and apparatus) for efficiently extracting oil and other hydrocarbons from oil-bearing hydrocarbonaceous solid material, which may be preheated to remove water and hydrocarbons which vaporize below about 600.degree. F., is advanced in the form of discrete individual pieces along a pathway in a substantially evacuated zone (e.g., less than 50 torr) while in the presence of heat energy sufficient to raise the temperature of the shale (e.g., to 600.degree. to no more than 900.degree. F.) to cause the oil and other hydrocarbons to be liberated as a vapor in the evacuated zone. The hydrocarbonaceous solid material advances in proximity with at least one condenser surface so that oil and other hydrocarbons are condensed and recovered from the liberated vapor. The system operates at temperatures which are at all times below 900.degree. F., and generally below 700.degree. F., to extract the oil from the oil-bearing hydrocarbonaceous solid material in a relatively short period of time (e.g., 30 to 360 minutes).
In a method for extracting oil and other hydrocarbons from oil shale, tar sand, coal, lignite and like hydrocarbonaceous solid material, the steps of advancing discrete individual pieces of said hydrocarbonaceous solid material along a pathway in a substantially evacuated system at a pressure no more than about 50 torr, said substantially evacuated system being in communication with at least one condenser surface, supplying heat energy to said pieces of hydrocarbonaceous material to raise the temperature thereof to within the range from about 600.degree. to no more than 900.degree. F. to cause the oil and other hydrocarbons therein to be liberated as a vapor in said evacuated system, and thereafter selectively condensing and recovering the oil from said vapor.
A continuous method for the recovery of oil from oil shale comprising the steps of breaking the oil shale into discrete individual pieces, preheating said pieces at a temperature below about 600.degree. F. to drive out water and hydrocarbons which volatilize at temperatures below 600.degree. F., advancing the discrete individual pieces along a pathway in an evacuated, substantially air-free system wherein the pressure is below about 50 torr, said pathway being in communication with a plurality of condenser surfaces, supplying heat energy to the advancing pieces of material to raise the temperature of the pieces to not greater than 900.degree. F., the conditions of evacuated pressure and temperature being such that oil present in said oil shale is liberated as a vapor in said evacuated system, maintaining the temperature of said plurality condenser surfaces at different temperatures within the range from about 300.degree. to -200.degree. F. to facilitate fractional condensing of hydrocarbon components in said liberated vapor, and fractionally condensing said hydrocarbons to recover the same.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.