Method for thermal processing bitumen-containing materials and device for realization of same

An apparatus for the continuous thermal processing of shale comprising a vertically positioned furnace of the aero-fountain type, a mixer, a distillation reactor, and a gasifier,

• (a) said furnace having an elongated column with a flared upper end serving as a diffuser to separate fine particles of combustion from coarse particles, a combustion chamber integral with said flared upper end of the column, inlet means associated with the lower end of the column for introducing air into the column, and separate inlet means also associated with the lower end of the column for introducing a heat carrier consisting essentially of coke and ash from a previously combusted shale into the column, whereby the mixture of heat carrier and air produce an exothermic reaction raising the furnace temperature to about from 700.degree. C. to 1100.degree. C. to create an air suspension consisting essentially of fine ash particles, and outlet means for discharging said air suspension;
• (b) control valve means for separating the air suspension into two flows, a first flow containing the heavier ash particles and a second flow containing the lighter ash particles;
• (c) a separator for separating the first flow carrying the heavier particles fraction from step (b) into an ash for further use as a solid carrier and a residual air suspension;
• (d) means for introducing the solid carrier from step (c) into the mixer and means for introducing fresh, dry and hot shale into said mixer, wherein these materials are mixed;
• (e) means for introducing the mixture from step (d) into said distillation reactor wherein the mixture is distilled at a temperature of about from 450.degree. C. to 650.degree. C., the heat being generated by said hot, fine ash particles of the mixture which serve as a heat carrier, and the fresh shale is converted into semicoke liberating volatiles as the same time;
• (f) means for venting and collecting the volatiles
• (g) means for introducing the distillation residue consisting of semicoke and the ash particles into the gasifier;
• (h) means for mixing the second flow containing the lighter ash particles from step (b) with the residual air suspension of step (c) to obtain a second air suspension mixture;
• (i) a second control valve means for separating the second air suspension mixture from step (h) into a third flow containing the heavier ash particles and a fourth flow containing the lighter ash particles, and for directing the third flow towards the gasifier and the fourth flow to a discharge point out of the system;
• (j) a separator for separating the third flow carrying the heavier particles from step (i) into an ash for further use as a second solid carrier and a second residual air suspension;
• (k) means for introducing the second solid carrier from step (j) into the gasifier to mix with the distillation residue containing the semicoke and ash particles from step (g);
• (l) means for introducing steam-air or steam-oxygen into the gasifier to raise the temperature to about from 600.degree. C. to 900.degree. C. due to the exothermic reaction produced whereupon the combustible components of the semicoke are gasified liberating volatiles and converting the semicoke to coke;
• (m) means for discharging and collecting the volatiles;
• and
• (n) means for delivering the heat-carrying gasification residue consisting essentially of coke and ash particles through said inlet means at the lower end of the furnace column into the furnace for recycling as a heat carrier.