Solar heated oil shale pyrolysis process
AssigneeThe Unied States of America as represented by the Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorShaik A. Qader
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Abstract
A bed (76, 202) of oil shale particles (10) are pyrolyzed in a retort (70, 200) by means of a heated carrier gas stream passing through a central conduit (54, 202) within the bed (76, 202) and then upwardly through a fixed bed (76) or fluidized bed (202) of the shale. The shale is subjected to pyrolysis and evolves kerogen liquid, thermally and pyrolyzed liquids and gases which enter the carrier gas to form a pyrolysis gas. The liquid pyrolysis oil is separated from the pyrolysis gas ion separator (94, 224) and a portion of the separated gas is recycled to a solar heat exchanger (50, 204) and heated to a temperature of at least 350.degree. C. before being fed to the central conduit (54, 202).
Claims14
A method of pyrolyzing shale comprising the steps of:
- passing a recycle gas stream through a gas-permeable, high-heat capacity solar-heated heat exchange element to form a heated carrier gas, at a temperature of at least 350.degree. C.;
- passing the carrier gas downwardly through a pipe positioned within a bed of shale;
- flowing the gas upwardly through a bed of shale to pyrolyze the shale without combustion of the shale and evolve gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons therefrom into the carrier gas to form pyrolysis gas;
- removing the pyrolysis gas from the bed;
- separating liquid product from the pyrolysis gas to form liquid product and gas product;
- and
- dividing a portion of the gas product into a recycle gas stream and recovering the remainder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.