초록 ▼

A method and apparatus is disclosed for retorting particulate solid materials, particularly hydrocarbon-containing materials such as oil shale, oil sands, tar sands, coal shale, coal tailings, and the like, for the recovery of a volatile constituent such as oil or gas. A rotary retorting apparatus i

A method and apparatus is disclosed for retorting particulate solid materials, particularly hydrocarbon-containing materials such as oil shale, oil sands, tar sands, coal shale, coal tailings, and the like, for the recovery of a volatile constituent such as oil or gas. A rotary retorting apparatus is employed which consists of a cylindrical drum, or other similar regularly shaped chamber, with a substantially horizontal axis of rotation and having multiple compartments for retorting and combustion and, optionally, spent solids cooling. The apparatus further includes solids transport chutes for forward and backward circulation of solids, arranged for the intercompartmental transfer of solids with the capability of additions at one or more points in each compartment. Employing the method and apparatus, particulate solids feedstock is heated by recycled spent solids material to remove the volatile constituent of the feedstock in the retort section. Another feature of the invention employs direct solids-to-gas contact established by lifting and cascading reacting solids through hot gas streams such that throughput, high thermal efficiency, low energy input, among other advantages, are obtained in producing high yields of volatile product. In particular, high oil yields and gas yields are obtained when processing oil shale, but with low sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides in the flue gases and reduced hydrogen sulfide in the retort gases.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for retorting a feedstock of particulate solids having recoverable volatile hydrocarbon constitutents comprising introducing said feedstock solids into an elongated chamber rotating about a substantially horizontal axis having an inlet and an outlet, said chamber having at the upstream end

A method for retorting a feedstock of particulate solids having recoverable volatile hydrocarbon constitutents comprising introducing said feedstock solids into an elongated chamber rotating about a substantially horizontal axis having an inlet and an outlet, said chamber having at the upstream end a retorting section and a physically separate combustion section at the downstream end, said sections in horizontal series with one another with said feedstock enetering at said upstream end, passing said feedstock solids and recycled, hot, spent solids through said retorting section to provide retorted solids and volatilized hydrocarbons, recovering said volatilized hydrocarbons free of combustion section products, introducing said retorted solids into said combustion section, combusting said retorted solids by lifting and cascading said retorted solids through a moving stream of combustion supporting gas to form said hot, spent solids, and, recycling a portion of said hot spent solids upstream to said retorting section. A continuous method for retorting a feedstock of particulate solids having recoverable volatile hydrocarbon constitutents comprising introducing said feedstock solids into an elongated chamber rotating about a substantially horizontal axis having an inlet and an outlet, said chamber having at the upstream end a retorting section, a physically separate combustion section at the downstream end, and a solids cooler/air preheater section connecting with said combustion section, said sections in horizontal series with one another with said feedstock entering at said upstream end, passing said feedstock solids and a recycled portion of hot, spent solids through said retorting section to provide retorted solids and volatized hydrocarbons recovering said volatilized hydrocarbons free of combustion section products, introducing said retorted solid into said combustion section, combusting said retorded solids by lifting and cascading retorted solids through a moving stream of preheated air to form hot, spent solid, separating said hot, spent solids to form said recycled portion of hot, spent solids and a remaining portion of hot, spent solids, passing said remaining portion of hot spent solids to said solids cooler/air preheater section where combustion air at ambient temperature is heated in countercurrent flow to said solids thus forming said preheated air stream introduced into the combustion section, and removing cooled, spent solids from said downstream end of said elongated chamber.