Abstract:
A process is disclosed for heat-treating mineral ore by successively drying, preheating, and reducing particles of the ores to a lower state of oxidation. The particles are gathered into a first gas permeable body with the particles at rest relative to each other within the body and dried and preheated until hardened. The body is then disrupted and a tumbling movement is imparted to the particles while further heating with heated reducing gases to initiate at least preliminary reduction. The particles are regathered into a second gas permeable body with the particles at rest relative to each other within the body and fuel that has been reformed into a stream of reducing gases rich in hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide is passed through the second body of particles to further reduce the particles. The reducing gases that have passed through the second body of particles are divided into two branch streams with a first of the branch streams being delivered to and directed through the particles being tumbled to effect a preliminary reduction, after which this gas stream is made oxidizing and passed through the first body of particles to effectuate the preheating and drying thereof. The other branch stream of gases is first mixed with a fresh supply of the hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide rich gases and thereafter recycled through the second body of particles.
Abstract:
A METHOD IS DISCLOSED FOR RECOVERING OIL FROM OIL BEARING SHALE ROCK IN WHICH THE ROCK IS SCREENED TO PROVIDE THREE SIZE FRACTIONS, LARGE SIZE, INTERMEDIATE SIZE AND SMALL SIZE. THE LARGE SIZE NEED HAVE NO UPPER SIZE LIMIT BUT MAY, FOR EXAMPLE, BE SCREENED TO PLUS 1 INCH MINUS 1 1/2 INCH. THE INTERMEDIATE SIZE MAY BE PLUS 5/8 INCH MINUS 1 INCH; AND THE SMALL PLUS 1/4 INCH MINUS 5/8 INCH. SUCH SIZE FRACTIONS ARE DEPOSITED ON A TRAVELING GRATE IN A SEGREGATED BED WITH THE LARGE SIZE ON TOP, THE INTERMEDIATE SIZE ON THE BOTTOM AND THE SMALL SIZE THEREBETWEEN. THE TRAVELING GRATE CARRIES THIS BED THROUGH A PREHEATING ZONE WHERE MODERATELY HEATED GASES (FROM A RETORTING ZONE SUCH AS WILL BE DESCRIBED) PASS UPWARDLY THROUGH THE BED AND THEN THE BED PASSES THROUGH A RETORTING ZONE WHERE OIL IS EDUCTED FROM THE SHALE BY HIGHLY HEATED GASES PASSING DOWNWARD THROUGH THE BED. IN THE RETORTING ZONE THE BOTTOM LAYER OF INTERMEDIATE SIZE PARTICLES PREVENTS THE SMALLEST PARTICLES FALLING THROUGH OR PLUGGING HAS PASSAGES IN THE GRATE WHILE THE LARGEST AND MOST DIFFICULT TO PROCESS PARTICLES MAKE FIRST CONTACT WITH GASES THAT ARE THE HOTTEST AND CONTAIN THE LEAST AMOUNT OF EDUCTED OIL, FOR MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE AND MASS (I.E., OIL) TRANSFER THEREBETWEEN, AND THESE LARGEST PARTICLES SHEILD THE SMALLEST PARTICLES FROM THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE OF THE GASES IN THE RETORTING ZONE TO PREVENT THE SMALLEST PARTICLES ADHERING TOGETHER IN A MANNER THAT WOULD DESTROY THE GAS PERMEABILITY OF THE BED ON THE GRATE. IN THE PREHEATING AND CONDENSING ZONE THE TOP LAYER OF THE LARGEST PARTICLES PROVIDES A BARRIER AGAINST FINE PARTICLES ESCAPING WITH THE GAS STREAM CONTAINING OIL MIST.
Abstract:
A SYSTEM IS DISCLOSED FOR RECOVERING OIL FROM OIL BEARING SHALE ROCK IN WHICH THE ROCK IS SCREENED TO SEPARATE FINES FROM LARGER PARTICLES HAVING A DIMENSION OF AT LEAST ABOUT 1/4 INCH. THE SYSTEM INCLUDES A RETORTING ZONE IN WHICH HEATED GASES, REDUCING OR NEUTRAL, ARE PASSED THROUGH THE LARGER PARTICLES AND AGGLOMERATES OF THE FINES TO HEAT THESE PARTICLES AND AGGLOMERATES TO OIL EDUCING TEMPERATURE AND AFTER WHICH THE GASES, THEN CONTAINING EDUCTED OIL, ARE PASSED THROUGH A ZONE IN WHICH PARTICLES AND AGGLOMERATES ARE PREHEATED AND THE GASES COOLED TO CONDENSE THE OIL TO SMALL DROPLETS AND VAPOR IN THE GASES THE OIL IS SEPARATED FROM THE GASES AND INTO VARIOUS FRACTIONS. THE HEAVIEST FRACTION OF THE OIL, REPRESENTING AN AMOUNT IN A RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 5% TO 50% OF THE TOTAL OIL EDUCTED, ARE RECIRCULATED THROUGH THE SYSTEM BY USING SUCH OIL AS BINDER TO AGGLOMERATE THE FINES INTO AGGLOMERATES AT LEAST 1/4 INCH. THESE AGGLOMERATES MAY DBE ADVANTAGEOUSLY UTILIZED BY CHARGING THEM TO A TRAVELING GRATE APPARATUS WITH THE LARGER PARTICLES TO FORM A BED, WITH THE AGGLOMERATES FORMING AN INTERMEDIATE LAYER BETWEEN UPPER AND LOWER LAYERS OF THE LARGER PARTICLES. THE LARGER PARTICLES WILL, IN A PREHEATING-CONDENSING ZONE, TRAP AND PREVNET ESCAPE FROM THE BED, DUST AND DROPS OF HEAVY BINDER OIL (WHICH MAY ESCAPE FROM AGGLOMATES). WITH EITHER AN UPFLOW OR DOWNFLOW OF GAS IN THIS PREHEATING-CONDENSING ZONE, HEAVY BINDER OIL ATTEMPTING TO ESCAPE THE BED WILL ADHERE TO AND COAT PARTICLES IN THE UPPER OR LOWER LAYERS AND DUST ATTEMPTING TO ESCAPE THE BED WILL ADHERE TO THE LARGER PARTICLES COATED BY THE HEAVY BINDER OIL. THUS, BOTH THE HEAVY BINDER OIL AND DUST ATTEMPTING TO ESCAPE IN THIS PREHEATING-CONDENSING ZONE WILL BE TRAPPED IN THE BED. IN THE RETORTING ZONE SUCH HEAVY FRACTION BINDER OIL RETAINED IN THE BED WILL PYROLYZE TO PRODUCE FURTHER USEFUL LIGHTER OIL WHICH WILL LEAVE THE BED AS VAPOR, AND RESIDUAL COKE WHICH WILL REMAIN IN THE BED.