US1428458A - Process and apparatus for recovery of hydrocarbons from oil shale - Google Patents

Description

c. w. THOMPSON. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBONS FROM OIL SHALES.

APPLICA ION FILED SEPT. 15. 1919- 'Patented Sept. 5, 1922.

- mmwlloz GM 7720272 225021,

reamed Sept. 5, 1922.

ii NHED STATES PATENT oar-ice.

CAREY W. THOMPSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

rnocnss AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERY or mnocannous l nen OIL smma Application filed September 15, 1919. Serial No. 323,883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CAREY W. THOMPSON,-

a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes and Apparatus for Recove of Hydrocarbons from Oil Shale; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to the recovery of gasolene and like hydrocarbons, suitable for motor fuels, as well as oils, from oil shales.

The object of the invention is to produce the maximum amount of gasolene and like compounds from the shale with the minimum amount of fixed gases, together with the resulting low production of carbon.

Briefly, the invention comprises advancing crushed oil shale through aheating device having a chamber heated to 600 or 700 F.,

whereln vapors of gasolene, like compounds,

and light oils are driven ofi, these vapors being conducted directly from the chamber, superheated, and fractionally condensed. The shale is advanced farther through the apparatus into a second chamber heated to a temperature of from 800 to 900 F., wherein vapors of heavy hydrocarbons are driven oil" from the shale. The heavy hydrocarbon vapors are conducted in part to the intake of the device and introduced into the incoming shale, whereby the shale particles are coated with heavy hydrocarbon and the temerature of the shale is raised before entermg the first heating chamber. The heavy hydrocarbon serves to prevent, or at least Fig. 1 represents diagrammatically one form of apparatus for carrying on the process.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sections taken respectively on the lines22, 3-3, 4-4, Fig 1.

A furnace 10 havinga fire box 12, grate l4, and combustion chamber 16, supports a heating device 18 through which extends a conveyor 20 driven by means such as a pulle 22. A hopper 24 feeds'the heater 18. A ove the combustion chamber 16 the heater 18 is enlarged to form a vapor chamber 26, the lower portion of the chamber being shaped to follow the contour of the conveyor 20 as .much as ssible, as shown in Fig. 3, in order to e ciently advance the shale. The top of the chamber 26 is provided with take-ofl? connections 28, leading to a conduit 30. In this chamber asolene and kindred compounds, together with light oils, are driven o in vapor form. The conveyor 20 then advances theshale to a second chamber 32, similar in construction to the chamber 26, this chamber 32 being located over the fire box 12, in order to be heated to a higher degree. Here all of the heavy hydrocarbon vapors that the shale will roduce are driven ofi'. These enter a con uit 36 which may be controlled by a valve 34, and are conducted to the forward end of the heater, where they are introduced from the.

I have found that when the shale particles are coated by means of the heavy hydrocarbon vapors, the formation of fixed gases is either entirely prevented or at least largely retarded. The result is an increase in the quantity of gasolene and the like, and light oils, to an extent almost double that where the shale is not so treated. There is a corre sponding decrease in the production of carbon., At the same time, the process is not interfered with by the excess of heavy hydrocarbon, since it may be so controlled that it will all be driven ofi from the chamber 32.

Surplus vapors not required to treat the shale are drawn ofi through the conduit 40,

controlled by the valve 42 for refining. The amount of vapors from the chamber 32 which shall pass through conduits 36 and 40 is easily controlled by valves 34: and 42. The shale, deprived of its hydrocarbons, is discharged through a chute at 44.

In order to efficiently prevent the passa e of vapors through the shale either from t 1e hopper 24 or from the chute 44, the ends of the heater 18 beyond the chambers 26 and 32 are sufliciently long that the accumulation of the ground shale will check their passage.

As the light vapors leave the conduit 30, they are conducted directly and Without condensation, to a coil in a superheater 52,whence they pass to fractional condensation tanks 54, 55, 56 and 57, in a series as numerous as required for complete condensation. The object of superheating the vapors is to raise their temperature to a point Where vaporization is complete so that the fractions condensed may be complete. due to the greater range in temperature.

One of the condensation chambers 57 will be used as a scrubber and the inlet into this chamber at 58 Will be located below the level of a quantity of water therein indicated at 59. Beyond this chamber the products, consisting of kerosene, gasolene, and like compounds, will be clear.

The fractional condensation apparatus preferably will be located in m room in Which the temperature may be controlled and the tanks air-cooled. In this manner there Will be no requirements for Water for the entire process, except that small amount used in the scrubber 57 This is a valuable feature, since in the shale regions water is usually very scarce.

It should be noted also that in the present process the heavy hydrocarbons are separated from the lighter constituents during the process itself. This therefore eliminates the separation of the heavy hydrocarbons in the condensation apparatus 54, 55, 56, 57.

The heavy vapors will be condensed and refined in a different apparatus, which may be similar to that for the light vapors.

I claim i l. A process for distillation of hydrocarbons from, oil shale comprising heating the shale by external means to free gasolene and light oils, removing light oils and gasolene then heating the shale at a higher temperature to vaporize the heavy hydrocarbons, and introducing the heavy vapors freed from said light oils and gasoline into a fresh cold quantity of shale prior to the first heat treatment.

2. A process for distillation of hydrocarbons from oil shale comprising introducing heavy hydrocarbon vapors at a high temperature into crushed shale having a lower temperature, the vapors being introduced in quantity sufiicient to only coat the shale particles as the vapors condense without leaving a free liquid residue, and then heating the shale at a. temperature sufiicient to liberate gasolene and light oil vapors but insufi'icinet to vaporize heavy hydrocarbons.

3. Apparatus for the distillation of hydrocarbons from oil shale comprising a heating device having a chamber for driving off vapors of gasolene and light oils, and a second chamber for driving ofi' heavy hydrocarbon vapors, means to convey the shale through said chambers, common means for heating the first chamber and for heating the second chamber to a higher temperature than the first, means to collect the vapors from the first chamber, and means to collect the vapors from the second chamber, the collecting means for the second chamber comprising a conduit leading to the intake of the device for introducing said heavy hydrocarbons intothe incoming shale.

In testimony whereof I afiix m signature.

CAREY W. THO

PSON.

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