US20070175096A1 - Method and apparatus for recovering energy from fossil resources - Google Patents
Method and apparatus for recovering energy from fossil resources Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20070175096A1 US20070175096A1 US11/344,498 US34449806A US2007175096A1 US 20070175096 A1 US20070175096 A1 US 20070175096A1 US 34449806 A US34449806 A US 34449806A US 2007175096 A1 US2007175096 A1 US 2007175096A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- hydroretort
- set forth
- gasifier
- gas
- resource
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10J—PRODUCTION OF PRODUCER GAS, WATER-GAS, SYNTHESIS GAS FROM SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, OR MIXTURES CONTAINING THESE GASES; CARBURETTING AIR OR OTHER GASES
- C10J3/00—Production of combustible gases containing carbon monoxide from solid carbonaceous fuels
- C10J3/58—Production of combustible gases containing carbon monoxide from solid carbonaceous fuels combined with pre-distillation of the fuel
- C10J3/60—Processes
- C10J3/64—Processes with decomposition of the distillation products
- C10J3/66—Processes with decomposition of the distillation products by introducing them into the gasification zone
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10J—PRODUCTION OF PRODUCER GAS, WATER-GAS, SYNTHESIS GAS FROM SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, OR MIXTURES CONTAINING THESE GASES; CARBURETTING AIR OR OTHER GASES
- C10J2200/00—Details of gasification apparatus
- C10J2200/09—Mechanical details of gasifiers not otherwise provided for, e.g. sealing means
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10J—PRODUCTION OF PRODUCER GAS, WATER-GAS, SYNTHESIS GAS FROM SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, OR MIXTURES CONTAINING THESE GASES; CARBURETTING AIR OR OTHER GASES
- C10J2200/00—Details of gasification apparatus
- C10J2200/15—Details of feeding means
- C10J2200/156—Sluices, e.g. mechanical sluices for preventing escape of gas through the feed inlet
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10J—PRODUCTION OF PRODUCER GAS, WATER-GAS, SYNTHESIS GAS FROM SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, OR MIXTURES CONTAINING THESE GASES; CARBURETTING AIR OR OTHER GASES
- C10J2300/00—Details of gasification processes
- C10J2300/09—Details of the feed, e.g. feeding of spent catalyst, inert gas or halogens
- C10J2300/0953—Gasifying agents
- C10J2300/0959—Oxygen
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10J—PRODUCTION OF PRODUCER GAS, WATER-GAS, SYNTHESIS GAS FROM SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, OR MIXTURES CONTAINING THESE GASES; CARBURETTING AIR OR OTHER GASES
- C10J2300/00—Details of gasification processes
- C10J2300/18—Details of the gasification process, e.g. loops, autothermal operation
- C10J2300/1807—Recycle loops, e.g. gas, solids, heating medium, water
- C10J2300/1823—Recycle loops, e.g. gas, solids, heating medium, water for synthesis gas
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02P20/00—Technologies relating to chemical industry
- Y02P20/10—Process efficiency
- Y02P20/129—Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
Landscapes
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)
Abstract
A method and apparatus for recovering energy from a fossil resource that contains organic matter together with mineral material such as oil shale, coal. oil sand, etc., wherein a hydroretort and a gasifier are interconnected and are utilized in such a way as to have the hydroretort serve as the vessel for pyrolizing the resource by direct contact with hot syngas produced in said gasifier in order to extract oil from the resource while co-producing a residual mineral laden with carbon and some hydrocarbons. This residual mineral is fed from said hydroretort to said gasifier via a lockhopper and by means of oxygen and steam injected into the gasifier, the carbon and the hydrocarbons are converted to a hot syngas and the mineral matter converted to a molten slag which is cooled to a non-leaching substance.
Description
- This invention relates to recovering energy from fossil resources that contain mineral material combined with organic material that are found in nature in the form of various coals, oil shales, oil sands, etc. These fossil resources may be processed individually or in combination to optimize the recovery of the energy contained in them. By way of example, the present invention will be described in detail as it relates to the recovery of oil and gas from oil shale per se, since it contains large amounts of mineral material (around 80%) and by reference to the application ofthis invention to coal per se since the mineral material in coal generally does not exceed 15%. The invention will also be described in detail by using oil shale and coal in combination, with the aid of a process flow diagram.
- In 1983 a U.S. patent was issued to the applicant bearing U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,033 which covers the recovery of shale oil from shale. This patent discloses the pyrolysis of oil shale by making use of electrical power in a plurality of cells within which the shale is contained and insulating the outer walls of the cells from one another. By means of induction, said walls are heated to cause thermal energy from the walls of the cells to effect the pyrolysis of the shale and result in the release of the oil from the shale in vapor form that leaves from the top of the cells.
- The raw shale, after being pyrolized, takes the form of spent shale which is discharged from the bottom of the cells. This spent shale is further processed by compression into blocks to reduce the volume of the spent shale in order to facilitate its disposal within the mine whence the raw shale was excavated. Prior to the delivery of the blocks to the mine, a sealer is applied to the blocks to make them impervious to water in order to prevent the contamination of the surroundings where the blocks are stored.
- In 2005, a U. S. patent was issued to the applicant bearing U.S. Pat. No. 6,911,058 B2 relating to the processing of coal. It covers the feeding of coal into a chamber which is equipped with a mechanical pusher which advances the coal within the chamber while an oxidant is injected from the discharge end of said chamber to combust a portion of the coal to generate thermal energy that devolatilizes the coal, producing a hydrogen-rich gas and a hot char which is subsequently gasified. The disadvantage of this reference is the massive pusher required to maintain the movement of the coal within said chamber.
- Objectives
- In the recovery of oil from oil shale, the biggest impediment towards exploitation of this vast resource is the solid spent shale that is generated after pyrolysis. Since the volume of the spent shale is quite large, very voluminous, and produces a serious negative impact to the environment, the main object of this invention is to overcome this serious and objectionable factor by providing a method and apparatus that converts the spent shale into a dense, non-leaching slag by melting it and then re-solidifying it into a vitreous material which may have useful applications.
- Another object of this invention is to convert the residue in the spent shale which is in the form of carbon and certain residual hydrocarbons to a valuable, hot synthesis gas via gasification, the synthesis gas being hereafter referred to as “syngas.”
- Still another object of this invention is to improve the transfer of heat into the raw shale during its pyrolysis by making use of the hot syngas to hydroretort the raw shale by directly contacting the hot syngas at the optimum temperature and residence time with the shale to result in increasing the overall efficiency of oil recovery from the shale.
- Therefore, another object of the present invention is to provide a pressurized system to effect the movement of the gases through the various steps of the method.
- Further, another object of the invention is to provide an integrated method and apparatus to conduct same comprising hydroretorting, gasification, and product distillation.
- Further still, another object of the present invention is to substitute coal for oil shale to produce gas(es), liquids(s) or a combination of both.
- Yet another object of the present invention is to supplement the raw shale with a carbonaceous material such as coal in order to increase the oil yield and also provide sufficient carbon as fuel to be adequate to melt the relatively large quantities of spent shale into a hot liquidus material hereinafter referred to as molten “slag.”
- It is another object of the present invention to recover thermal energy from the molten slag.
- It is still another object of the present invention to quench the molten slag in order to re-solidify it and thus obtain a non-leaching, vitreous frit.
- It is therefore another object of the present invention to produce a shale oil vapor product via hydroretorting which is fractionated yielding various liquid fractions and a non-condensable gas.
- It is further another object of the present invention to produce a hydrogen-rich gas as a by-product which is useful in the upgrading of the recovered oil and/or in the manufacture of synthetic natural gas hereinafter referred to as SNG.
- It is yet another object of the present invention to produce a hydrogen-rich gas as a by-product which is converted to a liquid product to supplement the liquid product extracted from the shale.
- Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and appended claims.
-
FIG. 1 is an overall representation of the apparatus to carry out the method. It comprises, in succession from the top down: a raw material delivery system, an upper lockhopper, a hydroretort, a hot lockhopper, a slagging gasifier, a heat recovery steam generator, a molten slag quencher, a lower lockhopper, a slag collection tank, and a fractionator. -
FIG. 2 is an enlarged representation of the hydroretort, shown in section. -
FIG. 3 is an enlarged representation of the slagging gasifier, the heat recovery steam generator, and the molten slag quencher, illustrated in section. -
FIG. 4 is a representation in greater detail showing various piping systems with respect to the heat recovery steam generator with its manifolds, steam drum, and syngas heat exchanger, bottom lockhopper, and collection tank for the quenched, re-solidified, vitreous slag. -
FIG. 5 is the hot lockhopper shown in section, with the upper and lower valves being in the closed position, illustrating the condition under which pressurization of the hot lockhopper by means of steam takes place. -
FIG. 6 is the hot lockhopper shown in section, with the upper valve being opened and the lower valve closed, illustrating the step of receiving spent shale from the hydroretort. -
FIG. 7 is the hot lockhopper shown in section, with the upper valve being closed and the lower valve opened, illustrating the step of delivering spent shale from the hot lockhopper to the top of the gasifier. -
FIG. 8 is a process flow diagram illustrating the various reactors and streams when the method is applied to the co-production of liquids and gases by co-feeding oil shale together with coal as the feedstock. - Before explaining in detail the present invention, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the details of construction and the arrangement of the parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention may possess other embodiments. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein contained is for the purpose of description and not limitation. Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures.
- In
FIG. 1 ,numeral 10 represents the hydroretort,numeral 11 the gasifier,numeral 12 the heat recovery steam generator,numeral 13 the slag quencher, andnumeral 14 the fractionator. Abovehydroretort 10,lockhopper 15 is situated which is supplied with raw oil shale byconveyor 16. Belowhydroretort 10 and abovegasifier 11,hot lockhopper 17 is mounted; it interconnectshydroretort 10 to gasifier 11. At the bottom ofgasifier 11,common port 18 is provided, through which: (i) hotsyngas leaves gasifier 11 via a first gas conduit which is denoted bynumeral 19; and (ii) molten slag is discharged intoquencher 13 by way of heat recovery steam generator 12 (hereinafter called “HRSG”).Conduit 19 delivers hot syngas to the top ofhydroretort 10. A second gas conduit, denoted bynumeral 20, leaves the bottom ofhydroretort 10 and delivers a combination of syngas and shale oil in vapor form to the bottom offractionator 14. The miscellaneous liquid fractions leavefractionator 14 through a group of pipes, such asconduits conduit 25. Steam from HRSG 12 feeds a steam drum, denoted bynumeral 26, viaconduit 27 and fromsteam drum 26 to the top ofconveyor 16 viaconduit 28 to preheat the raw shale as it is conveyed. A conduit denoted bynumeral 29, situated at the bottom ofconveyor 16, returns the condensate toHRSG 12. Water for quenching the molten slag is stored intank 30. Beneathslag quencher 13,lockhopper 31 is provided to deliver the quenched slag to the atmosphere. A slag collection tank equipped with a drag chain (not shown, but known in the art) and marked bynumeral 32, is situated beneathlockhopper 31. - Referring to
FIG. 2 which illustrates (in section)hydroretort 10 in a magnified representation, comprises the following: an upper part denoted bynumeral 33 and a lower part denoted bynumeral 34.Part 33 is a vertically disposedcylindrical steel shell 35, with refractory/insulation denoted bynumeral 36 being installed against the inner wall ofshell 35 in such a way as to preferably diverge downwardly.Part 34 which is sloped, is also constructed from a steel shell marked bynumeral 37, with refractory/insulation marked bynumeral 38 being installed against the inner wall ofshell 37 in such a way as to preferable diverge downwardly. Preferably,part 34 is larger in its inner diameter than the inner diameter ofpart 33 in order to cause the feedstock to feed by gravity while continuously providing a physical relief in the downward direction by providing a downward diverging taper of refractory/insulation 36; this configuration facilitates the downward free movement of the feedstock to prevent bridging. A feeder marked bynumeral 39 is equipped withactuator 40. Hydroretort 10 is provided with 4 ports:port 42 for the inlet of the feedstock,port 43 for the inlet of the hot syngas fromgasifier 11,port 44 for the exit of the shale oil together with the injected syngas in the form of a vapor product, andport 45 for the discharge of the spent shale intogasifier 11 via hot lockhopper 17 (partially shown) which is connected to the bottom ofhydroretort 10 by means offlange connection 46. - Referring to
FIG. 3 ,gasifier 11 is illustrated in section and comprises the following: an upper part marked by numeral 47 and a lower part marked bynumeral 48.Part 47 is cylindrical in shape and is constructed in the form of a vertical steel shell marked by numeral 49, with refractory/insulation marked by numeral 50 that is installed against the inner wall ofshell 49 in such a way as to preferably diverge downwardly.Part 48 is sloped and constructed from a steel shell marked by numeral 51, with refractory/insulation marked by numeral 52 that is installed against the inner wall ofshell 51 in such a way as to preferably diverge downwardly. Preferably,part 48 is larger in its inner diameter than the inner diameter ofpart 47 in order to cause the spent shale to move by gravity without impediment while continuously providing a downward physical relief to facilitate the movement of the solid spent shale together with the semi-molten spent shale without bridging, towardcommon port 18 as the spent shale transitions from a solid state to a molten slag. - To initiate the start-up of the method, a burner marked by numeral 53 is provided and mounted at the top of
gasifier 11. An array of injectors marked by numeral 54 is provided at various locations ingasifier 11 for the introduction of an oxidant which may be air or oxygen, but preferably oxygen which is moderated with steam to produce a hot syngas ingasifier 11; this syngas serves as a medium for directly heating the raw shale by introducing it at the top ofhydroretort 10, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 . In addition, an oxidant injection means which takes the form of a water-cooled lance that is adapted to move vertically and marked by numeral 55, is provided to insure thatcommon port 18 remains open and un-plugged by preferably injecting oxygen and combusting some of the syngas produced in the gasifier as it flows towardcommon port 18 in order to furnish adequate thermal energy atport 18 to prevent premature solidification of the slag. -
Gasifier 11 possesses two main ports:port 56 for the entry of the hot spent shale fromhot lockhopper 17, andcommon port 18 for the flow of the spent shale in the form of a molten, vitreous slag together with the syngas, both being produced ingasifier 11. As secondary ports,port 57 is for the introduction of the flue gas fromburner 53,ports 58 for the introduction of the gasification oxidant and steam frominjectors 54, andport 59 for the introduction of the oxidant fromlance 55. - Referring to
FIG. 4 for a more detailed description of the preferred embodiment in the lower half ofgasifier 11, the equipment comprises five components, namely: the syngas exhaust denoted bynumeral 60; the HRSG marked by numeral 12; the slag quench denoted bynumeral 13; the slag lockhopper marked by numeral 31, and the slag tank/drag conveyor denoted bynumeral 32. - With respect to
syngas exhaust 60, it includesgas conduit 61 and temperaturecontrol heat exchanger 62 which moderates the temperature of the syngas and generates high-pressure steam.Exhaust conduit 19 is provided for directing the moderated syngas to the top ofhydroretort 10 shown inFIG. 1 . - With respect to
HRSG 12, it comprises abottom manifold 63 for feed water, withinlet 64 for water delivery intomanifold 63, atop manifold 65 for steam collection, and an array of vertical pipes configured as a cage and marked by numeral 66 which interconnectsmanifold 63 tomanifold 65. The delivery of high-pressure steam out ofmanifold 65 and intosteam drum 26 is effected viaconduit 67; high pressure steam out ofsteam drum 26 is effected viaconduit 68. - With respect to slag quench 13, it comprises conical quench
section 69 which is integrated to the bottom ofHRSG 12, andwater tank 30 to maintain a designated level of water within quenchsection 69.Conduit 70 communicates bottom oftank 30 tosection 69. An exit port denoted bynumeral 71 is provided at the top ofHRSG 12 for the exhaust of the low-pressure steam generated when the molten slag is quenched in the pool of water contained in conical quenchsection 69. This low-pressure steam (via conduit 72) is delivered to conveyor 16 (shown inFIG. 1 ) for oil shale preheat while it is being conveyed. - With respect to
lockhopper 31 and slag tank/drag conveyor 32,upper valve 73 andlower valve 74 are provided, withvalve 73 controlling the quenched slag intolockhopper 31 from quenchsection 69, andvalve 74 controlling the quenched slag out oflockhopper 31 and into slag tank/drag conveyor 32. Slag tank/drag conveyor 32 is known in the art and is briefly herein described. It consists of a tank within which a drag-chain conveyor is installed. The conveyor is configured to drag particulate matter from the bottom of the tank and elevate it on a slope prior to discharging it at the end of the slope. The slag containing tank is denoted bynumeral 75, and its discharge chute is denoted bynumeral 76. - Referring to
FIGS. 5, 6 , and 7 for disclosure ofhot lockhopper 17, it is mounted between the bottom ofhydroretort 10 and the top ofgasifier 11 by making use offlange mountings numeral 79 is disposed. Above mounting 78, a similar pancake valve denoted bynumeral 80 is disposed. Each pancake valve includes aswing linkage arrangement 82 to enable the opening and the closing of eithervalve 79 orvalve 80, by utilizingactuator 81 which causesclosure disk 83 to swing towards the seat ofvalve 79 orvalve 80. A material storage magazine denoted bynumeral 84 is disposed betweenvalve 79 andvalve 80 by making use offlange connections - Referring now to
FIG. 8 which illustrates a process flow diagram of the invention as it relates to the co-production of liquids and a syngas which is converted to synthetic natural gas (SNG) while the feedstock is a combination of shale and coal.Numerals -
Numeral 90 represents a sorbent regenerator, and 91 represents a desulfurizer which is followed by ashift converter 92, a CO2 separator 93, and amethanator 94. Other components that are illustrated include asulfur condenser 95, a regenerator gas cooler denoted bynumeral 96, andcompressors separator 99 is included; it is equipped with a compressor marked bynumeral 100. - While the operation of the improved method and apparatus of the instant invention may be comprehended from the foregoing description, it is believed that the operation may further be explained as hereinafter set forth.
- Operation
- Referring again to
FIG. 8 and assuming that the process is already in progress, shale (stream 101) and coal (stream 102)form stream 103 which flows intohydroretort 10, while hot syngas is being delivered into it viaconduit 19 which originates fromgasifier 11 after being moderated in temperature byheat exchanger 13. The raw hot syngas is made ingasifier 11 by the injection of oxygen (stream 104) and steam (stream 105) and leavesgasifier 11 viacommon stream 106 which splits intostreams Stream 107 feeds the hot raw syngas intoheat exchanger 62, and stream 108 which represents the molten slag that drops into quenchingpool 13 while losing thermal energy toHRSG 12 during its free fall.Stream 109 represents the re-solidified slag. - As shown, the moderated syngas enters at the top of
hydroretort 10 and flows downward with the shale/coal combination in a co-current mode while heating both the shale and coal to efficiently pyrolize them and generate a vapor product which leaveshydroretort 10 asstream 20; it is thence directed to a distillation column such asfractionator 14 which produces various liquid fractions that are characterized asstream 21 for light naphtha, 22 for heavy naphtha, 23 for light gas oil, and 24 for atmospheric heavy gas oil. The distillation bottoms are directed togasifier 11, viastream 111 to be recycled, and the non-condensable gases inclusive of the syngas used to hydroretort the shale/coal (stream 25) are directed togas cleanup 91 to be treated by means of a catalytic sorbent to remove the sulfur in the gas. The treated gases leavegas cleanup 91 viastream 113 and flow intoshift converter 92 where the hydrogen content is brought to a level of 3 H2 to 1 CO by reacting with steam supplied viastream 114. The shifted gas (stream 115) is next directed toseparator 93 to separate the CO2 produced inshift converter 92, to thus form a CO2 stream marked by numeral 116, and treated feed gas suitable for methanation asstream 117.Stream 116 may be compressed to the desired pressure by means ofcompressor 97 to formstream 118 to make it ready for sequestration.Stream 117 may be split intostream 119 andstream 120 if hydrogen is to be made from the treated gas in addition to the SNG; in such a case,stream 120 is directed togas separator 99 to form a CO stream marked by numeral 121 which is compressed bycompressor 100 to formstream 122 that is recycled intogasifier 11, and a hydrogen stream marked bynumeral 123. - With respect to stream 119, it is directed to
methanator 94 where it is reacted with a catalyst to form synthetic natural gas of pipeline quality which leaves asstream 124, and water that leaves asstream 125. - With respect to the catalytic sorbent that treats the gas in
reactor 91, it leavesreactor 91 asstream 126 when it is spent; it joins catalyst make up fed viastream 127 to form togethersolid stream 128 which is conveyed pneumatically by compressedcarrier gas stream 129 by making use ofcompressor 98.Solid stream 128 is fed tosorbent generator 90 where the sorbent is regenerated with an oxidant (stream 130) which may be moderated with steam (stream 131); both of these streams form ajoint stream 132 which entersregenerator 90. The off-gas fromregenerator 90,stream 133 is cooled inheat exchanger 96 and exits asstream 134 prior to enteringsulfur condenser 95 where elemental sulfur is maintained in a molten state. - Within
condenser 95, the non-condensable part of the off-gas and the molten sulfur are separated, and both leave as separate streams: stream 135 as sulfur, and stream 136 as a transport gas which, after compression incompressor 98, conveys the spent sobriety catalyst from the bottom ofdesulfurizer 91 to the top ofregenerator 90. The sorbent catalyst which is regenerated flows fromregenerator 90 intodesulfurizer 91 by gravity viastream 137. The carrier gas (stream 129) which transports the spent sorbent from the bottom ofdesulfurizer 91 to the top ofregenerator 91 after disengagement from the spent sorbent is exhausted intogasifier 11 to be recycled (stream not shown). - Using
FIGS. 1 through 7 to further describe the operation of the invention, and assuming that the process is already in progress, crushed raw oil shale is discharged intohopper 138 and is elevated to lockhopper 15 by means ofconveyor 16; seeFIG. 1 . During its ascent, it is dried and preheated by means of radiant energy (not shown) which is recovered from the process. The preheated raw shale is transferred tolockhopper 15, and by means ofvalves feeder 89 the shale is introduced at the top ofhydroretort 10; by means offeeder 39, situated at the bottom ofhydroretort 10, the downward movement of the shale is effected by a controlled gravity feed; seeFIG. 2 . During the descent of the shale inhydroretort 10, hot syngas enters the top ofretort 10 viaport 43 and flows co-currently with the shale at such a controlled rate and at such a controlled temperature as to yield its oil as a vapor product caused by the intimate and direct contact of the hot syngas with the raw shale to result in the maximum yield of oil while at the same time converting the shale to a spent shale containing residual carbon. Shale oil (released in vapor form) together with cooledsyngas leave hydroretort 10 viaport 44 and conduit 20 (FIG. 2 ), and thence to fractionator 14; seeFIGS. 1 and 2 . - Reference is now made to
FIGS. 5, 6 , and 7. In maintainingpancake valve 79 open andpancake valve 80 closed while operatingfeeder 39, the spent shale is transferred fromhydroretort 10 and accumulated instorage magazine 84 ofhot lockhopper 17; seeFIG. 6 . Oncemagazine 84 reaches a predetermined level,feeder 39 stops,pancake valve 79 closes. While bothvalve 79 andvalve 80 are closed (FIG. 5 ) steam is injected viaport 87 to balance the pressure ofhot lockhopper 17 to equal the pressure withingasifier 11. Next,pancake valve 80 is opened to discharge the spent shale fromhot lockhopper 17 intogasifier 11; seeFIG. 7 . Once the spent shale is discharged intogasifier 11,pancake valve 80 is closed, the pressure inhot lockhopper 17 is equalized to the pressure ofretort 10, andpancake valve 79 is opened whilepancake valve 80 remains closed.Feeder 39 is activated and the operation resumes as that shown inFIG. 6 ofreceiving additional spent shale fromhydroretort 10. The cycling ofvalves gasifier 11 is maintained higher than that ofhydroretort 10 in order to force the syngas made ingasifier 11 to flow into and throughhydroretort 10 and thence, together with the vapor product which contains the oil, tofractionator 14. - Referring to
FIG. 3 , the spent shale discharged fromhot lockhopper 17 intogasifier 11 is gasified with an oxidant (such as oxygen) which is moderated with steam to convert the carbon and residual hydrocarbons; the oxygen and steam are injected by means ofinjectors 54. The objective is to convert the spent shale into a slag by melting it. In cases where the carbon and residual hydrocarbons in the spent shale are inadequate to supply the thermal energy required to melt the spent shale, a supplement source of energy is supplied, such as the addition of coal with the shale. Since the percent of ash in shale is high and the percent of ash in coal is relatively low in comparison to shale, coal would be a good selection to supplement the energy required. In addition, the coal with its own volatile matter contributes to the increase in liquid yields. - As the hot spent shale descends within
gasifier 11 and syngas is generated by the reaction of carbon with oxygen and steam, both the spent shale and the syngas are directed to flow co-currently towardsbottom 48 ofgasifier 11, with the spent shale changing state from a solid to a semi-plastic thence to a liquid slag while both the syngas and the liquid slag flow fromgasifier 11 viaport 18. To maintainport 18 open, the syngas and the molten spent shale which takes the form of a slag, flow together throughport 18 which serves as a common port.Lance 55 serves as a means to insure thatcommon port 18 remains open; it supplies an oxidant such as oxygen viaport 59 to combust a small portion of the syngas and maintain the temperature ofbottom 48 ofgasifier 11 above the melting point of the slag. - As the syngas and slag flow through
common port 18, the syngas is separated from the slag by leavinggasifier 11 throughport 60, while the slag falls freely intowater pool 69 to be fully quenched, and re-solidifies into a grit as it shatters when it comes in contact with the water. Recovery of heat from the molten slag is effected byHRSG 12, and quench water make-up is furnished fromtank 30. - Referring to
FIG. 4 , to describe the operation of heat recovery from the conversion of the molten spent shale into solid slag, the slag is quenched as previously explained while raising steam inHRSG 12. The steam, which is of high pressure quality and used downstream of the process, is directed to steamdrum 26. - The
syngas leaving gasifier 11 viaport 60 is moderated in temperature withinheat exchanger 62; thence it is directed to hydroretort 10 (shown inFIG. 1 ) viaconduit 19. The slag, after being quenched, is discharged intolockhopper 31 by making use ofvalve 73, and fromlockhopper 31 into slag tank/drag conveyor 32 by making use ofvalve 74. In this manner the slag is taken from a pressured environment into the atmosphere with virtually no pressure loss to the system. - Using this invention with coal per se, with such coal being low in ash, the use of
HRSG 12 may be obviated since the benefit derived from a HRSG would be minimal. Justification of whether to exclude or includeHRSG 12 is to be examined on a case-by-case basis by giving consideration to economics. Further, whether the use of the oxidant is pure oxygen or air, or a combination thereof ingasifier 11 and inlance 55 is an option to be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending upon the ultimate product(s) to be made. Additionally, consideration is to be given whether or not fractionator 14 is to be used in the processing of coal per se. The invention may also be used to produce liquids from the syngas, in whole or in part, by employing known technologies such as the Fischer Tropsch process. - It is submitted that the presentation made herein discloses a method and apparatus which can process fossil resource(s) such as coal, oil, shale, oil sand, etc., for producing abundant energy efficiently, and in an environmentally acceptable manner.
Claims (36)
1. A method for processing a fossil resource to recover energy therefrom comprising the following steps:
feeding the resource into a first vessel which serves as a containment vessel and as a hydroretort;
directing a hot gas to said hydroretort and passing it through the resource contained in said hydroretort to heat it directly in order to cause the release of its volatile matter while producing a residual material;
exhausting said gas together with said volatile matter which is released within said hydroretort, into downstream processing means;
feeding said residual material from said hydroretort into a second vessel which serves as a gasifier that is capable of:
(i) producing a hot gas; and
(ii) melting said residual material while converting it into a molten slag;
operating said gasifier at a higher pressure than the pressure in said hydroretort to force the hot gas produced in said gasifier to flow to said hydroretort and pass through the resource contained in said hydroretort to cause the release of said volatile matter while producing said residual material; and
cooling said molten slag to convert it to a solid, non-leaching frit.
2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of operating said gasifier at a higher pressure than the pressure in said hydroretort to force the hot gas produced in said gasifier to flow to said hydroretort is further characterized by the steps of moderating the temperature of the hot gas prior to its entry into said hydroretort to effect the efficient release of volatile matter from said resource.
3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of feeding the resource is accomplished via a lockhopper to prevent the loss of pressure from said hydroretort.
4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of feeding said residual material from said hydroretort into said gasifier is further characterized by the step of locating said hydroretort above said gasifier to enable the feed of said residual material by gravity.
5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of operating said gasifier at a higher pressure than the pressure in said hydroretort is further characterized by the step of interposing a lockhopper that operates at an elevated temperature, between said hydroretort and said gasifier to maintain the pressure within said gasifier higher than the pressure within said hydroretort while transferring said residual material from said hydroretort to said gasifier via said lockhopper.
6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of producing a hot gas is further characterized by producing a hot synthesis gas.
7. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the step of cooling said molten slag includes the quenching of the molten slag in a water pool.
8. The method as set forth in claim 1 includes the recovering of heat from the molten slag.
9. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein the recovery of heat from the molten slag includes the step of raising steam.
10. The method as set forth in claim 1 includes the step of discharging the hot gas together with the molten slag produced in said gasifier via a common port.
11. The method as set forth in claim 1 includes the step of enhancing the downward flow of said resource within said hydroretort by providing relief via the divergence of the walls of said hydroretort by a dimensional increase in the downward direction to prevent bridging.
12. The method as set forth in claim 1 includes the step of enhancing the downward flow of said residual material within said gasifier by providing relief via the divergence of the walls of said gasifier by a dimensional increase in the downward direction to prevent bridging.
13. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said synthesis gas is converted to a synthetic natural gas.
14. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said synthesis gas is converted to a liquid.
15. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resource is coal.
16. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resource is oil shale.
17. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resource is oil sand.
18. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resource constitutes any of the following combinations: coal and oil shale, coal and oil sand, shale and oil sand.
19. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of exhausting said gas together with said volatile matter which is released within said hydroretort, into downstream processing means is further characterized by the step of converting said volatile matter into liquid fractions while producing a non-condensable component.
20. The method as set forth in claim 19 comprises the converting of said non-condensable component into clean gases or liquids.
21. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the step of discharging the hot gas together with the molten slag produced in said gasifier via a common port is further characterized by the step of supplying supplemental heat to said common port in order to maintain said port at a temperature above the freezing point of slag.
22. The method as set forth in claim 21 comprising the step of adding an oxidant in the vicinity of said common port to combust a portion of said gas to generate the thermal energy required to maintain said port open for the free flow of said slag.
23. The method as set forth in claim S wherein the step of transferring said residual material from said hydroretort to said gasifier via said lockhopper includes the injection of an oxidant to react with said residual material to convert it to a hot gas while producing a molten slag.
24. The method as set forth in claim 23 includes the adding of steam with said oxidant.
25. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said residual material comprises the remainder from shale, coal, oil sand, or a combination thereof-.
26. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said synthesis gas is cleaned.
27. Apparatus for recovering energy from a fossil resource comprising:
a hydroretort adapted to pyrolize a resource to produce a volatile matter and a residual material;
means adapted to process said volatile matter;
a gasifier adapted to convert said residual material to a hot gas while producing a molten slag;
means adapted to separate said hot gas from said molten slag;
means adapted to direct said hot gas to said hydroretort to supply the thermal energy required to pyrolize said resource; and
means adopted to cool said molten slag to solidify it.
28. The apparatus as set forth in claim 27 includes a lockhopper adapted to feed the resource into said hydroretort in such a way as to prevent loss of pressure from said hydroretort.
29. The apparatus as set forth in claim 28 includes means adapted to maintain the pressure in said gasifier higher than the pressure in said hydroretort to force the flow of gas from said gasifier into said hydroretort.
30. The apparatus as set forth in claim 27 wherein said means adapted to direct said hot gas to said hydroretort includes heat exchanging means which moderates the temperature of said hot gas.
31. The apparatus as set forth in claim 27 wherein said means adapted to cool said molten slag to solidify it includes a water quench means.
32. The apparatus as set forth in claim 31 wherein said water quench means includes a heat recovery steam generator which is disposed ahead of said water quench in order to recover thermal energy prior to the slag coming in contact with said water quench.
33. The apparatus as set forth in claim 27 wherein said means adapted to process said volatile matter includes fractionator means adapted to produce liquids and a non-condensable gas.
34. The apparatus as set forth in claim 37 includes means adapted to treat gas in order to produce a clean gas.
35. The apparatus as set forth in claim 34 includes means for methanating said clean gas to a synthetic natural gas.
36. The apparatus as set forth in claim 35 includes means for converting said clean gas into a liquid.
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/344,498 US20070175096A1 (en) | 2006-02-01 | 2006-02-01 | Method and apparatus for recovering energy from fossil resources |
IL174611A IL174611A0 (en) | 2006-02-01 | 2006-03-29 | Method and apparatus for recovering energy from fossil resources |
PCT/US2006/016142 WO2007089254A2 (en) | 2006-02-01 | 2006-04-27 | Method and apparatus for recovering energy from fossil resources |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/344,498 US20070175096A1 (en) | 2006-02-01 | 2006-02-01 | Method and apparatus for recovering energy from fossil resources |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20070175096A1 true US20070175096A1 (en) | 2007-08-02 |
Family
ID=38320593
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/344,498 Abandoned US20070175096A1 (en) | 2006-02-01 | 2006-02-01 | Method and apparatus for recovering energy from fossil resources |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20070175096A1 (en) |
IL (1) | IL174611A0 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2007089254A2 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20090255181A1 (en) * | 2008-04-10 | 2009-10-15 | Rhinesmith R Bret | Method and system for generating hydrogen-enriched fuel gas for emissions reduction and carbon dioxide for sequestration |
KR101617899B1 (en) | 2008-03-27 | 2016-05-03 | 티센크루프 인더스트리얼 솔루션스 아게 | Device for producing synthesis gas with a gasification reactor and connecting quenching chamber |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN111471489A (en) * | 2020-04-01 | 2020-07-31 | 华东理工大学 | Method and device for preparing synthesis gas from carbon-containing solid waste |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4069024A (en) * | 1977-05-09 | 1978-01-17 | Combustion Engineering, Inc. | Two-stage gasification system |
US4496313A (en) * | 1981-11-26 | 1985-01-29 | Bkmi Industrieanlagen Gmbh | Method of calcining minerals containing heat-value components |
US6365038B1 (en) * | 1991-04-11 | 2002-04-02 | Ormat Industries Ltd. | Method of producing combustible products from heavy fuel residue |
US20030005634A1 (en) * | 2001-07-09 | 2003-01-09 | Albert Calderon | Method for producing clean energy from coal |
-
2006
- 2006-02-01 US US11/344,498 patent/US20070175096A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2006-03-29 IL IL174611A patent/IL174611A0/en unknown
- 2006-04-27 WO PCT/US2006/016142 patent/WO2007089254A2/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4069024A (en) * | 1977-05-09 | 1978-01-17 | Combustion Engineering, Inc. | Two-stage gasification system |
US4496313A (en) * | 1981-11-26 | 1985-01-29 | Bkmi Industrieanlagen Gmbh | Method of calcining minerals containing heat-value components |
US6365038B1 (en) * | 1991-04-11 | 2002-04-02 | Ormat Industries Ltd. | Method of producing combustible products from heavy fuel residue |
US20030005634A1 (en) * | 2001-07-09 | 2003-01-09 | Albert Calderon | Method for producing clean energy from coal |
US6911058B2 (en) * | 2001-07-09 | 2005-06-28 | Calderon Syngas Company | Method for producing clean energy from coal |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
KR101617899B1 (en) | 2008-03-27 | 2016-05-03 | 티센크루프 인더스트리얼 솔루션스 아게 | Device for producing synthesis gas with a gasification reactor and connecting quenching chamber |
US20090255181A1 (en) * | 2008-04-10 | 2009-10-15 | Rhinesmith R Bret | Method and system for generating hydrogen-enriched fuel gas for emissions reduction and carbon dioxide for sequestration |
US7819932B2 (en) | 2008-04-10 | 2010-10-26 | Carbon Blue-Energy, LLC | Method and system for generating hydrogen-enriched fuel gas for emissions reduction and carbon dioxide for sequestration |
US20110000133A1 (en) * | 2008-04-10 | 2011-01-06 | Carbon Blue Energy, Llc | Method and system for generating hydrogen-enriched fuel gas for emissions reduction and carbon dioxide for sequestration |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
IL174611A0 (en) | 2006-09-05 |
WO2007089254A2 (en) | 2007-08-09 |
WO2007089254A3 (en) | 2007-11-01 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US6911058B2 (en) | Method for producing clean energy from coal | |
EP2321387B1 (en) | Two stage entrained gasification system and process | |
EP2430127B1 (en) | Two stage dry feed gasification system and process | |
CN106318417B (en) | Method and system for producing biomethane and ecological methane | |
US20080172941A1 (en) | Gasification reactor | |
CN100560696C (en) | A kind of integration installation for producing synthesis gas from coal with high volatile constituent of using | |
US20100037667A1 (en) | Advanced method for processing fossil fuels | |
CN1782037A (en) | Apparatus and method for coal gasification | |
US5895508A (en) | Down-flow moving-bed gasifier with catalyst recycle | |
AU4750096A (en) | Method for co-producing fuel and iron | |
US20150152344A1 (en) | Melt gasifier system | |
US20070175096A1 (en) | Method and apparatus for recovering energy from fossil resources | |
US7967881B2 (en) | Method and apparatus for gasifying solid fuels | |
US10106753B1 (en) | Coal gasification process with conversion of CO2 to oxygen gasifier feed producing carbon by-product | |
AU2012100987A4 (en) | Containerized Gassifier System | |
JP2004217868A (en) | Coal thermal hydrocracking process | |
JP7192900B2 (en) | Blast Furnace Operation Method and Blast Furnace Incidental Equipment | |
US20160009554A1 (en) | Molten metal gasifier | |
WO2014163586A1 (en) | Molten metal gasifier | |
CN112239678A (en) | Pulverized coal hydro-gasification system and process method thereof | |
JP2002155289A (en) | Gas-flowing bed type method for gasifying coal | |
KR101416154B1 (en) | Complex Type Gasification Apparatus And Method | |
US9835329B2 (en) | Method and apparatus for converting hydrocarbons into clean energy and co-producing valuable by-products, while preventing the discharge of pollutants into the atmosphere | |
CN212504739U (en) | Fine coal hydro-gasification system | |
AU2002320263B2 (en) | Method for producing clean energy from coal |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CALDERON ENERGY COMPANY OF BOWLING GREEN, INC., OH Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CALDERON, ALBERT;CAMP, FREDERICK W.;REEL/FRAME:017822/0029;SIGNING DATES FROM 20060403 TO 20060407 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |