Effect of low-temperature oxidation on the pyrolysis and combustion of whole oil

Abstract

Abstract Low-temperature oxidation (LTO) of the Fosterton crude oil mixed with its reservoir sand has been investigated in a tubular reactor. Reservoir sand saturated with 15 wt% of crude oil (20.5° API gravity) was subjected to air injection at low-temperature (220 °C) for a period of time (17 h and 30 min), resulting in the formation of an oxygenated hydrocarbon fuel. The vent gases were analyzed for the content of CO, CO 2 , and oxygen and the residue was analyzed to determine the elemental composition and calorific value. The presence of LTO region was verified from the values of apparent H/C ratio. In addition, thermal behavior and combustion kinetics of the residue was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). TG involves both non-isothermal and isothermal analysis and kinetic data was derived from isothermal studies. The general model for n th order reaction was used to obtain the kinetic parameters of the coke oxidation reaction. The activation energy, frequency factor and order of the reactions were determined using the model.