The development of an integrated multistage fluid bed retorting process. Technical report, April 1, 1992--June 30, 1992

Abstract

This report summarizes the progress made on the development of an integrated multistage fluidized bed retorting process (KENTORT II) during the period of April 1, 1992 through June 30, 1992. The KENTORT II process includes integral fluidized bed zones for pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion of the oil shale. The purpose of this program is to design and test the KENTORT II process at the 50-lb/hr scale. The raw oil shale sample for the program was mined, prepared, characterized and stored this quarter. The shale that was chosen was from the high-grade zone of the Devonian Cleveland Member of the Ohio Shale in Montgomery County, Kentucky. The shale was mined and then transported to the contractor`s crushing facility where it was crushed, double-screened, and loaded into 85 55-gal barrels. The barrels, containing a total of 25-30 tons of shale, were transported to the (CAER) Center for Applied Energy Research where the shale was double-screened, analyzed and stored. A major objective of the program is the study of solid-induced secondary coking and cracking reactions. A valved fluidized bed reactor has been the primary apparatus used for this study prior to this quarter, but two additional techniques have been initiated this quarter for the study of other aspects of this issue. First, the two-stage hydropyrolysis reactor at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, was used to study the coking tendency of shale oil vapors under a wide range of pyrolysis and hydropyrolysis conditions. This work enabled us to examine secondary reactions under high pressure conditions (up to 150 bar) which were previously unavailable. Second, the development of a fixed bed reactor system was initiated at the CAER to study the coking and cracking characteristics of model compounds. A fixed bed apparatus was necessary because the conversion of model compounds was too low in the fluidized bed apparatus.