Process for the recovery of hydrocarbon fractions from hydrocarbonaceous solids

Abstract

Process and apparatus for extraction of oil and hydrocarbons from crushed hydrocarbonaceous solids ( 101 ), such as oil shale, involving the pyrolyzing of the crushed solids ( 101 ) with liquid hydrocarbon ( 104 ) and hot gas such as syn gas ( 103 ) rich in hydrogen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide or a solid hydrocarbon such as gilsonite. Crushed hydrocarbonaceous solids are treated with a hydrocarbon and hot gas in a rotary kiln ( 105 ) where the crushed solids are cascaded into the hot gas for sufficient time to strip the volatile liquids and gases found in the solids, removing the vaporized liquids, enriched hot gas and spent crushed solids from the kiln, fractionating the vaporized liquids ( 106 ) and enriched syn gas into the desired fractions. Use of hot syn gas is particularly suited for use in conjunction with combined-cycle electricity generation ( 110 ) and in the preparation of various by-products. The process efficiently recycles heat and energy to reduce harmful atmospheric emissions and reliance on external energy sources.

1 . A thermal method for treating crushed hydrocarbonaceous solids to extract hydrocarbons therefrom, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) preheating a crushed hydrocarbonaceous solids;    (b) treating the preheated crushed hydrocarbonaceous solids in a substantially horizontal rotary kiln having an upper end and a slight slope downward with 
 (i) a hot gas at an elevated temperature, and  
 (ii) an injected hydrocarbon which vaporizes, wherein pressure inside the rotary kiln is greater than atmospheric pressure and the crushed solids are introduced at the upper end of the rotary kiln and are heated by the hot gas for a sufficient time to vaporize volatile components from the crushed solids to produce vaporized hydrocarbon materials and spent solids; and  
   (c) removing the vaporized hydrocarbon materials and spent solids from the horizontal rotary kiln.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hot gas is injected inside the rotary kiln and the injected hydrocarbon mixes with the hot gas.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hot gas is directed to an indirect heating device outside the rotary kiln.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the indirect heating device is a concentric shell oriented around at least a portion of the rotary kiln.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hot gas is syn gas, nitrogen gas, hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, carbon monoxide, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the hot syn gas containing hydrogen is introduced into the kiln at a temperature between 700° F. and 2500° F.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the hot syn gas containing hydrogen is obtained from coal gasification.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure inside the rotary kiln is from about 1 psi to about 100 psi.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crushed hydrocarbonaceous solids are preheated to a temperature between about 100° F. and 350° F. before being introduced into the kiln.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crushed solids have a residence time in the kiln of from about 5 to 90 minutes.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the injected hydrocarbon is a solid gilsonite hydrocarbon.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the injected hydrocarbon is a liquid hydrocarbon which is introduced into the kiln at a rate of between about 5 and 50 gallons of liquid hydrocarbon per ton of crushed hydrocarbonaceous solids.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the injected hydrocarbon is liquid crude oil.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the crushed hydrocarbonaceous solids is oil shale.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the crude oil is introduced into the kiln at a rate from about 30 and 50 gallons of crude oil per ton of crushed oil shale.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the crushed hydrocarbonaceous solids are tar sands.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the crude oil is introduced into the kiln at a rate from about 20 and 25 gallons of crude oil per ton of tar sands.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of fractionating the vaporized hydrocarbon materials into desired fractions.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the hot gas is a syn gas which is injected inside the rotary kiln and forms an enriched gas during contact with the crushed solids, and wherein the enriched gas from the step of fractionating is passed through a catalytic converter to form methanol.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the hot gas is a syn gas which is injected inside the rotary kiln and forms an enriched gas during contact with the crushed solids, and wherein the enriched gas from the step of fractionating is combined with nitrogen from a coal gasification process to produce liquid ammonia.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of producing electricity in a combined cycle comprising: 
 (a) recovering an enriched gas from the rotary kiln for use as a fuel gas;    (b) combusting the fuel gas to produce a first heated gas which is directed to a gas turbine which is operatively connected to a first generator wherein the first heated gas is reduced in pressure through the gas turbine to produce a second heated gas; and    (c) using the second heated gas to produce steam which is directed to a steam turbine which is operatively connected to a second generator.    
   
   
       22 . A system for extracting hydrocarbons from hydrocarbonaceous solids comprising: 
 (a) a substantially horizontal rotary kiln having an upper end and a slight slope downward to a lower end and having a crushed hydrocarbonaceous solids source operatively connected to the upper end;    (b) a hot gas source in thermal communication with the rotary kiln;    (c) a liquid hydrocarbon source operatively connected to either the upper end or the lower end; and    (d) a separation chamber operatively connected to a lower end of the horizontal rotary kiln.    
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising a fractionation column operatively connected to the separation chamber.  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the hot gas source is a coal gasifier configured to produce a hot syn gas.  
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising a combined-cycle electricity generator operatively connected to the separation chamber.  
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising an indirect heating device oriented around at least a portion of the rotary kiln.