Harvesting hydrocarbons from coal, shale, peat and landfill seams

Abstract

A method of extraction of fuels and elements from coal, shale, peat and landfill seams is described which cuts the earth with only a main shaft which could measure half a meter diameter and with auxiliary narrow drillings of, say 10 centimeter diameter, widely spaced from the shaft. The coal, shale or peat seam is heated to the highest temperature of the hydrocarbon fraction desired to be extracted and the evaporated hydrocarbons are carried out of the shaft by Nitrogen gas. To enhance the extraction rate of the evaporated hydrocarbons, tonal input from two or more organ pipes vibrates the seam structure freeing the evaporated hydrocarbons allowing their escape into the shaft. As the extraction continues requiring inclusion of a greater area of the seam structure, narrow drillings are made and Liquid Nitrogen is inserted in the drillings reaching seam levels as Nitrogen gas which seeps into the seam. A gas-impenetrable sleeve prevents the Nitrogen gas from seeping into the soil or substrate between the ground level and the seams. Further expansion of the field moves the Nitrogen sourcing to the outer circle and inserts auxiliary heaters in the narrow drillings between the outer ring and main shaft bringing more of the seam to the desired extraction temperature. Extracted evaporated hydrocarbons are cold cracked allowing the fractionation of hydrocarbons into fuel types as heating oil, kerosene, gasoline, ethers, and fuel gas, methane, argon and rare gas segments. The thermal gradient of the extraction pipe is implemented by sourcing the Nitrogen from Liquid Nitrogen and running the pipes bundled with the extraction pipe condensing its contents by hydrocarbon fractions in vessels and gas drums depending on boiling points of fractions. Water is separated from the gasoline segment and purified by separation and freezing.

1 . A method of extracting evaporated hydrocarbons from a coal, shale, peat, or landfill seam using a primary shaft drilling comprising the steps of:
 a. cooling the coal, shale, peat or landfill seam to brittle with Liquid Nitrogen to enable vibration shock to open the seam formation for hydrocarbon extraction,   b. heating the coal, shale or peat seam with a contained heat source at the seam level in the lower parts of the main shaft;   c. vibrating the coal, shale or peat seam with single frequency sound, and with harmonic beating of a matching size, but adjustably tuned sound using two or more organ pipes;   d. applying Nitrogen gas to the shaft environment initially using it to activate the organ pipes, then to be an inert carrier of the evaporated hydrocarbons emerging from the seam into the shaft, and, at the same time, serve as a fire suppressant so the mining operation does not ignite a coal mine, shale or peat seam fire; and   e. keeping the Nitrogen gas pressure such that the shaft functions are kept at required levels of vibrations and carrying the evaporated hydrocarbons out of the shaft and into processing.   
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating unit raises the coal, shale, peat or landfill seam temperature to the highest temperature of the longest carbon content hydrocarbons desired to be extracted determining the range of hydrocarbon fractions being extracted from the seam. 
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cue or harmonic vibration rate causing the highest extraction rate for the evaporated hydrocarbons from the coal, shale, peat or landfill seams into the shaft for extraction. 
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the adjustable organ pipe can be manually adjusted or driven to scan harmonics and enter matched tuning with the fixed tone organ pipe. 
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the carriage of the evaporated hydrocarbons with Nitrogen gas heated to the highest temperature of the heaviest hydrocarbon desired to be extracted. 
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising the collection of the hot Nitrogen/Hydrocarbon into an isolated extraction tube taking these gases hot from the shaft. 
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 1  of regulating Nitrogen flow such that the thermal segments of the Cold Cracker are kept at constant conditions so the separated hydrocarbons are accurately refining the output into reliable fractions of hydrocarbons. 
   
   
       8 . A method of extracting evaporated hydrocarbons from a coal, shale, peat or landfill seam using a primary shaft drilling, and as the extraction continues, secondary narrow drillings to enable continued evaporated hydrocarbon extraction comprising the steps of:
 a. drilling narrow secondary holes and applying a pulsed application of Liquid Nitrogen through a spaced hole sieve making Nitrogen droplets that evaporate rapidly as they drop down the hole releasing Nitrogen gas into the coal, shale, peat or landfill seam. Initially this can freeze to brittle the coal seam in this area allowing vibration cracking of the seam structure. As it heats up, the hydrocarbons evaporated are carried to the main drilling in the gaseous Nitrogen flow and as the ring of these units freezes it keeps the ground water from entering the active extraction zone.   b. forcing the Nitrogen gas to seep into the seam only by covering the soil and rock above the seam with a gas impervious sleeve.   c. increasing the sequence of rings of holes, keeping the furthest hole for the application of the Liquid Nitrogen the hydrocarbons evaporated are carried to the main drilling in the gaseous Nitrogen flow and as the ring of these units freezes it keeps the ground water from entering the active extraction zone, and applying a heating unit to the holes where earlier the Liquid Nitrogen was applied.   d. regulating the temperature of the narrow drilling heaters to the desired temperature, as that of the highest temperature of the highest carbon count molecules of the fraction of hydrocarbons desired to be extracted.   
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the Nitrogen sourcing insures the Nitrogen gas evaporating from the Liquid Nitrogen seeps into the coal, shale, peat or landfill seam by keeping the top of the drilling sealed and lining the drilling to the seam levels with Nitrogen gas-impenetrable material. 
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising the heating of the inner narrow drillings by insulating the narrow drilling down to the coal, shale or peat seam so all the heat produced affects the temperature of the seam only. 
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the heating unit in the narrow drillings is controlled by an enclosed liquid boiler at the temperature desired by selection of the liquid in the boiler where the heating element is immersed to boil at the temperature desired to heat the seam. 
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 8 , which prevents ignition of the seam by containing the heating element in a boiler and flooding the porous seam with Nitrogen which is the carrier for the evaporated hydrocarbons. 
   
   
       13 . A method of separating the hydrocarbon fractions by Cold Cracking comprised by the steps of:
 a. initiating the infusion of Nitrogen gas by evaporating Liquid Nitrogen in a condenser which feeds directly into two or more pipes delivering Nitrogen gas, one organ pipe per Nitrogen pipe;   b. running the Nitrogen pipes over the evaporated hydrocarbon/Nitrogen extraction pipe in an insulated packet including the Nitrogen pipes and the extraction pipe with radiator plates to transfer the thermal temperature between the cold pipes of Nitrogen gas and hot gas of the extraction pipe;   c. segmenting the extraction pipe by placing draining pipes with traps in sections of the extraction pipe to drain out condensed liquids and allow their flow into a collecting vessel;   d. accommodating both hydrocarbon fractions which are liquids at normal temperatures and hydrocarbon fractions which are gaseous at normal temperatures;   e. enabling collection of the rare gases, Hydrogen, Helium and Neon, by allowing their rising into a tube and capturing them in an inverted container which allows by their containment in mylar balloons their storage and movement to market and final separation, one from another;   f. separating the light gasoline from water in the collection cylinder with a float with holes to keep the separation from turmoil in the solution when adding condensed liquid mix; and   g. further removing contaminants from the water by slow freezing so the crystal structure of the freezing water eliminates other materials.   
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the cold Nitrogen tubes emerging from the condenser for evaporating Liquid Nitrogen intersect with the extraction tube at its coolest point and flows warming to its hottest point as it is insulated coming from the shaft causing the extraction pipe to have a thermal gradient. 
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the thermal ranges of the extraction pipe are isolated with a drain collecting the condensed hydrocarbons in the segment collecting the highest temperature evaporating (condensing) hydrocarbons in barrels or vessels storing them as liquid at normal temperatures and collecting the lower temperature evaporating (condensing) hydrocarbons that are gaseous at normal temperatures in gas collection drums. 
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the condensed liquids are divided at the thermal point between the neighboring segments at the defined thermal point as defines the types of hydrocarbons, molecules, and atoms using an adjustable barrier so the cooler condensation goes to the first drain and the hotter segment condenses and flows to the second drain of the two materials. 
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the gases that condense at higher temperatures than Nitrogen and are of smaller molecular weights are allowed to escape from the extraction tube by rising in a vertical tube topped with an inverted container that allows transfer to transport-capable containment. 
   
   
       18 . The method, according to  claim 13  of extracting water from the material condensed by using a secondary separation in the thermal range of water condensation where water being denser than hydrocarbons, will sink to the bottom and the hydrocarbons condensed in that section float on the water and increasing the separation stability with a float riding on water but sinking in hydrocarbons that is slightly smaller than the cylinder and has many holes allowing small regional separation and less splash and mixing as condensed material is added to the cylinder. 
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18  whereby the water is further purified by slow freezing so crystal structure of water formed forces out contaminates making water that is welcome to a clean environment from the extraction process. 
   
   
       20 . A method of clearing the extraction tube of its remaining gas after cooling to minus 162° C., which condenses methane gas and possibly Argon at—185.7° C., allowing release of the rare gases and then releasing the remaining Nitrogen to the atmosphere, and cutting the Nitrogen clouding with a fan causing air mixing at wind speeds exceeding five miles an hour to insure any resulting Nitrogen cloud is dispersed, insuring that people or animals do not breathe the pure Nitrogen gas and succumbing to Nitrogen Asphyxiation or Coma. 
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 8  which uses a large heater, electric using a heating element in the lower section of the boiling can or fuel gas heating of the liquid using extracted fuel gas with cooler liquid drained to the flame heater at ground level with one-way valves keeping the fluid rising and the heated liquid proceeding upward with one one-way valve keeping the heated fluid going down to enter the boiling can through a funnel in the middle of the can releasing the hot liquid upward with all fluids passing through insulated hoses, with higher boiling point liquid transferring the coil heat to the outside and radiating the heat to the gases in the shaft and drillings and though the coal, shale, peat, or landfill seams evaporating the hydrocarbons designated for extraction.