Petroleum products from oil shale

Abstract

A system for producing petroleum products from oil shale includes one or plural kiln lines made up of plural series-connected, indirect-fired, inclined rotary kilns. Plural kiln lines are operated for parallel processing. Oil shale is advanced through kilns in succession and exhausted from each kiln line substantially free of hydrocarbons. Successive kilns along the advancement of oil shale are maintained at successively higher temperatures. A fuel distinct from hydrocarbons in oil shale, such as syngas from a gasifier or hydrogen gas from a separator, drives pyrolysis to extract hydrocarbons. A refining unit located proximate to the kiln lines upgrades extracted hydrocarbons into petroleum products and separates the petroleum products by criteria. A heat extraction unit recovers heat from exhausted oil shale for reuse in kilns. A method involves drying oil shale followed by heating dry oil shale in successively hotter pyrolysis environments.

1 . A system for producing petroleum products from oil shale, said system comprising:
 (a) a kiln line comprising series-connected, indirect-fired, inclined rotary kilns, oil shale containing hydrocarbons being advanced during processing through individual of said kilns in succession and being exhausted from said kiln line substantially free of hydrocarbons, each successive of said kilns in the direction of the advancement of the oil shale maintaining a corresponding oil shale processing environment at a temperature higher than the temperature of the oil shale processing environment maintained in the preceding of said kilns; and   (b) a heat source comprising a fuel distinct from hydrocarbons in oil shale, said fuel corresponding to said heat source being supplied to said kiln line to drive pyrolysis and to extract hydrocarbons from the oil shale advanced through said kiln line.   
     
     
         2 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a refining unit, said refining unit receiving extracted hydrocarbons from the oil shale advanced through said kiln line, upgrading said extracted hydrocarbons into petroleum products, and separating said petroleum products by predetermined criteria. 
     
     
         3 . A system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said refining unit is located proximate to said kiln line, whereby said extracted hydrocarbons reach said refining unit at a temperature substantially undiminished from the temperature of said extracted hydrocarbons when said extracted hydrocarbons leave said kiln line. 
     
     
         4 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said fuel corresponding to said heat source comprises hot gaseous fuel. 
     
     
         5 . A system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said heat source comprises a gasifier of solid fuel. 
     
     
         6 . A system as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said gasifier converts coal to syngas. 
     
     
         7 . A system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said heat source comprises a hydrogen separator. 
     
     
         8 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of kiln lines, each of said kiln lines being comprised of series-connected, indirect-fired, inclined rotary kilns, said plurality of kiln lines being parallel-connected relative to each other, whereby oil shale containing hydrocarbons is advanced during processing simultaneously through individual of said kiln lines and is exhausted therefrom substantially free of hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         9 . A system as recited in  claim 8 , comprising two of said parallel-connected kiln lines. 
     
     
         10 . A system as recited in  claim 8 , comprising at least three of said parallel-connected kiln lines. 
     
     
         11 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a heat extraction unit, said heat extraction unit receiving exhausted oil shale from said kiln line and recovering heat therefrom, said heat recovered in said heat extraction unit being returned to said kiln line. 
     
     
         12 . A system for producing petroleum products from oil shale, said system comprising:
 (a) a first inclined rotary kiln, said first inclined rotary kiln receiving for processing oil shale containing hydrocarbons and maintaining therewithin a corresponding first oil shale processing environment at a first temperature;   (b) a first roasting jacket operatively associated with said first kiln and supplied with sufficient heat to indirectly maintain said first oil shale processing environment in said first inclined rotary kiln;   (c) a second inclined rotary kiln series-connected to the output end of said first inclined rotary kiln, said second inclined rotary kiln receiving for further processing oil shale processed through said first inclined rotary kiln and maintaining therewithin a corresponding second oil shale processing environment at a second temperature greater than said first temperature in said first inclined rotary kiln;   (d) a second roasting jacket operatively associated with said second inclined rotary kiln and supplied with sufficient heat to indirectly maintain said second oil shale processing environment in said second inclined rotary kiln; and   (e) a heat source comprising a fuel distinct from hydrocarbons in oil shale, said fuel corresponding to said heat source being supplied to said first and second roasting jackets, thereby to extract hydrocarbons from oil shale processed through said first and second inclined rotary kilns, respectively.   
     
     
         13 . A system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein initial pyrolysis occurs in said first oil shale processing environment in said first inclined rotary kiln, and additional pyrolysis occurs in said second oil shale processing environment in said second inclined rotary kiln. 
     
     
         14 . A system as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said first temperature in said first inclined rotary kiln is about 650° Fahrenheit, and said second temperature in said second inclined rotary kiln is about 1050° Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         15 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A system as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising a refining unit located proximate to said first and second inclined rotary kilns, said refining unit receiving extracted hydrocarbons from the oil shale processed through said first and second inclined rotary kilns, upgrading said extracted hydrocarbons into petroleum products, and separating said petroleum products by predetermined criteria, said extracted hydrocarbons reaching said refining unit at a temperature substantially undiminished from the temperature of said extracted hydrocarbons when said extracted hydrocarbons leave said first and second inclined rotary kilns, respectively. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A system as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said refining unit upgrades said extracted hydrocarbons from said first kiln independently of said extracted hydrocarbons from said second kiln. 
     
     
         20 . A system as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising a pre-heat kiln series-connected to the input end of said first inclined rotary kiln upstream of said first inclined rotary kiln in the direction of the advancement of the oil shale during processing in said first and second inclined rotary kilns. 
     
     
         21 . A system as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said pre-heat kiln comprises an inclined rotary kiln maintaining a corresponding oil shale drying environment in which moisture is removed from oil shale before the oil shale enters said first inclined rotary kiln. 
     
     
         22 . A system as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said pre-heat kiln uses heat recovered from oil shale processed through said second inclined rotary kiln. 
     
     
         23 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A system for producing petroleum products from oil shale, said system comprising:
 (a) a kiln line comprised of plural series-connected inclined rotary kilns, oil shale containing hydrocarbons being advanced during processing in succession through each of said kilns and exhausted from said kiln line substantially free of hydrocarbons;   (b) a heat source comprising a fuel distinct from hydrocarbons in oil shale, said fuel corresponding to said heat source being supplied to said kiln line to drive pyrolysis and to extract hydrocarbons from the oil shale advanced through said kiln line;   (c) plural roasting jackets operatively associated with corresponding of said kilns in said kiln line, each of said roasting jackets being sufficiently supplied from said heat source to cooperate indirectly with said kiln corresponding thereto in maintaining pyrolysis of the oil shale advanced therethrough; and   (d) a refining unit located proximate to said kiln line, said refining unit receiving extracted hydrocarbons from the oil shale advanced through said kiln line, upgrading said extracted hydrocarbons into petroleum products, and separating said petroleum products by predetermined criteria.   
     
     
         26 . A system as recited in  claim 25 , wherein said heat source comprises:
 (a) a gasifier of solid fuel; and   (b) a hydrogen separator.   
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A system as recited in  claim 25 , wherein said kiln line comprises:
 (a) a pre-heat kiln, said pre-heat kiln receiving for processing oil shale containing hydrocarbons and maintaining a corresponding oil shale drying environment wherein moisture is removed from the oil shale received by said pre-heat kiln;   (b) a first pyrolysis kiln series-connected to the output end of said pre-heat kiln, said first pyrolysis kiln receiving for further processing oil shale processed through said pre-heat kiln and maintaining a corresponding first pyrolysis environment wherein hydrocarbons are removed from the oil shale received by said first pyrolysis kiln; and   (c) a second pyrolysis kiln series-connected to the output end of said first pyrolysis kiln, said second pyrolysis kiln receiving for further processing oil shale processed through said first pyrolysis kiln and maintaining a corresponding second pyrolysis environment wherein additional hydrocarbons are removed from the oil shale received by said second pyrolysis kiln, said second pyrolysis environment in said second pyrolysis kiln being hotter than said first pyrolysis environment in said first pyrolysis kiln.   
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A system as recited in  claim 25 , wherein said plural roasting jackets comprise:
 (a) a first roasting jacket operatively associated with said first pyrolysis kiln and supplied with sufficient fuel from said heat source to indirectly maintain said first oil shale pyrolysis environment in said first pyrolysis kiln; and   (b) a second roasting jacket operatively associated with said second pyrolysis kiln and supplied with sufficient fuel from said heat source to indirectly maintain said second oil shale pyrolysis environment in said second pyrolysis kiln.   
     
     
         31 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A system for producing petroleum products from oil shale, said system comprising:
 (a) a pre-heat kiln, said pre-heat kiln receiving for processing oil shale containing hydrocarbons and maintaining a corresponding oil shale drying environment wherein moisture is removed from the oil shale received by said pre-heat kiln;   (b) a first pyrolysis kiln series-connected to the output end of said pre-heat kiln, said first pyrolysis kiln receiving for further processing oil shale processed through said pre-heat kiln and maintaining a corresponding first pyrolysis environment wherein hydrocarbons are removed from the oil shale received by said first pyrolysis kiln;   (c) a second pyrolysis kiln series-connected to the output end of said first pyrolysis kiln, said second pyrolysis kiln receiving for further processing oil shale processed through said first pyrolysis kiln and maintaining a corresponding second pyrolysis environment wherein additional hydrocarbons are removed from the oil shale received by said second pyrolysis kiln, said second pyrolysis environment in said second pyrolysis kiln being hotter than said first pyrolysis environment in said first pyrolysis kiln; and   (d) a heat source comprising a fuel supplied to said first and second pyrolysis kilns, thereby to maintain said first and second pyrolysis environments, respectively.   
     
     
         34 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . A system as recited in  claim 33 , further comprising a refining unit, said refining unit receiving extracted hydrocarbons from the oil shale processed through said first and second pyrolysis kilns, upgrading said extracted hydrocarbons into petroleum products, and separating said petroleum products by predetermined criteria. 
     
     
         37 . A system as recited in  claim 36 , wherein said fuel corresponding to said heat source comprises selected of said petroleum products separated in said refining unit. 
     
     
         38 - 45 . (canceled)