Apparatus and methods for the recovery of hydrocarbonaceous and additional products from oil shale and sands via multi-stage condensation

Abstract

A system for recovering products from a gas stream comprises a cooled chamber having an inlet that feeds the gas stream to a plurality of sequential conduit loops within the chamber. A critical orifice follows each loop, and each loop includes an output port. Based upon the physical characteristics of each loop, the sizing of the critical orifice following the loop, and the temperature within the chamber, different products are condensed from the gas stream through the output ports. The system may be configured to condense hydrocarbonaceous products such as ethane, propane, butane or methane, as well as fundamental products such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen or hydrogen. Gaseous products may be stored in gas or liquid form or vented to atmosphere depending upon amount, purity, and so forth.

1 . A method of extracting products from a gas stream, comprising the steps of:
 feeding the gas stream to a cooled chamber having disposed therein a plurality of sequential conduit loops and a critical orifice following each loop; and   condensing a product in each loop based upon the physical characteristics of the loop, the sizing of the critical orifice following the loop, and the temperature within the chamber; and   storing the products condensed in the loops.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 forming a hole in a body of nonrubilized oil shale or oil sands;   positioning a gas inlet conduit into the hole;   heating and pressurizing a processing gas;   introducing the processing gas into the hole through the gas inlet conduit, thereby creating a nonburning thermal energy front sufficient to convert kerogen in oil shale or bitumen in oil sands to hydrocarbonaceous products;   withdrawing the processing gas and hydrocarbonaceous products as effluent gas through the hole;   performing one or more primary condensation steps to recover crude oil products from the effluent gas; and   performing a secondary condensation step on the effluent gas by feeding the effluent gas to the cooled chamber as the gas stream.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the products include one or more of the following:
 ethane,   propane,   butane,   carbon dioxide,   methane,   nitrogen, and   hydrogen.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one of the products is liquefied carbon dioxide, the method further including the step of using the liquefied carbon dioxide to cool the chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one of the products is carbon dioxide, the method further including a carbon sequestration step wherein the carbon dioxide is delivered down a hole used for the recovery of the hydrocarbonaceous products from oil shale or oil sands. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one of the products is carbon dioxide, the method further including the following carbon sequestration steps:
 delivering the carbon dioxide down a central hole used for the recovery of the hydrocarbonaceous products from oil shale or oil sands; and   detecting the presence of carbon dioxide through one or more additional holes surrounding the central hole to determine if an underground region has been saturated with the carbon dioxide.