Investigation of Factors Affecting the in-Situ Combustion Retorting of Oil Shale. Final Report

摘要

The objective of this research was to carry out an experimental and analytical investigation of a number of subprocesses taking place during an in situ combustion retorting of oil shale. Some of these subprocesses also occur in a surface retorting process. The specific topics of this research program include: (1) experimental determination of the intrinsic kinetics of kerogen decomposition producing oil; (2) mathematical formulation of the retorting of an oil shale block in the presence of heat transfer effects; (3) experimental determination of the intrinsic kinetics of oil shale char oxidation; (4) mathematical modeling of the oxidaton of oil shale char in a spent shale block in the presence of heat and mass transfer effects; (5) determination of ignition delay and energy requirements for the ignition of an oil shale bed; (6) determination of thermal expansion of oil shale; and (7) determination of heat capacities of oil shale and the heat of decomposition of kerogen. The results of the investigation of these topics are presented. Some of the results have been published in journals which are readily available. In such a case only a brief summary of the results are presented. (ERA citation 06:034309)