Ikelic - Alliance Digital Repository

STATUS OF OIL SHALE PROJECTS (Underline denotes changes sine* June 1994)
R&D PROJECTS (Continued)
R&D PROJECTS
KENTORT II PDU-University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) (S-290)
CAER has completed a 50-pound per hour Process Development Unit (PDU) in 1993 to test the KENTORT II process. The KEN
TORT II process is a fully-integrated, four-stage, fluidized-bed oil shale retort. The pyrolysis, gasification and zones are
cooling
aligned vertically and share a common fluidizing gas. The combustion zone is adjacent to the gasification section, and a separate
gas stream (air) is used for fluidization.
Three major shakedown runs were completed during 1993. The 50-pound per hour PDU has been shown to be functional when
nitrogen is used for fluidization. To be considered completely operational, however, steam must be used for fluidization. Steam is
crucial to the KENTORT II PDU for two reasons. First, steam is a necessary reactant for the gasification zone, and, second, the oil
collection system was designed around the use of steam. Shakedown runs using steam for fluidization are planned for early 1994.
During 1994. a successful series of runs was completed in the 50 Ib/hr KENTORT II Process Development Unit. All design condi
tions for the unit were achieved including raw shale feedrate. run duration, autothermal operation, solid-recycle rates, and bed tem
peratures. Oil yield of at least 109% of Fischer Assay was achieved for the run with the longest duration.
Currently, the PDU is not being operated. In 1995. the unit will be available for contract research with any type of fluidizable solid
fuel where heat transfer bv solids would be beneficial. Because of the modular design, pyrolysis. gasification, combustion or any
combination of the three can be studied in the integrated unit.
LLNL HOT RECYCLED-SOLIDS (HRS) RETORT - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, U. S. Department of Energy (S-300)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has, for over the last 5 years, been studying hot-solid recycle retorting in the
laboratory and in a 1 tonne per day pilot facility and have developed the LLNL Hot Recycled-Solids Retort (HRS) process as a
generic second generation oil shale retorting system. Much progress has been made in understanding the basic chemistry and
physics of retorting processes and LLNL believes they are ready to proceed to answer important questions to scale the process to
commercial sizes. LLNL hopes to conduct field pilot plant tests at 100 and 1,000 tonnes per day at a mine site in western Colorado.
In this process, raw shale is rapidly heated in a gravity bed pyrolyzer to produce oil vapor and gas. Residual carbon (char), which
remains on the spent shale after oil extraction, is burned in a fluid bed combustor, providing heat for the entire process. The heat
is transferred from the combustion process to the retorting process by recycling the hot solid, which is mixed with the raw shale in a
fluid bed prior to entering the pyrolyzer. The combined raw and burned shale (at a temperature near 500 degrees C) pass through
a moving, packed-bed retort containing vents for quick removal and condensation of product vapors, minimizing losses caused by
cracking (chemical breakdown to less valuable species). Leaving the retort, the solid is pneumatically lifted to the top of a
cascading-bed burner, where the char is burned during impeded-gravity fall, which raises the temperature to nearly 650 degrees C.
Below the cascading-bed burner is a final fluid bed burner, where a portion of the solid is discharged to a shale cooler for final dis
posal.
In 1990, LLNL upgraded the facility to process 4 tonnes per day of raw shale, working with the full particle size (0.25 inch). Key
components of the process are being studied at this scale in an integrated facility with no moving parts using air actuated valves and
a pneumatic transport, suitable for scaleup. In April 1991, the first full system run on the 4 tonne per day pilot plant was com
pleted. Since that time, the retort has successfully operated on both lean and rich shale (22-38 gallons per ton) from western
Colorado. LLNL plans to continue to operate the facility and continue conceptual design of the 100 tonne per day pilot-scale test
facility. LLNL has joined with a consortium of industrial sponsors for its current operations in a 3 year contract to develop the
HRS process.
The ultimate goal is a 1,000-tonne-per-day field pilot plant, followed by a commercially-sized demonstration module (12,000 tonnes
per day) which could be constructed by private industry within a 10 year time frame. Each scale represents a factor of three in
crease in vessel diameter over the previous scale, which is not unreasonable for solid-handling equipment, according to LLNL.
DOE approved a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA^ between LLNL and Amoco. Unocal, and a
Chevron-Conocco partnership. Each company contributed $100,000 and technical expertise to match DOE funding. Pilot plant
runs tested hot-gas filtering and heavy-ends recycle as ways to eliminate dust in the oil. DOE funding ended October 1. 1993. due
to an unfavorable Congressional vote. The CRADA has been inactive and will terminate February 1995.
Project Cost: - Phase I $15 million
Phase II $35 million
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SYNTHETIC FUELS REPORT, JANUARY 1995