Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft

Rainer Hoffmann

Gerd Brunner

Konrad Kunstle

Konrad K/u/ Nstle

Method of extracting liquid hydrocarbons from oil-containing stone or sand, wherein the oil-containing stone or the oil-containing sand undergoes hydrogenating, low temperature carbonization in a reactor at temperatures of 450.degree. to 520.degree. C. and a pressure of approximately 50 bar through the action of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and steam, and wherein the hydrocarbons are separated from the resulting gaseous, low temperature carbonization mixture. The low temperature carbonization mixture from the reactor is cooled in a first separation stage to a temperature of approximately 350.degree. C. to condense the less volatile hydrocarbons. The separated, liquid phase is fed to a solids separator and placed in contact with a circulating gas of carbon dioxide and a C.sub.6 /C.sub.7 hydrocarbon fraction. The low temperature carbonization mixture containing uncondensed gases and more volatile hydrocarbons are washed in a second separation stage with water and cooled to approximately 250.degree. C. Gas containing hydrogen separated from the volatile hydrocarbons is fed at least partly to the reactor again. Carbon monoxide is obtained from the solids through the action of carbon dioxide, contained in hot, combustion gases. This carbon monoxide together with carbon dioxide of the combustion gases is fed to the reactor.

Method of extracting hydrocarbons from oil-containing rock or sand

A process for extracting hydrocarbons from oil shale comprising the steps of subjecting oil shale under superatmospheric pressure in the presence of hydrogen and steam, to low temperature hydrogenating distillation; separating the resulting fluid distillation mixture into liquid and gaseous products; and returning water and hydrogen separated from the fluid distillation mixture to the low temperature distillation; in which:

Process and apparatus for extracting hydrocarbons from oil shale

An arrangement for extracting crude oil from oil shale comprising: a low temperature carbonization reactor; a processing means for feeding a slurry of oil shale, solvent and hydrogen into the low temperature carbonization reactor; a separating means for separating the resulting gaseous low temperature carbonization mixture from the used oil shale and for separating the low temperature carbonization mixture into gaseous and liquid low temperature carbonization products; a gas turbine the exhaust gas outlet of which is connected to two heat exchangers, one of which heat exchangers is disposed in a circulation system for a scavenging gas, which circulation system includes a separating reactor (which forms part of said separating means) in which in use the scavenging gas flows upwardly in counterflow to the oil shale for separation of the fluid low temperature carbonization mixture from the used oil shale, and the other of which heat exchangers is disposed between the low temperature carbonization reactor and said separating reactor; the low temperature carbonization reactor including a fluidizing cooler with a fluidized bed means for feeding used oil shale from the separating reactor to the fluidized bed and means for feeding turbine exhaust gas from either or both of said two heat exchangers to the fluidized bed for fluidizing the bed.

Growing community of inventors

Nuremberg, Germany

Rainer Hoffmann