US1587256A - Rotary oil-shale retort - Google Patents

Description

June 1 1926. 1,587,256

J. H. TOUPET ET AL ROTARY OIL SHALE RETORT Filed April 9, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m a aylaze June 1 1926., I

- J. H. TOUPET E AL ROTARY OIL SHALE RETORT Filed April 9 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR$ Patented June 1, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JULIUS H. TOUPET AND VANTON 0. FOULK, F IfITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA; SAID TOUPE'J. ASSIGNOR TO SAID FOULK.

ROTARY OIL-SHALE REIORT.

Application filed April 9, 1924. Serial No. 705,220.

Our invention relates to improvements in rotary retorts, and especially to a retort for recovery of oil from shale or of other substances or by-products, as ammoma, potash,

etc., from shale or similar raw mater al. In such mechanism, as at present practice, the natural oil-containing shale is submitted to the action of heat, usually in retorts sub ject to external heating, together with means for introducing the shale, removlng the waste material, and extracting the oil vapor, etc.

Our invention has in view to provide a construction in which the raw shale is charged into the interior of a rotatable cylindrical casing, through which a series of heating conduits extend from one end to the other, having a circulating communication with a heating medium or suitable source 9 of heat. Any convenient or available source of heat or heating means may be utilized for circulation through the heating conduits, as superheated steam, air, gas. or other heat containing or heat imparting medium. In

,5 the construction illustrated, one preferred embodiment of the invention is shown, utilizing a furnace or fuel burner at one end and an outlet stack at the other.

.The rotatable casing is provided with lifting abutments whereby the contained shale may be carried upwardly and dropped upon the heating conduits, together with means for slowly advancing the shale toward the other end of the retort, means for continuously supplying raw shale, and for withdrawing waste material, together with means for carrying off the vapors, and various other features of construction and operation, as shall be more fully hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating one preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a complete retort, embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of the receiving end of the retort;

Fig. 4 is a view of the opposite end, on the section line IV-IV of Fig. 6;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line VV ofFlg. 1;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view, enlar ed and partly broken away, on the line --VI of Fig. 3; and

stationary head 3, 4, respectively, by tele-' scoping engagement therewith, each of such heads having a packing gland 5 for the purpose of making a vapor tight closure with the shell, as will be readily understood.

Head 4 is provided with a supplemental extended head 6 at its rear end, communieating by conduit 7 with the furnace or combustion chamber 8, in which any suitable fuel, as gas, fuel oil, or'the like, is burned, in connection with a suitable air supply from burner 9 and fuel supply pipe 10. At the opposite end, a similar head 11 extends outwardly beyond. the head 3, being connected therewith by flange and bolt connections, as indicated at 12, and having an outer flange for connection with the stack 13, as at 14.

Head 6 and head 11 respectively are located slopingly across the end of the cylindrical heads 4 and 3 respectively, as shown, in such a manner as to provide communicating widened box-like connections for the bank of fuel circulating tubes 15, as in Fig. 5. Tubes 15, which are stationary, extend through one lower side portion of the retort, and are grouped around the bottom and upwardly toward one side, as indicated, and with relation to the direction of rotation of easing 2, so that the contents will be carried upwardly and will fall over and through the pipes 15, continuously during the rotation of the drum.

For such purpose, series of elevating abutments, shelves, or vanes 16, of short sections of angle iron or other suitable material, are

bolted or riveted at intervals to the interior of the shell. extending inwardly, and preferably at a slight angle longitudinally of the shell, so as to tend to slightly incline, with the effect of advancing the shale toward the outlet end, gradually during the tumbling operation,

If preferred, however, the shelves 16 may be arranged in exact alinement with the longitudinal center and the same general efi'ect secured by tilting the retort slightly downwardly toward the heating gas supply and refuse discharge end.

Raw shale is introduced through the front stationary head 3 by means of a pipe conduit 17, having an interior spiral conveyor 18, driven through sprocket gear 19 or either suitable means, and adapted to feed in the raw shale from a superimposed bin or hopper 20.

At the other end, waste material, i. e., the refuse shale after the oil content has been distilled therefrom, is carried off by a similar conveyor 21 in conduit 22, communicating with head 4 through a downwardly extending flanged delivery conduit 23 thereof, as in Fig. 4. Stationary heads 3 and 4 are supported on any suitable brackets 24 at each end, and the intermediate rotatable cylinder is carried upon supporting rollers 25 revolving in bearings 26 of brackets or beams 27, located between the ends at suitable supporting locations, depending upon the length and weight of the cylinder and its contents.

Drum 2, at such locations, is provided with annular reinforcing and supporting bearing or track rings 28, resting upon wheels 25, as will be readily understood, and the drum is provided at its middle portion with a sprocket wheel or pulley 29 for connection with the wheel or pulley of drive shaft 30 of a suitable motor or other prime mover 31, and its necessary gearing and other parts.

The wheel 19 of spiral conveyor 18 is also geared by chain or belt 32 with a terminal sprocket or pulley of shaft 30, as shown, and conveyor 21 is driven in the same manner at the desired speed, either from the same or a separate motor, as preferred.

For the purpose of conveying away oil vapor and gas, the conduit 33 is connected with head 3, preferably near the upper portion of the retort, and beyond its active interior zone, whereby the vapors, etc. as released may be carried off. For such purpose, we prefer to utilize a positively acting vacuum pump, adapted to create a partial vacuum within the retort and a resulting compression on such condensing apparatus, through which the vapors, etc. may be forced, with or without an oil spray or other cleaner, toward the usual condenser. Such parts of the mechanism are of well known construction and operation, and need not be further described.

For the purpose of supplementing the {sealing effect of the packing box 5 between the stationary heads 3 and 4 and the casing .2, we surround the joint beyond the gland "with a thin sheet metal ring 34 secured to the edge of the gland and sloping towards and contacting with the casing at an angle of about forty-five degrees. The interior space is filled with any suitable packing 35, as asbestos.

While the heating conduits 15 may be arranged in the straight series, as shown, it will be understood, of course, that such construction may be varied in different Ways. Thus, in Fig. 8, we show one of a series of return coils 15 providing for forward and back circulation through the heating cavity of the retort, such coils being connected by their opposite ends to the terminal stationary heads 3 and 4:, respectively. By such arrangement, the full heating effect of the heating medium is utilized, with more even distribution throughout the interior, and the pipe coils may be arranged quite closely together for good contact of the contents being treated.

It will be understood, also, that, instead of the gases of combustion from furnace 8, the header or manifold 6 or conduit 7 may be connected with any source of supply for the introduction of superheated steam, air, gas, or other fluid heating medium, as desired.

Also, that electrical heat may be utilized in the manner shown in Fig. 9 by enclosing proper resistance conductor 36 within each conduit 15", and connecting it, either singly or in series, with a generator 37 or other source of current.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the series of heating tubes 15 are grouped along the lower side portion of rotating cylinder 2 with the inner tubes arranged as shown, so as to provide an approximate inclined plane, over which the shale will fall downwardly towards the bottom and be carried upwardly by the vanes 16.

The advantages of our invention reside in its facility for easily, continuously, and completely operating to eliminate all of the contained oil content, by means of the very thorough exposure of the loose shale to the heat and the constant tumbling and breaking up of the particles, whereby to effectually release the contained oil, and carry it off in its vaporized condition. The operation as thus carried out is very complete, resulting in the saving of practically all the desirable content and leaving a thoroughly stripped refuse.

It will be understood that the capacity of the retort may be adapted to any desired output or quantity of raw material to be handled within physical limitations and .practicable length. The gradual heatingof the raw material is effected by introducing it into the cooler end of the retort, wherein outgoing products of combustion are connected with the stack, the shale becoming gradually heated in its passage toward the combustion chamber at the other end, and as gradually giving off its contained oil, as the temperature increases towards the fuel supply.

By this means, the shale; is, therefore, subjected to the greatest heat, at the end where refuse is finally discharged, so that the operation is'carried out under the most favorable conditions. The relation of the heat to the portions of the retort, however, may be varied within certain limits by control of the heating medium, or by adoption of the coil form of conduit shown.

What We claim is our invention is:

1.-A rotary oil shale retort consisting of a horizontally arranged rotatable drum, opposite stationary closing heads therefor having sealed connection with the rotatable drum, a series of heating tubes extending longitudinally through the rotatable drum and through the closing heads at each end and comprising a bank located along one lower side portion of the interior of the drum with the inner tubes thereof arranged in an upwardly and outwardly sloping plane, means for introducing raw material to one end of the drum and for withdrawing refuse from its other end, means for circulating heating gases through the tubes, and means for rotating the drum.

2. A rotary oil shale retort consisting of a horizontally arranged rotatable drum, opposite stationary closing heads therefor having sealed connection with the rotatable drum, a series of heating tubes extending longitudinally through the rotatable drum and through the closing heads at each-end and comprising a bank located along one lower side portion of the interior of the drum with the inner tubes thereof arranged in an upwardly and outwardly sloping plane, means for furnishingheating gases to one of said heads for inward circulation through said tubes, means for carrying off said heating gases from the other of said heads as they emerge from said tubes, means for introducing raw material through one of said'heads, means for withdrawing waste products through the other of said heads, means for withdrawing distilled vapors from the interior of the drum, and means for rotating the drum whereby to elevate material therein at one side and deliver it by gravity across said bank of tubes.

3. A rotary oil shale retort consisting of posite stationary closing heads therefor having sealed connection with the rotatable drum, a series of heating tubes extending longitudinally through the rotatable drum and through the closing heads at each end and comprising a bank located along one lower side portion of the interior of the drum with the inner tubes thereof arranged in an upwardly and outwardly sloping plane, an enclosing casing surrounding the inlet ends of said tubes be yond one of said heads and communicating with a furnace or other source of heating gases, a similar casing surrounding the outlet ends of said tubes beyond the other of said heads and communicating with an exhaust stack, means for supplying raw material to the rotatable drum, means for withdrawing waste material therefrom, means for withdrawing distilled vapors from the drum, and means for rotating it.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures.

JULIUS H. TOUPET. VANTON O. FOULK.

a horizontally arranged rotatable drum, op-

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