US1638217A - Retort for treating oil shale - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1l Filed Dec.' 19. 1924 Patented Aug. 9, 1927. A

UNlTEil-)STATES PATEN EDWARD B. ROTH, or sr. LouIsfMrssoUnr.

Barona: non pasarme oKIL SHALE.

i Application filed December 19,-1924. v Serial No. 756,892.

This invention relates to retorts for treatL ingA oil shale, Y v

In the treatment of oil shale in order to vaporizen-and remove the oil therefrom various problems and requirements are encountered and, in order to obtain'the best results, it is essential or desirable that the feed of the shale to and through the retort` should be continuous; that the-oil vapors Should be produced at the lowest possible temperature and removed at once; that the heat should be applied uniformly; that the shale should. be

prevented from becoming gummed or cofagulated in cal{es,and should be. reduced. to a proper degree of linenesspreferably so that it will pass through a quarter ln'ch mesh screen; that it should be dried and pre- Y heated to a degree of temperature. approximating the degree oftemperature at which the first oil vapors are about to separate' from the shale and rise'; that the shale should be continuously agitated and propelled through different zones of. progressively increasing heat; that the vapors be` withdrawn quickly from the retort and from the different zones thereof. l Experience .has demonstrated thatthe longer the shale is exposed to heat and the slower the heat isapplied in the respective zones proportionately better results areobtained, and that the vapors from some of the shale components separate and rise under the iniiuence of lower heat than from others and, further, that the apparatus should be equipped with means for varying the speed of movement of the shale therefrom. An object' of thev presentinvention is to provide an improved apparatus embodying structure for the performance of all of the above-mentioned operations, in a 'highly etcient and satisfactory manner s0 that the apparatus can be used commercially and profitably.

' Specifically, an object of the invention is to provide an improved retort for the treatment of oil shale divided into compartments subjected lto a higher degree of heat progressively from the compartmentwhich the shale rst enters to the compartment from which the shale is discharged, and having compartment to another and finally from the retort, lin combination'with means for rapidly removing theoil vapors from the re- `tort. The invention is equally useful in the treatment of lignite and other materials containing matter'that will vaporize.

Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig--1 is a plan view of one embodime the invention..

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

vFigz is a vertical sectionalyiew. f'

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are horizontal sectional viewsv on the lines 1-4, 5--5 and 66 respectively of Fig. 3.

The invention as shown comprises an outer cylindrical wall 1, an inner wall 2 concentric with the outer w`all and spaced therefrom, an upper end wall or cover 3 for the innerv cylinder 2 andan upper end wall or cover 4 for the oute` cylinder l. A lower end wall 5 closes the lower end of the innerl cylinder "2 and with said cylinder 2 and a Wall 6 forms a combustion chamber containing a 'burner 7 to which fuel is supplied through a pipe 8. The upper end walls of the covers 3 and 4 are removable. Y

A spacing ring 9 forms a partition closing communication between the space between the inner and outer walls below said ring" its lower end journaled in a bearing 14 and its upper end connected by a clutch 15 with a drive shaft 16. A number of openings 17 through the inner cylinder 2 permit the vapors to pass from the several compart. ments to the space between vthe inner cylinder 2 and the outer cylinder 1 above the partition ring 9 from which space the vapors pass through outlets 18 to a condenser. The

openings 17 are near the upper ends of the' respective compartments so that while the rising vapors will pass through saidvopenings the lshale will not.

A number of arms 19 extend from the shaft 13 in each of the compartments and ro tate with said shaft. The arms 19 in the up- 'slots or openings 23 through which the shale drops to the nextycompartment. Thearins 19 in the compartment receiving the shale from the slots or openings 23 have flights 24 which propel the shale inwardly uponl the partition 12 to slots or openings 25through which the shale drops into the next and iinai compartment; From the lower .compartinent the shale is propelled outwardly by flights 26 and is discharged through openings 27 in the inner cylinder wall 2, being received in a water-seal 28 which pre'vents the vapors from escaping and at the same time permits removal of the waste products of the shale.`

rI`he shale is delivered into the upper compartment by a spiral conveyor29 operating within a tubular passage 30. As the shale completely fills the spiral space of the conveyor it forms a seal to prevent the vapors from escaping thereby.

The partitions 10, 11 and 12 are remoyably supported upon brackets 31 and have notches 32 formed in their edges tov permit insertion and withdrawal of the partitions.

The shale is conveyed to this apparatus by the conveyor 30 in. a dry, preheated state and,'due to the formation of the various series of flights, is propelled atV the proper rate of speed through the different heated zones or compartments, the heat of which progressively increases from the upper compartment to the lower one. In moving from its point of delivery intor the 'device tothe point of discharge therefrom the shale -is propelled overa comparatively long distance and is subjected'to heat so that Vthe vapors which separate and rise at a compare atively low degree of heat are. caused to do so and pass from the upper compartment 4through. the openings l17 Each compartment is subjected to a higher degree of heatA l than the one from which it receives the shale, and the last compartment is subjected to such a degree of heat that practically all of the oil is vaporized. and discharged through the openings 17. During the operationof the device the feed of .the shale thereto is continuous. through the device continuously andfis consults.

The shale is kept moving :ncaa-arr tinuously agitated so that each particle of the shale is subjected to the same heat as every other particle and is given the required time of exposure to obtain best re- The present invention, containing a plu rality of compartments subjected respectively `4to progressively increasing heat through which the lshale is passed, possesses many advantages over that type of retorts including a single compartment. In the single compartment type of retorts the vapors that arise at the lower heat are subjected to the maximum heat required to vaporize the ingredients requiring highest degree of heat, thereby destroying the vapors that arise at low' heat.

The invention Amay be used for various purposes such, for instance, as a roaster, or forv drying substances such as clay and other substances. I claim the invention irrespective of the uses to which it is applied.

The invention possesses numerous other advantages and obtains all of its intended objects and purposes in an eflicient, economical and profitable manner. The device may `be varied as to size and number of compartments, and in various other particulars without departure frointhe nature and principle ofl the invention. I do not restrictmyself unessentially, iii this or other respects, but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters' Patent is 1. ldevice ofthe character described comprising an outer casing wall, an inner easing wall within and spaced from the outer wall and having openings to the space between said walls, a number of horiZontal partitions within said -inner wall' pro.-

vided with openings therethrough respectively and forming compartments each communicating through said first named openings with the space between said walls, a pair of spaced J top Walls connected with said outer and inner walls respectively, and having the space betweenthem communicating with the space between said outer and innei1 walls, a rotary vertical shaft extending axially through said top Walls and' said partitions, an agitator device attached to said shaft above each of said partitions, a device for feeding material through said top walls above lthe upper partition into said inner casing Wall, and heating means enclosed within said inner casing wall below the low- 12o l est compartment. Y

2. device of the character described comprising an outer casing wall, van inner casing wall within and spaced` from .the outer wall and having openings to the space between said wa1ls,a number of horizontal partitions within said inner Wall provided withopenings therethrough` respectively and forming compartments each communi`A yeating through said first named openings 139 lower ends .of said inner and outer walls forthe space betweenv said walls, and heating means enclosed within said inner casing wall below the lowest compartment.

- 3. A device of the character described comprisingan outer casing wall, an inner casing wall within and spaced lfrom the outer wall and having openings to the space between said walls, a numberof horizontal partitions within said inner wall provided with openings therethrough respectively and forming compartments each communicating through said first named openings with the space between said walls, a pair of spaced top walls connected with said outer and inner walls respectively, and having the space between them communicating with thespace between said outer and inner walls,'a rotary vertical shaft extending axially through said top walls and said partitions, an agitator device attached to said shaft above each of saidy partitions, a device for feeding material through said top walls above the upper par-- tition into said inner casing wall, a water sealing device at'the lower ends of said inner and outer walls for the space between said h walls, a heating device enclosed within said inner wall below the lowest compartment and a partition closing said space between said inner and outer walls above the plane ot'the lowest one of said first named partitions. l

4. A device of the character decribed coinprising an outer casing wall, an inner casing wall spaced from the `outer wall and having vapor passages into the space between said walls and material disharge openings into said space belowsaid vapor passages, a partition closing said space below the plane of all of said passages and above said openings, a bottom wall in said inner casing below said material discharge openings, a number or". horizontal partitions insaid inner casing wallabove said bottom wall forming compartm'ents each communicating with the space between said inner and` outer walls through'certain of said passages, a vertical rotary shaft extending axially through said partitions, agitators-attached to said shaft above the respective partitions, and a heater enclosed within said inner wall below said bottom wall.

5, A device of the character described comprising an outer, casing wall, an inner casing wall spaced froml the outer wall and having vapor passages into the space between said walls and material discharge openings into said space belowsaid vapor passages, a par tition closing said space below the plane orq lall of said passages and above said openings, a bottom wall in said inner casing below said material discharge openings, a number ot' horizontal partitions said inner casing wall above said bottom walll forming com partments each communicating with the space between said inner and outer walls through certain of said passages, a vertical rotary shaft extending axially through said partitions, agitatorslattached to said shaft above the respective partitions, a heating device enclosed within said inner wall below said bottom wall and a water sealing device sealing the lower end of the space between said outer and inner casing walls and arranged to receive the material discharged from said material dischargeo-penmgs.

EDWARD B. ROTH.

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