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Demonstration of New Technologies Required for the Treatment of Mixed Waste Contaminated with {ge}260 ppm Mercury

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) defines several categories of mercury wastes, each of which has a defined technology or concentration-based treatment standard, or universal treatment standard (UTS). RCRA defines mercury hazardous wastes as any waste that has a TCLP value for mercury of 0.2 mg/L or greater. Three of these categories, all nonwastewaters, fall within the scope of this report on new technologies to treat mercury-contaminated wastes: wastes as elemental mercury; hazardous wastes with less than 260 mg/kg [parts per million (ppm)] mercury; and hazardous wastes with 260 ppm or more of mercury. While this report deals specifically with the last category--hazardous wastes with 260 ppm or more of mercury--the other two categories will be discussed briefly so that the full range of mercury treatment challenges can be understood. The treatment methods for these three categories are as follows: Waste as elemental mercury--RCRA identifies amalgamation (AMLGM) as the treatment standard for radioactive elemental mercury. However, radioactive mercury condensates from retorting (RMERC) processes also require amalgamation. In addition, incineration (IMERC) and RMERC processes that produce residues with >260 ppm of radioactive mercury contamination and that fail the RCRA toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) limit for mercury (0.20 mg/L) require RMERC, followed by AMLGM of the condensate. Waste with <260 ppm mercury--No specific treatment method is specified for hazardous wastes containing <260 ppm. However, RCRA regulations require that such wastes (other than RMERC residues) that exceed a TCLP mercury concentration of 0.20 mg/L be treated by a suitable method to meet the TCLP limit for mercury of 0.025 mg/L. RMERC residues must meet the TCLP value of {ge}0.20 mg/L, or be stabilized and meet the {ge}0.025 mg/L limit. Waste with {ge}260 ppm mercury--For hazardous wastes with mercury contaminant concentrations {ge}260 ppm and RCRA-regulated organic contaminants (other than incinerator residues), incineration ...

Date: February 6, 2002

Creator: Morris, M.I.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Bench-scale simulation of quenching and stabilization of MIS retorts

This research was conducted to evaluate in situ retort stabilization methods. The objective of the bench-scale simulations was to evaluate possible post-retorting operating procedures for the optimum cleaning of spent retorts. After simulating conditions of modified in situ (MIS) retorts at the time retorting had ended, procedures to accelerate retort cleanup without using large volumes of water were investigated. Samples from various levels of the retort were used to determine the amount of water-soluble constituents in the spent shale and the rehydration characteristics of the spent shale.

Date: January 1, 1992

Creator: Barbour, F.A. (Western Research Inst., Laramie, WY (United States)) & Boysen, J.E. (Resource Technology Corp., Inc., Laramie, WY (United States))

Item Type: Article

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

The development of an integrated multistaged fluid bed retorting process. Technical report, October 1, 1992--December 31, 1992

The KENTORT II process includes integral fluidized bed zones for pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion of the oil shale. The purpose of this program is to design and test the KENTORT II process at the 50-lb/hr scale. Along with the major activity of assembling the components of the 50-lb/hr retort, work was also completed in other areas this quarter. Basic studies of the cracking and coking kinetics of model compounds in a fixed bed reactor were continued. Additionally, as part of the effort to investigate niche market applications for KENTORT II-derived products, a study of the synthesis of carbon fibers from the heavy fraction of KENTORT II shale oil was initiated.

Date: January 1, 1993

Creator: Taulbee, D.; Fei, Y. & Carter, S.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Mercury retorting of calcine waste, contaminated soils and railroad ballast at the Idaho National Egineering Laboratory

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) has been involved in nuclear reactor research and development for over 40 years. One of the earliest major projects involved the development of a nuclear powered aircraft engine, a long-term venture which used mercury as a shielding medium. Over the course of several years, a significant amount of mercury was spilled along the railroad tracks where the test engines were transported and stored. In addition, experiments with volume reduction of waste through a calcine process employing mercury as a catalyst resulted in mercury contaminated calcine waste. Both the calcine and Test Area North wastes have been identified in Department of Energy Action Memorandums to be retorted, thereby separating the mercury from the various contaminated media. Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company awarded the Mercury Retort contract to ETAS Corporation and assigned Parsons Engineering Science, Inc. to manage the treatment field activities. The mercury retort process entails a mobile unit which consists of four trailer-mounted subsystems requiring electricity, propane, and a water supply. This mobile system demonstrates an effective strategy for retorting waste and generating minimal secondary waste.

Date: February 28, 1996

Creator: Cotten, G.B.; Rothermel, J.S.; Sherwood, J.; Heath, S.A. & Lo, T.Y.R.

Item Type: Article

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Status of LLNL Hot-Recycled-Solid oil shale retort

We have investigated the technical and economic barriers facing the introduction of an oil shale industry and we have chosen Hot-Recycled-Solid (HRS) oil shale retorting as the primary advanced technology of interest. We are investigating this approach through fundamental research, operation of a 4 tonne-per-day, HRS pilot plant and development of an Oil Shale Process (OSP) mathematical model. Over the last three years, from June 1991 to June 1993, we completed a series of runs (H10--H27) using the 4-TPD pilot plant to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the HRS process and answer key scale-up questions. With our CRADA partners, we seek to further develop the HRS technology, maintain and enhance the knowledge base gained over the past two decades through research and development by Government and industry and determine the follow on steps needed to advance the technology towards commercialization. The LLNL Hot-Recycled-Solid process has the potential to improve existing oil shale technology. It processes oil shale in minutes instead of hours, reducing plant size. It processes all oil shale, including fines rejected by other processes. It provides controls to optimize product quality for different applications. It co-generates electricity to maximize useful energy output. And, it produces negligible SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} emissions, a non-hazardous waste shale and uses minimal water.

Date: December 31, 1993

Creator: Baldwin, D. E. & Cena, R. J.

Item Type: Article

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

The development of an integrated multistage fluid bed retorting process. Quarterly technical report, April 1, 1993--June 30, 1993

This report summarizes the progress made on the development of an integrated multistage fluidized bed retorting process (KENTORT II) during the period of April 1, 1993 through June 30, 1993 under Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC21-90MC27286 with the Morgantown Energy Technology Center, U.S. Department of Energy. The KENTORT II process includes integral fluidized bed zones for pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion of the oil shale. The purpose of this program is to design and test the KENTORT II process at the 50-lb/hr scale. The major activities for this quarter included: system leak proofing, cold flow testing, shake down of the data acquisition system, instrumentation verification, and preparation for hot operation. Once the tasks necessary for heat up are completed, shake down and operation of the Process Demonstration Unit will begin.

Date: July 1, 1993

Creator: Carter, S.; Stehn, J. & Vego, A.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

The development of an integrated multistage fluid bed retorting process. Quarterly technical report, January 1, 1993--March 31, 1993

This report summarizes the progress made on the development of an integrated multistage fluidized bed retorting process (KENTORT 11) during the period of January 1, 1993 through March 31, 1993 under Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC21-90MC27286 with the Morgantown Energy Technology Center, US Department of Energy. The KENTORT II process includes integral fluidized bed zones for pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion of oil shale. The purpose of this program is to design and test the KENTORT II process at the 50-lb/hr scale. The major activity for this quarter was to install various components of the process and provide utility support including air, water, electrical power, and computerized instrumentation. Following the completion of construction activities which is scheduled for next quarter, cold-flow testing and heat-up procedures will be performed.

Date: April 1, 1993

Creator: Carter, S.; Stehn, J. & Vego, A.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

High efficiency shale oil recovery. First quarter report, January 1, 1992--March 31, 1992

The overall project objective is to demonstrate the high efficiency of the Adams Counter-Current shale oil recovery process. The efficiency will first be demonstrated at bench-scale, in the current phase, after which the demonstration will be extended to the operation of a small pilot plant. Thus the immediate project objective is to obtain data on oil shale retorting operations in a small batch rotary kiln that will be representative of operations in the proposed continuous process pilot plant. Although a batch oil shale sample will be sealed in the batch kiln from the start until the end of the run, the process conditions for the batch will be the same as the conditions that an element of oil shale would encounter in a large continuous process kiln. For example, similar conditions of heat-up rate (20 deg F/min during the pyrolysis), oxidation of the residue and cool-down will prevail for the element in both systems. This batch kiln is a unit constructed in a 1987 Phase I SBIR tar sand retorting project. The kiln worked fairly well in that project; however, the need for certain modifications was observed. These modifications are now underway to simplify the operation and make the data and analysis more exact. The agenda for the first three months of the project consisted of the first of nine tasks and was specified as the following four items: 1. Sample acquisition and equipment alteration: Obtain seven oil shale samples, of varying grade each 10 lb or more, and samples of quartz sand. Order equipment for kiln modification. 3. Set up and modify kiln for operation, including electric heaters on the ends of the kiln. 4. Connect data logger and make other repairs and changes in rotary batch kiln.

Date: December 1, 1992

Creator: Adams, D. C.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Bench-scale simulation of quenching and stabilization of MIS retorts

This research was conducted to evaluate in situ retort stabilization methods. The objective of the bench-scale simulations was to evaluate possible post-retorting operating procedures for the optimum cleaning of spent retorts. After simulating conditions of modified in situ (MIS) retorts at the time retorting had ended, procedures to accelerate retort cleanup without using large volumes of water were investigated. Samples from various levels of the retort were used to determine the amount of water-soluble constituents in the spent shale and the rehydration characteristics of the spent shale.

Date: June 1, 1992

Creator: Barbour, F. A. & Boysen, J. E.

Item Type: Article

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

INTEGRATION OF HIGH TEMPERATURE GAS REACTORS WITH IN SITU OIL SHALE RETORTING

This paper evaluates the integration of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) to an in situ oil shale retort operation producing 7950 m3/D (50,000 bbl/day). The large amount of heat required to pyrolyze the oil shale and produce oil would typically be provided by combustion of fossil fuels, but can also be delivered by an HTGR. Two cases were considered: a base case which includes no nuclear integration, and an HTGR-integrated case.

Date: May 1, 2011

Creator: Robertson, Eric P.; McKellar, Michael G. & Nelson, Lee O.

Item Type: Article

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Demonstrations to Support Change to the >260 ppm Mercury Treatment Regulations

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are working together to justify a change in the Land Disposal Restriction for High Mercury (>260 ppm mercury) waste. The present regulation that requires roasting or retorting is based on recovering and recycling the mercury in the waste. However, most of DOE’s High Mercury waste is radioactively contaminated, eliminating the possibility of its recycle. The radioactive mercury recovered must be amalgamated and disposed. In addition, concern over fugitive emissions from retorting and roasting operations has raised the question of whether such processing is environmentally sound. A change to the regulation to allow stabilization and disposal would reduce the overall environmental threat, if the stabilization process can reduce the leachability of the mercury to regulatory levels. Demonstrations are underway to gather data showing that the High Mercury waste can be safely stabilized. At the same time, comparison tests are being conducted using an improved form of the baseline retorting technology to better quantify the fugitive emission problem and determine the full capability of thermal desorption systems. A first round of demonstrations stabilizing mercury in soil from Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) has been completed. Four groups demonstrated their process on the waste: 1) BNL demonstrated its Sulfur Polymer Stabilization/Solidification process; 2) Nuclear Fuel Services used their DeHg (de-merk) process, 3) Allied Technology Group used chemical stabilization, and 4) Sepradyne demonstrated their vacuum thermal desorption system. All groups were successful in their tests, reaching regulatory levels for mercury leachability. Data for each group will be presented. DOE, EPA, and the University of Cincinnati are presently working on another series of tests involving treatment of surrogate sludge and soil by commercial vendors. Protocols that better determine the waste form’s ability to withstand leaching are being used to analyze the stabilized ...

Date: February 1, 2001

Creator: Hulet, Gregory Albert; Maio, Vincent Carl; Morris, M. I.; Lewis, J.; Randall, P. & Rieser, L.

Item Type: Article

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

The development of an integrated multistaged fluid-bed retorting process. Final report, September 1990--August 1994

This summarizes the development of the KENTORT II retorting process, which includes integral fluidized bed zones for pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion of oil shale. Purpose was to design and test the process at the 50-lb/hr scale. The program included bench- scale studies of coking and cracking reactions of shale oil vapors over processed shale particles to address issues of scaleup associated with solid-recycle retorting. The bench-scale studies showed that higher amounts of carbon coverage reduce the rate of subsequent carbon deposition by shale oil vapors onto processed shale particles; however carbon-covered materials were also active in terms of cracking and coking. Main focus was the 50-lb/hr KENTORT II PDU. Cold-flow modeling and shakedown were done before the PDU was made ready for operation. Seven mass-balanced, steady-state runs were completed within the window of design operating conditions. Goals were achieved: shale feedrate, run duration (10 hr), shale recirculation rates (4:1 to pyrolyzer and 10:1 to combustor), bed temperatures (pyrolyzer 530{degree}C, gasifier 750{degree}C, combustor 830{degree}C), and general operating stability. Highest oil yields (up to 109% of Fischer assay) were achieved for runs lasting {ge} 10 hours. High C content of the solids used for heat transfer to the pyrolysis zone contributed to the enhanced oil yield achieved.

Date: February 1, 1995

Creator: Carter, S.D.; Taulbee, D.N.; Stehn, J.L.; Vego, A. & Robl, T.L.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

The extraction of bitumen from western oil sands: Volume 2. Final report

The program is composed of 20 projects, of which 17 are laboratory bench or laboratory pilot scale processes or computer process simulations that are performed in existing facilities on the University of Utah campus in north-east Salt Lake City. These tasks are: (1) coupled fluidized-bed bitumen recovery and coked sand combustion; (2) water-based recovery of bitumen; (3) oil sand pyrolysis in a continuous rotary kiln reactor; (4) oil sand pyrolysis in a large diameter fluidized bed reactor; (5) oil sand pyrolysis in a small diameter fluidized bed reactor; (6) combustion of spent sand in a transport reactor; (7) recovery and upgrading of oil sand bitumen using solvent extraction methods; (8) fixed-bed hydrotreating of Uinta Basin bitumens and bitumen-derived hydrocarbon liquids; (9) ebullieted bed hydrotreating of bitumen and bitumen derived liquids; (10) bitumen upgrading by hydropyrolysis; (11) evaluation of Utah`s major oil sand deposits for the production of asphalt, high-energy jet fuels and other specialty products; (12) characterization of the bitumens and reservoir rocks from the Uinta Basin oil sand deposits; (13) bitumen upgrading pilot plant recommendations; (14) liquid-solid separation and fine tailings thickening; (15) in-situ production of heavy oil from Uinta Basin oil sand deposits; (16) oil sand research and development group analytical facility; and (17) process economics. This volume contains reports on nine of these projects, references, and a bibliography. 351 refs., 192 figs., 65 tabs.

Date: November 26, 1997

Creator: Oblad, A.G.; Dahlstrom, D.A.; Deo, M.D.; Fletcher, J.V.; Hanson, F.V.; Miller, J.D. et al.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Second test of base hydrolysate decomposition in a 0.04 gallon per minute scale reactor

LLNL has built and operated a pilot plant for processing oil shale using recirculating hot solids. This pilot plant, was adapted in 1993 to demonstrate the feasibility of decomposing base hydrolysate, a mixture of sodium nitrite, sodium formate and other constituents. This material is the waste stream from the base hydrolysis process for destruction of energetic materials. In the Livermore process, the waste feed is thermally treated in a moving packed bed of ceramic spheres, where constituents in the waste decompose, in the presence of carbon dioxide, to form solid sodium carbonate and a suite of gases including: methane, carbon monoxide, oxygen, nitrogen oxides, ammonia and possibly molecular nitrogen. The ceramic spheres are circulated and heated, providing the energy required for thermal decomposition. The spheres provide a large surface area for evaporation and decomposition to occur, avoiding sticking and agglomeration of the waste. We performed a 2.5 hour test of the solids recirculation system, with continuous injection of approximately 0.04 gal/min of waste. Gasses from the packed bed reactor were directed through the lift pipe and water was not condensed. Potassium carbonate (0.356 M) was added to the hydrolysate prior to its introduction to the retort. Continuous on-line gas analysis was invaluable in tracking the progress of the experiment and quantifying the decomposition products. Analyses showed the primary solid product, collected in the lift exit cyclone, was indeed sodium carbonate, as expected. For the reactor condition studied in this test, N{sub 2}O was found to be the primary nitrogen bearing gas species. In the test, approximately equal quantities of ammonia and nitrogen bearing oxide gases were produced. Under proper conditions, this ammonia and NO{sub x} can be recombined downstream to form N{sub 2} and O{sub 2} as the primary effluent gases.

Date: October 11, 1994

Creator: Cena, R.J.; Thorsness, C.B.; Coburn, T.T. & Watkins, B.E.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

STABILIZATION OF A MIXED WASTE SLUDGE SURROGATE CONTAINING MORE THAN 260 PPM MERCURY

In an earlier demonstration of an innovative mercury stabilization technology for the Department of Energy, ATG's full-scale process stabilized mercury in soils that initially contained more than 260 ppm of mercury of unknown speciation. The treated waste satisfied the leaching standards for mercury that qualify wastes containing less than 260 ppm for land disposal. This paper describes the extension of that work to demonstrate a full-scale process for the stabilization of a representative sludge that contained more than 260 ppm of Hg of several mercury species. RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) regulations now require the recovery of mercury from any waste containing more than 260 ppm of mercury, usually with thermal retorts. The results of this work with a surrogate sludge, and of the previous work with an actual soil, support a proposal now before the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to allow such wastes to be stabilized without retorting. The full-scale demonstration with a sulfide reagent reduced the mercury concentrations in extracts of treated sludge below the relevant leaching standard, a Universal Treatment Standard (UTS) limit of 0.025 mg mercury per liter of leachate generated by the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). The sulfide formulation reduced the concentration to about onehalf the UTS limit.

Date: February 25, 2002

Creator: Smith, W. J.; Feizollahi, F. & Brimley, R.

Item Type: Article

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Modeling study of carbonate decomposition in LLNL`s 4TU pilot oil shale retort

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory`s (LLNL) 4 tonne-per-day oil shale Pilot Retort (4TU-Pilot) has been modeled to study the degree of carbonate decomposition occurring in the process. The modeling uses a simplified version of the processes occurring in the retort to allow parametric studies to be performed. The primary focus of the work is on the sensitivity of computed carbonate decomposition to the assumed manner in which solid material leaves the retort. It was found that for a variety of assumptions about solid passage and evolution within the process the computed carbonate decomposition varied by only a few percent. It was also determined that using available kinetic expressions based on literature data led to a consistent underestimate of the carbonate decomposition, from 12--17% low on an absolute basis and on a relative basis as much as a factor of seven times too low. A simplified kinetic expression based on limited data from laboratory experiments on the same shale as used in the 4TU-Pilot run was also employed and found to match the pilot results fairly well.

Date: October 14, 1994

Creator: Thorsness, C. B.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

The development of an integrated multistaged fluid bed retorting process. Annual report, October 1, 1992--September 30, 1993

This report summarizes the progress made on the development of an integrated multistage fluidized bed retorting process (KENTORT II) during the period of October 1, 1992 through September 30, 1993 under Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC21-90MC27286 with the Morgantown Energy Technology Center, US Department of Energy. The KENTORT II process includes integral fluidized bed zones for pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion of the oil shale. The purpose of this program is to design and test the KENTORT II process at the 50-lb/hr scale. The PDU was assembled, instrumented and tested during this fiscal year. Along with the major activity of commissioning the 50-lb/hr retort, work was also completed in other areas. Basic studies of the cracking and coking kinetics of model compounds in a fixed bed reactor were continued. Additionally, as part of the effort to investigate niche market applications for KENTORT II-derived products, a study of the synthesis of carbon fibers from the heavy fraction of KENTORT II shale oil was initiated.

Date: November 1, 1993

Creator: Carter, S.; Taulbee, D.; Vego, A.; Stehn, J.; Fei, Y.; Robl, T. et al.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Oil and gas yields from devonian oil shale in the 50-lb/hr KENTORT II process demonstration unit: Initial results

The broad objective of this program is to perform the research necessary to design, construct, test, and optimize the KENTORT II process at the 50-lb/hr scale. Many of our objectives have already been realized. The retort has been successfully constructed and the shakedown phase is essentially complete. In addition, much of the coking and cracking kinetics experiments have been completed which will provide important information for the operation of the retort. We are now entering the testing phase for the retort which has the following objectives: Determine any relationships between the retorting conditions and the yield and characteristics of the products, and compare the results to those from the bench-scale shale oil cracking and coking experiments; study and develop alternative applications for the products from the KENTORT II process. In particular, asphalt performance tests will be conducted on the heavy fraction of oil produced during the testing phase.

Date: December 31, 1993

Creator: Robl, R. L.; Carter, S. D. & Taulbee, D. N.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

The development of an integrated multistage fluid bed retorting process. Technical report, April 1, 1992--June 30, 1992

This report summarizes the progress made on the development of an integrated multistage fluidized bed retorting process (KENTORT II) during the period of April 1, 1992 through June 30, 1992. The KENTORT II process includes integral fluidized bed zones for pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion of the oil shale. The purpose of this program is to design and test the KENTORT II process at the 50-lb/hr scale. The raw oil shale sample for the program was mined, prepared, characterized and stored this quarter. The shale that was chosen was from the high-grade zone of the Devonian Cleveland Member of the Ohio Shale in Montgomery County, Kentucky. The shale was mined and then transported to the contractor`s crushing facility where it was crushed, double-screened, and loaded into 85 55-gal barrels. The barrels, containing a total of 25-30 tons of shale, were transported to the (CAER) Center for Applied Energy Research where the shale was double-screened, analyzed and stored. A major objective of the program is the study of solid-induced secondary coking and cracking reactions. A valved fluidized bed reactor has been the primary apparatus used for this study prior to this quarter, but two additional techniques have been initiated this quarter for the study of other aspects of this issue. First, the two-stage hydropyrolysis reactor at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, was used to study the coking tendency of shale oil vapors under a wide range of pyrolysis and hydropyrolysis conditions. This work enabled us to examine secondary reactions under high pressure conditions (up to 150 bar) which were previously unavailable. Second, the development of a fixed bed reactor system was initiated at the CAER to study the coking and cracking characteristics of model compounds. A fixed bed apparatus was necessary because the conversion of model compounds was too low in ...

Date: August 1, 1992

Creator: Carter, S. D.; Taulbee, D. N.; Robl, T. L. & Hower, J. C.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Pressurized fluidized-bed hydroretorting of Eastern oil shales. Annual report, June 1991--May 1992

The Devonian oil shales of the Eastern United States are a significant domestic energy resource. The overall objective of the multi-year program, initiated in October 1987 by the US Department of Energy is to perform the research necessary to develop the Pressurized Fluidized-Bed Hydroretorting (PFH) process for producing oil from Eastern oil shales. The program also incorporates research on technologies in areas such as raw shale preparation, beneficiation, product separation, and waste disposal that have the potential of improving the economics and/or environmental acceptability of recovering oil from oil shales using the PFH process. The results of the original 3-year program, which was concluded in May 1991, have been summarized in a four-volume final report published by IGT. DOE subsequently approved a 1-year extension to the program to further develop the PFH process specifically for application to beneficiated shale as feedstock. Studies have shown that beneficiated shale is the preferred feedstock for pressurized hydroretorting. The program extension is divided into the following active tasks. Task 3. testing of process improvement concepts; Task 4. beneficiation research; Task 5. operation of PFH on beneficiated shale; Task 6. environmental data and mitigation analyses; Task 7. sample procurement, preparation, and characterization; and Task 8. project management and reporting. In order to accomplish all the program objectives, the Institute of Gas Technology (IGT), the prime contractor, worked with four other institutions: the University of Alabama/Mineral Resources Institute (MRI), the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (UK-CAER), the University of Nevada (UN) at Reno, and Tennessee Technological University (TTU). This report presents the work performed during the program extension from June 1, 1991 through May 31, 1992.

Date: November 1, 1992

Creator: Roberts, M. J.; Mensinger, M. C.; Rue, D. M.; Lau, F. S.; Schultz, C. W.; Parekh, B. K. et al.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Pressurized fluidized-bed hydroretorting of raw and beneficiated Eastern oil shales

The Institute of Gas Technology (IGT) with US Department of Energy (DOE) support has developed a pressurized fluidized-bed hydroretorting (PFH) process for Eastern oil shales. Bench-scale tests have been conducted with raw and beneficiated shales in an advanced multipurpose research reactor (AMRR). Raw Alabama shale and raw and beneficiated Indiana shales were retorted at 515{degrees}C using hydrogen pressures of 4 and 7 MPa. Shale feed rates to the AMRR were 15 to 34 kg/h. High oils yields and carbon conversions were achieved in all tests. Oil yield from Alabama shale hydroretorted at 7 MPa was 200% of Fischer Assay. Raw and beneficiated Indiana shales hydroretorted at 7 MPa produced oil yields of 170% to 195% of Fischer Assay, respectively. Total carbon conversions were greater than 70% for all tests conducted at 7 MPa.

Date: December 31, 1991

Creator: Roberts, M. J.; Rue, D. M. & Lau, F. S.

Item Type: Article

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Environmental data from laboratory- and bench-scale Pressurized Fluidized-Bed Hydroretorting of Eastern oil shale

As part of a 3-year program to develop the Pressurized Fluidized-Bed Hydroretorting (PFH) Process for Eastern oil shales, IGT conducted tests in laboratory-scale batch and continuous units as well as a 45-kg/h bench-scale unit to generate a data base for 6 Eastern shales. Data were collected during PFH processing of raw Alabama and Indiana shales and a beneficiated Indiana shale for environmental mitigation analyses. The data generated include trace element analyses of the raw feeds and spent shales, product oils, and sour waters. The sulfur compounds present in the product gas and trace components in the sour water were also determined. In addition, the leaching characteristics of the feed and residue solids were determined. The data obtained were used to evaluate the environmental impact of a shale processing plant based on the PFH process. This paper presents the environmental data obtained from bench-scale tests conducted during the program.

Date: December 31, 1991

Creator: Mensinger, M. C.; Rue, D. M. & Roberts, M. J.

Item Type: Article

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

High efficiency shale oil recovery. Fifth quarterly report, January 1, 1993--March 31, 1993

The overall project objective is to demonstrate the high efficiency of the Adams Counter-Current shale oil recovery process. The efficiency will first be demonstrated on a small scale, in the current phase, after which the demonstration will be extended to the operation of a small pilot plant. Thus the immediate project objective is to obtain data on oil shale retorting operations in a small batch rotary kiln that will be representative of operations in the proposed continuous process pilot plant. Although an oil shale batch sample is sealed in the batch kiln from the start until the end of the run, the process conditions for the batch are the same as the conditions that an element of oil shale would encounter in a continuous process kiln. Similar chemical and physical conditions (heating, mixing, pyrolysis, oxidation) exist in both systems.The two most important data objectives in this phase of the project are to demonstrate (1) that the heat recovery projected for this project is reasonable and (2) that an oil shale kiln will run well and not plug up due to sticking and agglomeration. The following was completed this quarter. (1) Twelve pyrolysis runs were made on five different oil shales. All of the runs exhibited a complete absence of any plugging, tendency. Heat transfer for Green River oil shale in the rotary kiln was 84.6 Btu/hr/ft{sup 2}/{degrees}F, and this will provide for ample heat exchange in the Adams kiln. (2) One retorted residue sample was oxidized at 1000{degrees}F. Preliminary indications are that the ash of this run appears to have been completely oxidized. (3) Further minor equipment repairs and improvements were required during the course of the several runs.

Date: April 22, 1993

Creator: Adams, D. C.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

High efficiency shale oil recovery. Fourth quarterly report, October 1, 1992--December 31, 1992

The overall project objective is to demonstrate the high efficiency of the Adams Counter-Current shale oil recovery process. The efficiency will first be demonstrated on a small scale, in the current phase, after which the demonstration will be extended to the operation of a small pilot plant. Thus the immediate project objective is to obtain data on oil shale retorting operations in a small batch rotary kiln that will be representative of operations in the proposed continuous process pilot plant. Although an oil shale batch sample is sealed in the batch kiln from the start until the end of the run, the process conditions for the batch are the same as the conditions that an element of oil shale would encounter in a continuous process kiln. Similar chemical and physical (heating, mixing) conditions exist in both systems. The two most important data objectives in this phase of the project are to demonstrate (1) that the heat recovery projected for this project is reasonable and (2) that an oil shale kiln will run well and not plug up due to sticking and agglomeration. The following was completed and is reported on this quarter: (1) A software routine was written to eliminate intermittently inaccurate temperature readings. (2) We completed the quartz sand calibration runs, resolving calibration questions from the 3rd quarter. (3) We also made low temperature retorting runs to identify the need for certain kiln modifications and kiln modifications were completed. (4) Heat Conductance data on two Pyrolysis runs were completed on two samples of Occidental oil shale.

Date: December 31, 1992

Creator: Adams, D. C.

Item Type: Report

Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

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