The Counter Current Solid Streams Heat Transfer (CCSSHT)retort is a new process for efficient oil recovery from ourplentiful tar sands and oil shale reserves. It can also be used asa heat recovery sofl incinerator with the dual advantages ofreduced (about 80%) fuel and air pollution control needs. CCSSHT high efficiency is promoted by (1) recovering the spent sandheat to preheat the feed ore, (2) thoroughly burning and using thecoke energy, and (3) operating without using hot recycle sand as aheat carrier. The latter point is doubly important for high oilyield and generation of reactive coke, which can be burned belowl@F when carbonate minerals are present to avoid endothemialcalcination of the carbonates. (The Western U.S. oil shale mineralis nearly 1/2 carbonate.) The multi-operation process is achievedin a lugh throughput, single-vessel kiln, which has operation andequipment costs about 70% lower than other prominent processes. The CCSSHT retort helps to mitigate environmental effects in thefollowing important areas: (1) 80% reduced a@phetic contaminatingcombustion products, (2) virtual e@tion of carbonate calcinationcarbon dioxide (an a"here contaminant); (3) ash that is thoroughlycleaned of coke, has low content, has relatively coarse particlesin, and is cool when @ecl to the environment, and (4) waterconservation because sord-t@lid heat @fer uses no water. ThisPhase I study will obtain design and operation data for one part ofthe CCSSHT process development kiln, the gas lock, and willdemonstrate the gas lock functionality with a cold flow study in asmall plastic r@ vessel. During Phase II the performance of theCCSSHT retort will be demonstrated in a 1 to 5 tc)n/day processdevelopment unit.Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications as described by the awardee:United States currently imports approximately 2.6billion barrels of oil, at a cost of about $50 billion, per year. This dependency on foreign oil seriously affects our of payments and, as recently demonstrated in the Persian Gulf, ournational security may be subject to foreign interests. Theefficient yet @le technology of the CCSSHT retort should promotethe early development of our vast oil shale and tar sand reservesand will be significant progress toward @ng synthetic oileconomically competitive.
