AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Energy from in situ processing of Antrim oil shale. Quarterly technical progress report, July--September 1978

Explosive fracturing experiments were conducted in the wells involved in the explosive underream series and in the hydrofracture series. In total, four successful shots were made. In wel #301, a 20 foot section of well bore was enlarged to almost three times its original volume by the detonation of 1500 oounds of explosive. Wells #101, 104, and 106 were also explosively fractured. Preperations for fracturing Wells #103 and 105 are complete. In lab tests for the chemical underream experiment, a 4 foot zone was found to have a uniform and high hydrochloric acid solubility. Notching, fracturing, and acid underreaming experimetns will be concentrated in this area.

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Reactivity of spent Chattanooga Oil Shale

This work describes the reactivity of the char residue in spent Chattanooga Oil Shale. The process scheme investigated was a two-step process. The first step in the process was a pyrolysis (or retorting) process in which experiments were conducted at five different heating rates using a thermogravimetric method. The second step began after a period of temperature soaking and involved the gasification of the carbon in the spent shale from the pyrolysis process. A sample of oil shale obtained from an outcrop of Devonian Shale near New Market in Madison County, Alabama, ground to (-150 200 and -100 150 US mesh), was used in this investigation. The effects of particle size, heating rate during pyrolysis, temperature, and gas environment on the weight loss of the oil shale were studied. A Fischer Thermal Analyzer was used to determine the reactivity of the spent shale at atmospheric pressure to oxygen in an air/N/sub 2/ mixture and to CO/sub 2/. Reaction temperatures were from 700 to 1080 K. It was found that the reactivity of this shale increased with increasing heating rate during pyrolysis up to a heating rate of 10/sup 0/C/min, beyond which it started decreasing. It was also found that the reactivity of this shale increased with increasing temperature within the experimental range studied. Furthermore, the particle size of -150 200 US mesh was more reactive than the -100 150 US mesh size. The oxidation reactions between residual char and air were consistent with zero order reaction with respect to carbon and first order reaction with respect to oxygen content in the gas. The activation energy in air for -150 200 US mesh was found to be 17,600 cal/mole, a value comparable with the literature for other oil shale. The unreacted-core-shrinking model was found to give a good fit to the kinetic data collected in this experimental work. 58 references, 33 figures, 16 tables.

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Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program: Annual report to Congress

The Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program is a technology development program jointly funded by Government and industry. It will take the best and most promising of the advanced coal-based processing and emissions control technologies and over the next decade move them from the proof-of-concept stage into the commercial marketplace through demonstration. These demonstrations will be at a scale large enough to generate all data (from design, construction, and operation) necessary for the private sector to judge their commercial potential and to make informed commercial decisions. In this manner, the program serves as a bridge between research and development and the marketplace. The majority of the innovative clean coal technologies in this program are generally grouped into one of three categories: (1) retrofit technologies that can be used on existing plants to reduce emissions, (2) repowering technologies that replace a significant portion of the original plant and increase the power output of the facility, and (3) conversion technologies that have applicability in the industrial, commercial, transportation, and residential markets by utilizing coal conversion processes that produce liquid and gaseous fuels.

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Spin dynamics in the carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometric analysis of coal by cross polarization and magic-angle spinning

A detailed relaxation study has been carried out on an eastern bituminous coal from the Powhatan No. 5 mine. Emphasis is on the relaxation parameters that determine the analytical reliability of /sup 13/C CP/MAS experiments. The apparent aromaticity obtained with a contact time of 1 ms is in agreement with the value obtained from a Bloch-decay experiment. The efficiency of the /sup 13/C CP/MAS analysis of coal is discussed, including consideration of low-temperature work.

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Underground coal-gasification contaminant-control program: laboratory analysis of samples from the TONO I UCG cavity - materials characterization and environmental implications. Topical report, November 1986-June 1987

The major issue addressed in the report is the relationship between cavity-material characteristics and ground-water impacts. Samples from the Tono excavation cavity were characterized by various analytical methods. Results indicate the unaltered coal mineralogy consisted of quartz, clay minerals, and feldspars, with some calcite, pyrite, gypsum, and zeolite. Of the altered material, char exhibited a similar mineralogy with a slight increase in gypsum, a loss of pyrite, and the appearance of some higher-temperature minerals. Data suggest that most ground-water contamination generated by leaching in a UCG cavity will be derived from char and the altered clay, carbonate, and sulfurous minerals contained within the char.

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Toxic organic emissions from synfuels and related industrial-wastewater treatment systems. Final report, June 1985-June 1986

The report gives results of an examination of the potential for toxic organic emissions from synfuels wastewater treatment systems. The synthetic fuels facilities examined were coal gasification, direct and indirect coal liquefaction, shale oil, by-product coke, and associated petrochemical products. A literature survey was performed to assess the fate of organic priority pollutants during wastewater treatment. Pollutants in the volatile, base-neutral, and acid-extractable fractions were examined in order to assess their potential for volatilization during waste-water treatment. Compounds found to contribute organic emissions during waste-water storage and treatment were in the volatile fraction (e.g., benzene, toluene) and the base-neutral fraction (e.g., polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons). Acid extractables (e.g., phenol) also present in synfuels wastewaters are rarely stripped or volatilized from wastewater stored in impoundments or during activated sludge treatment.

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Laboratory simulation studies of the recycle oil pyrolysis and extraction concept

The Western Research Institute is currently developing a process for the recovery of distillable liquid products from alternate fossil fuel sources such as tar sand and oil shale. The processing concept is based on recycling a fraction of the product oil back into the reactor with the raw resource. This concept is termed the recycle oil pyrolysis and extraction (ROPE {copyright}) process. The conversion of the solid resource to a liquid fuel is performed in two stages. The first recovery stage is performed at moderate temperatures (325--420{degree}C (617--778{degree}F)) in the presence of product oil recycle. The second stage is performed at higher temperatures (450--540{degree}C (842--1004{degree}F)) in the absence of product oil recycle. The experiments were performed using Asphalt Ridge tar sand in an all-glass reactor at the bench-scale level and simulated three of the five conceptual processing zones. The three zones that were simulated include (1) the tar sand preheat zone, (2) the recycle oil pyrolysis, and (3) the recycle oil reflux zone. The evaluation of the data from these experiments provide a description of the processes that are occurring in each zone. 4 refs., 6 figs., 29 tabs.

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Role of instrumentation in UCG process development

Underground coal gasification field test results obtained since 1976 are reviewed, illustrating the important role that the UCG process feature of a varying reactor geometry has on resource recovery and gas quality. The different instrumentation used on these tests is then reviewed, particularly as to its effectiveness or lack of in defining process geometry. Instrumentation such as thermocouples, HFEM, acoustic and surface resistivity are discussed with respect to concept, cost, resolution, data acquisition and data analysis. Results indicate that when instrumentation is appropriately deployed it can provide significant insight into the dynamics of reactor growth.

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Support and enhancement of ASPEN Plus for the steady state simulation of the SRC-I process. Volume 1

The ASPEN computer program was developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology with funding from the US Department of Energy (DOE). ASPEN provides steady state simulation of certain fossil fuel conversion processes at the steady state. As part of its contract with DOE to design, build and operate the SRC-I Coal Refinery, International Coal Refining Company (ICRC) was asked to evaluate the ASPEN program to determine its usefulness in simulating the steady state performance of coal conversion processes. ICRC performed a preliminary technical assessment of ASPEN in 1981 and concluded that it could be readily upgraded for simulation of the SRC-I process. In 1983, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APCI) licensed ASPEN Plus, an upgraded version of ASPEN from ASPEN Technology, Inc., in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for ICRC. ICRC commissioned APCI to maintain, support and enhance ASPEN Plus in 1983 and this report documents the work performed with ASPEN Plus during 1983. Two versions of the program have been installed and installation of a third version is pending. System support, maintenance, system tuning and validation, technical support and training are part of the work performed with ASPEN Plus. System tuning included modifying the execution of ASPEN Plus to increase its efficiency. The method of installation of two unit models developed at APCI are described. Conclusions and recommendations are included in the report.

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Hydrogenation of shale-oil coker distillate. [Over fized-bed Co--Mo catalyst at 1500 lb/sq. in. gage and 835/sup 0/F]

This work was undertaken to prepare a large quantity of jet and Diesel fuel from crude shale oil by recycle coking followed by hydrogenation of the coker distillate at 1500 pounds per square inch gage pressure and 835 F over a fixed-bed cobalt molybdate catalyst.

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Evaluation of oil shale coking losses at slow heating rates

Currently available oil yield loss diagnostic methods are not adequate for evaluating oil yield losses of retorting systems operating in the indirect-heated mode at slow heating rates. A series of experiments have been performed in the Western Research Institute's laboratory reference retort to investigate coking losses occurring at slow retort heating rates. The conditions used for these experiments were selected for studying coking losses without interference from cracking reactions. This was done by using slow heating rates and a nitrogen sweep gas to remove oil vapor from the retort before it could undergo cracking reactions. Analysis of the produced oils using simulated distillation and combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) demonstrated the usefulness of applying both of these techniques to the evaluation of produced shale oils. Use of the two methods assisted in the identification of potential chemical indicators of coking. The results of this analysis demonstrated that the major components in the chromatographically separated peaks contain potential chemical indicators of coking. Combined GC/MS analysis of the produced shale oils also identified several normal alkanes that followed trends similar to those observed for the coking losses. Ratios of the reconstructed ion current chromatogram peak areas of the identified normal alkanes were used to develop three correlations relating the ratios of the normal alkanes to the oil yield losses caused by coking at slow retort heating rates. The linear regression analyses of these data fit the data to the functions with coefficients of determination of 0.98 and 0.99. The correlations developed from this effort are applicable only to retorting systems where the oil yield losses are caused by coking and where cracking or combustion do not occur. 9 refs., 3 figs., 6 tabs.

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Combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometric evaluation of selected isothermally produced shale oils

Liquid product samples generated by thermal decomposition of oil shale at 425/sup 0/C for time periods ranging from 10 to 120 minutes were evaluated using combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. This research effort was undertaken to determine if the chemical composition of liquid products from kerogen decomposition was time dependent. Time-dependent change in the composition of the liquid products would indicate that kerogen decomposition follows reactions using intermediates of different chemical composition or structure. The results from the evaluation of the liquid products show more similarities than differences in chemical composition. This observation indicates that kerogen decomposition probably does not follow time-dependent reaction pathways using reaction intermediates of different chemical composition or structure. The minor differences noted in the samples do appear to be related to the time variable of the thermal decomposition experiments. 7 refs., 2 figs., 5 tabs.

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Plan to demonstrate oil shale mining and rubblizing for a modified in situ retorting process

A proposed program for investigating the mining and rubblizing requirements for modified in-situ retorting is reported. The program includes basic blasting experiments in small scale retorts and is scoped in some detail with schedules and costs estimated fairly reliably. The program also includes application of the results obtained to a larger scale to test the mining concepts and the success of rubblization in a commercial size retort. This work is necessarily described in less detail and only approximate time and cost estimates are provided.

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Underground gasification for steeply dipping coal beds. Phase I report:  Appendix A. Site selection, 30 September 1977--28 February 1978

Gulf Research and Development Company and TRW, Inc., have investigated the U.S. coal resources to identify a site for the first UCG-SDB test program. Based on the investigation to date, the best site for that first test is the North Knobs site near Rawlins, Wyoming. The criteria used to select a site are as follows: The coal seam shall have a dip angle between 45/sup 0/ and 75/sup 0/, the coal gasification shall be below the water table, the coal shall be subbituminous (shrinking upon heating), the bed thickness shall be between 10 and 30 feet, the geology shall be relatively simple, and GR and DC shall be able to obtain a lease for doing UCG tests on the site. Additionally, the relative ease of site construction, access, and restoration were evaluated prior to contract award.

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BX in situ oil shale project. Quarterly technical progress report, September 1, 1980-November 30, 1980

Activities at the BX In Situ Oil Shale Project for the quarter included 39 days of superheated steam injection; 47 days of saturated steam injection and 4 days of no injection. Total water injected as steam was 114,172 barrels while total fluids produced was 98,801 barrels. The steam was injected at an average wellhead pressure of 1272 PSIG and an average wellhead temperature of 620/sup 0/F. Problems related to the operation of the Project superheater were resolved during September 1980 and the unit was placed back in service in early October 1980. The unit operated without upset during the entire month of November 1980. Temperature logs were run during the quarter confirming heat up in the Project production and temperature observation wells and based upon these surveys, production wells were perforated in the upper injection zone in October. The first production of oil from a production well (BX-26) occurred during the quarter and at the end of the quarter, modifications of the Project production facilities were underway to facilitate the recovery of the oil which is produced as an oil/water emulsion. Environmental monitoring at the Project site continued during the quarter in compliance with the established Environmental Research Plan.

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Proceedings of the 1986 tar sands symposium

The 1986 Tar Sand Symposium was sponsored by the Laramie Project Office of the Morgantown Energy Technology Center, US Department of Energy, and hosted by the Western Research Institute, University of Wyoming Research Corporation, in Jackson, Wyoming, on July 7 to 10, 1986. The 10-session symposium included 36 presentations describing research, development, and commercial application of tar sand technologies of the US, Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, Switzerland, and Venezuela. Over 80 participants represented the US, Canada, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. The papers printed in the proceedings have been reproduced from camera-ready manuscripts furnished by the authors. The papers have not been referred, nor have they been edited extensively. All papers have been processed for inclusion in the Energy Data Base.

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Extraction of energy fuels

The purpose of the research is to identify and implement the most promising set of research programs in the energy field. The technical assessment contained in this report is an initial appraisal of the following functional areas: (I) stimulation of petroleum and natural gas production, (II) production of oil from tar sands, (III) development of oil shale, (IV) underground gasification of coal, (V) oil and gas production from organic wastes, and (VI) primary extraction of coal. The report covers short-term needs (1972-80), intermediate-term needs (1975-85), and long-term needs (1980-2000).

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Coalbed methane recovery and utilization in the United States

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has a commitment to assist the private sector in the development of the commercial use of coalbed methane through the Coalbed Methane Project. This project is an intergral part of the Unconventional Gas Recovery (UGR) Program with lead responsibility assigned by the DOE Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy to the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC). The DOE effort has been implemented as an integrated project, combining the research and development efforts of private industry, universities, and federal and state agencies to enhance the coalbed methane data base. The project goals are to estimate the extent of the resource with increased accuracy and reliability and to provide technically and economically viable means for methane recovery and utilization. The ultimate purpose of the project is to promote extensive private use of the resource as a source of national energy. To date, the major emphasis has been directed toward locating and estimating the magnitude of the resource, estimating the recoverable reserves, developing economical recovery systems and techniques, and demonstrating utilization in an appropriate manner. To ensure proper integration of ongoing activities, heavy emphasis is placed on project planning and review, tailored within the frameworks of the DOE Gas Resources Research, Development, and Demonstration Plan and the UGR Program Charter. DOE has made significant progress in the development of the technology data base. Major achievements produced by the project to date are discussed briefly in this report. Contents of this report include the following: introduction; resource research; recovery and utilization technology development; production constraints; technology assessment; appendices; and glossary of acronyms and abbreviations. 8 references, 20 figures, 9 tables.

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Some results from the operation of a 150-ton oil shale retort

To determine the retorting characteristics of a column of mine-run, ungraded oil shale ranging in size from fines to pieces weighing as much as 5 tons, a 150-ton batch retort was designed and constructed. The retort vessel is 45 feet high by 11-1/2 feet in inside diameter and is supported in a 92-foot-high steel super-structure. Mine-run shale assaying about 25 gallons of oil per ton, is currently being used as the test shale. To date, three runs have been completed. Results of the second and third runs are reported in the paper. The two runs considered in the report are the first of a series of nine to determine operating conditions that will yield maximum oil recovery from a column of mine-run shale. Variables studied are the oxygen content of the retorting gas and the space velocity of the retorting gas expressed as cu ft gas/sq ft bed/min. Oil recoveries for the two runs reported are 62.2 volume percent of Fischer assay for the run using higher oxygen and a lower space velocity were used.

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Oil-shale mining, Rifle, Colorado, 1944-1956

The Rifle, Colorado, oil-shale project of the Bureau of Mines included three major divisions: (1) mining, (2) retorting, and (3) refining. The major functions of the mining program were to supply oil shale to the retorts, to devise mining procedures, and to develop an underground-mining method by which oil shale could be produced safely at an unusually low cost per ton. The selected mining procedures and direct mining costs were demonstrated by sustained test runs.

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Air-pollution-control alternatives for shale-oil production operations. Final report, December 1985-December 1987

This report consolidates, evaluates, and presents available air pollution emission data and air-pollution-control technology relevant to oil-shale production, for use by project developers in preparing environmental impact statements and permit applications under Clean Air Act and for local regulatory approval. Processes covered include: Subsurface and surface mining; Raw shale sizing and handling; In-situ and above-ground retorting; Spent-shale combustion and disposal; Product upgrading. Air pollution control technology covered includes traditional processes for NOx, sulfur compounds, particulates, VOCs, and CO control. Recently developed control processes not discussed elsewhere in the literature are also discussed and include: catalytic mufflers for NOx, VOC, and CO control on surface and subsurface vehicles; wet-scrubbing process (caustic/charcoal/sodium hypochlorite solution) for organic sulfur compounds; and staged combustion for NOx control of high-nitrogen fuels.

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State-of-the-art evaporation technology: Topical report

This report discusses evaporation theory, measurement and estimation as well as the effects of water quality on evaporation. Emissions from waste effluents is also mentioned. The theory and equations to represent evaporation using energy balances, mass transport and the combination of these two methods of analysis are presented in detail. Evaporation meters and other techniques for measuring evaporation are reviewed. A discussion of ways to estimate areal evaporation is presented along with criteria which affects evaporation pond design. The effects of chemical monolayers and salinity on the rate of evaporation is cited and discussed to indicated problems associated with most industrial waste effluents. The problem of monitoring emissions resulting from evaporation ponds associated with industrial waste emissions is also presented.

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