AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Fossil Energy Waste Sampling and Characterization Project: Final report

An outline and explanation of the project organization, a complete description of all procedures used during the study, and a summary of all significant data are given. The breadth and depth of this report demonstrates the technical merits of the procedures, methods, and data. Technically, the FEWSCP develops a data base on the characteristics of fossil energy solid wastes. The project focused on wastes from conventional coal-fired electric utility plants with a brief look at a variety of emerging energy technologies.

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Niche market assessment for a small-scale western oil shale project

As part of an overall program to study the economic feasibility of a small-scale western oil shale project, Western Research Institute requested J. E. Sinor Consultants Inc. to carry out a marketing analysis for the potential products. In undertaking such a study, it was recognized that the production of conventional fuels, such as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel, would not be feasible under current economic conditions. Therefore, the approach used in this study was to focus on nonconventional products, having perhaps a small potential market size but providing an opportunity to sell shale oil at considerably more than its crude oil equivalent price. To find such potential market niches, it is necessary to emphasize and preserve the differences between shale oil and petroleum, rather than try to make shale oil simply a substitute for petroleum. The objectives of this analysis are to identify potential products; to determine the size of the existing market for these products; to estimate the prices that such products could receive; and to evaluate all factors influencing the ability to sell shale oil products in these markets. 23 refs., 47 figs., 52 tabs.

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Dual porosity model for simulating solute transport in oil shale

A model is described for simulating three-dimensional groundwater flow and solute transport in oil shale and associated geohydrologic units. The model treats oil shale as a dual-porosity medium by simulating flow and transport within fractures using the finite-element method. Diffusion of solute between fractures and the essentially static water of the shale matrix is simulated by including an analytical solution that acts as a source-sink term to the differential equation of solute transport. While knowledge of fracture orientation and spacing is needed to effectively use the model, it is not necessary to map the location of individual fractures. The computer program listed in the report incorporates many of the features of previous dual-porosity models while retaining a practical approach to solving field problems. As a result the theory of solute transport is not extended in any appreciable way. The emphasis is on bringing together various aspects of solute transport theory in a manner that is particularly suited to the unusual groundwater flow and solute transport characteristics of oil shale systems. 20 refs., 5 figs., 5 tabs.

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Oil shale programs. Fourth quarterly report, October 1976--December 1976

"This is the fourth Quarterly Report for the Sandia Laboratories Oil Shale Programs and summarizes activities between October 1, 1976 and December 30, 1976 on three programs funded by the Oil, Gas and Shale Technology Division of the U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration.  hese programs are:  1. Diagnostics and Rock Mechanics Support for the Laramie Energy Research Center (LERC) In Situ Oil Shale Program,  2. Advanced Instrumentation and Field Projects for In Situ Oil Shale Processing, and  3. In Situ Oil Shale Bed Preparation Study.  In the following three sections each of these respective programs will be treated individually. The scope and plans necessary to meet the objectives listed in the respective statements of work will be briefly stated. In this context, then, the activities on each program over the past quarter will be discussed."

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Oil shale programs sixth quarterly report, April 1977--June 1977. [Hydraulic/explosive fracturing; instrumentation; bed preparation]

This is the sixth quarterly reported for the Sandia Laboratories Oil Shale Programs which is funded by the Oil, Gas and Shale Technology Division of the United States Energy Research and Development Administration. The activities discussed in this report occurred during April, May and June of 1977. The Sandia oil shale effort consists of the following three sperately define programs:

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Oil shale programs. Seventh quarterly report, July 1977--September 1977

The document is the seventh quarterly report for the Sandia Oil Shale Programs and contains discussions of significant activities which occurred during the period from July 1, 1977 to Septermber 30, 1977. The programs in question are funded by the Oil, Gas and Shale Technology Division of the United States Energy Research and Development Administration (DRDA which, as of October 1, 1977, is part of the United States Department of Ennergy (DOE). Sandia's oil shale effort is directed primarily at developing the technology required for in situ processing and consists of three sperate programs which are defined as follows:

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Oil shale programs. Eighth quarterly report, October 1977--December 1977

The oil shale activities being pursued at Sandia Laboratories are funded by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) through three seperately defined programs which are administered by the Oil, Gas, and Shale Technology Division of the DOE. The thrust of the effor is directed primarily at the development of the technology needed to make in situ (both true and modified) processing concepts viable; the broad scope of the work, however, gives many of the results bearing on the other geo-energy technologies. The three programs are defined as follows:

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Oil shale programs. Ninth quarterly report, January 1978--March 1978

This document is the ninth in a continuing series of quarterly reports dealing with Sandi Laboratories'oil shale activities; the present report covers the period between January 1, 1978, and March 31, 1978. The oil shale work is being performed under three sperately defined programs, all of which are funded by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and administered through the Oil, Gas, and Shale Technology Division. The three programs are identified as follows:

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Oil shale programs. Tenth quarterly report, April 1978--June 1978

This document is the tenth in a continuing series of quareterly reports dealing with Sandia Laboratories'oil shale oil shale activities; the present report covers the period between April 1, 1978, and June 30, 1978. The oil shale work is being performed under three seperately defined programs, all of which are funded by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and administered through the Oil, Gas, and Shale technology Division. The three programs are identified as follows:

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Impact of oxidation and reduction on the leaching potential of trace metals from spent oil shale. [Reducing and oxidizing environment]

The long-term quality of water produced at spent oil shale disposal facilities is a critical concern. Understanding the release and mobility of trace elements as natural weathering of the disposal pile occurs is particularly important. Because spent oil shale leachates are highly alkaline, weathering reactions that increase leachate acidity, thus trace element release and mobility, must be characterized. In order to simulate weathering environments that would occur in a waste disposal pile (i.e., saturated and unsaturated groundwater environments), spent oil shale has been leached under saturated and unsaturated conditions. Unsaturated conditions (an oxidizing environment) allow the oxidation of iron sulfides and adsorption of carbon dioxide. Saturated leaching conditions (a reducing environment) should not allow the acid generation by oxidation or carbon dioxide adsorption. Both of these conditions generate hydrogen ions and should reduce pH in spent oil shale leachate. Spent oil shale was leached for six weeks and the leachate analyzed for pH, sulfates, arsenic, boron, cadimum, calcium, copper, lithium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, strontium, and zinc. The leaching studies indicate that the oxidizing simulation did not significantly decrease the leachate pH, and under reducing conditions the greatest concentration of trace elements were leached from the shale. The trace elements extracted from the spent oil shale in the greatest concentrations are all soluble in high pH solutions. These results indicate that spent oil shale disposal piles in arid to semiarid environments may maintain an alkaline pH because of an extremely high alkaline buffering capacity. These data also indicate that research on carbon dioxide absorption is needed to assess the long-term contribution of acidity to modify solution pH and trace element mobility. 15 refs., 2 tabs.

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Kinetics of decomposition of Colorado oil shale. II. Carbonate minerals

The kinetics of decomposition of nahcolite, dawsonite, dolomite, and calcite in oil shale have been investigated using heating rates expected during typical combustion retorting. Furthermore, the rates of decomposition of calcite and dolomite in shale have been studied over a range of heating conditions from 2 to 20/sup 0/C/min and CO/sub 2/ partial pressures of 0 to 1.0 atm. These results lead to the conclusion that, under typical combustion retorting conditions, most of the calcite reacts with SiO/sub 2/, rather than decomposing to CaO. Activation energies and preexponential factors characterizing the rate constants for the above reactions are also given; these ''engineering''rate data are expressed in a form amenable for use in mathematical models of the retorting process. Also presented are x-ray data on the final product mineral phases in fully burned oil shale. These are found to be mainly members of the akermanite-gehlenite series and diopside. These products are formed from reactions in the solid state of the carbonates and/or their oxides with other minerals in the shale. A summary of enthalpy data for these reactions is given. Finally, the practical implications and limitations of these results for computational and experimental studies of large-scale shale combustion retorting processes are discussed. Included in this discussion are recent results showing the effects of steam on the mineral reactions in shale.

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Effect of internally generated bulk flow on the rates of gas-solid reactions. I. Development of a approximate solution

The rate of reaction between a solid and a gas can be substantially slowed when accompanied by an outward bulk flow of a nonreacting gas. Such a gas may be generated by an independent decomposition reaction involving a second solid. The effect of the latter is analyzed theoretically. The authors have developed a useful approximate method of solution that makes the numerical solution of a second-order differential equation unnecessary. The approximate solution is especially useful in the analysis of multiparticle systems with a wide size distribution. The immediate problem that provided motivation for this work was the analysis of the combustion and gasification by oxygen and steam of oil shale char in a retorted shale block containing carbonate minerals. Other applications include the combustion and gasification of coal containing volatiles, the carbothermal reduction of metal oxides in a carbon dioxide/monoxide-containing atmosphere, and the removal of sulfur-containing gases with dolomite. 23 references, 13 figures.

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Quenched nonisothermal pyrolysis of Asphalt Ridge tar sand and Boscan heavy oil mixtures

Quenched nonisothermal experiments were performed on Asphalt Ridge tar sand and on mixtures of tar sand and Boscan oil at two heating rates. Reactions were quenched at temperatures in the range of 200-- 600{degree}C (392--1112{degree}F) and the nonvolatile organic products were sequentially extracted with n-heptane, toluene, and pyridine. Coke contents were determined by combustion. Kinetic analyses of the coversion of Asphalt Ridge tar sand and Boscan coprocessing mixtures show remarkable similarities. A kinetic fit to data from both Asphalt Ridge and Boscan oil coprocessing tests was performed with the result being a good fit to all the data. The shapes of the soluble, nonvolatile product concentrations indicate a series reaction scheme leading to the formation of coke and pyridine-soluble material. For the Asphalt Ridge tar sand, both heptane and toluene solubles decompose to form pyridine solubles and coke. For the Boscan oil/tar sand mixtures, heptane solubles form toluene solubles which form pyridine solubles and coke. 6 refs., 19 figs., 9 tabs.

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Mass and heat transfer in crushed oil shale

Heat and mass transfer between gases and oil-shale particles are both important for all proposed retorting processes. Past studies of transfer in packed beds, which have disagreed substantially in their results, have nearly all been done with beds of regular particles of uniform size, whereas oil-shale retorting involves particles of diverse shapes and widely ranging sizes. To resolve these questions, we have made 349 runs in which we measured mass-transfer rates from naphthalene particles of diverse shapes buried in packed beds through which air was passed at room temperature. This technique permits calculation of the mass-transfer coefficient for each active particle in the bed rather than, as in most past studies, for the bed as a whole. The data were analyzed in two ways: (1) by the traditional correlation of Colburn j/sub D/ vs Reynolds number and (2) by multiple regression of the mass-transfer coefficient on air rate, traditional correlation of Colburn j/sub D/ vs Reynolds number and (3) by multiple regression of the mass-transfer coefficient on air rate, sizes of active and inert particles, void fraction, and temperature. Principal findings are: (1) local Reynolds number should be based on active particle size rather than average size for the bed; (2) no appreciable differences were seen between shallow beds and deep ones; (3) mass transfer was 26% faster for spheres and lozenges buried in shale than for all-sphere beds; (4) orientation of lozenges in shale beds has little effect on mass-transfer rate; (5) a useful summarizing equation for either mass or heat transfer in shale beds is log j.epsilon = -.0747 - .6344 log Re   .0592 log/sup 2/Re where j = either j/sub D/ or j/sub H/, the Chilton-Colburn j-factors for mass and heat transfer, Re = the Reynolds number defined for packed beds, and epsilon = the void fraction in the bed. 12 references, 15 figures.

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Investigation of the Geokinetics horizontal in situ oil shale retorting process. Quarterly report, July, August, September 1980

Progress is reported by Geokinetics on the successful blasting of Retort No. 25. Preparations are described for the ignition of Retort No. 24 nearing completion. This will be the largest retort processing facility utilized to date. Meteorological data of the area was obtained for permit applications from the Utah Air Conservation Committee and the US EPA. These must be obtained before ignition of retort No. 24. Drilling for the post-burn core sampling program (Retorts No. 16 and No. 17) was completed during the quarter. Approval to inject effluent water into the Mesa Verde Formation through a deep well was obtained. Construction of a new 1 1/2 acre evaporating pond has begun. The DOE Oil Shale Task Force will aid in the environmental research program; its role is described. A new vibro-rotary hammer was tested. Drilling penetration rates increased by 35%. A patent on horizontal fracturing methods was obtained. (DMC)

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Chemicals for enhanced oil recovery. Quarterly report, October 1-December 31, 1980

Studies on the salinity range in which three liquid phases are observed for systems containing a tall oil ethoxylate or related nonionic surfactant, a cosurfactant, aqueous NaCl, and a hydrocarbon were extended. Increasing hydrophile-lipophile balance, HLB, causes an increase in the salinity needed to effect the transition of the surfactant from the lower to the upper phase. However, other factors besides HLB seem to be involved. Addition of the nonionic surfactant increases optimal salinity by an amount which depends on its hydrophilic character. Sodium-2-methyloleate,-2-butyloleate, -2-hexyloleate, -2,2-dimethyloleate, and -2,2-diethyloleate were synthesized and its phase behavior in aqueous/hydrocarbon systems studied. Adsorption of a commercial petroleum sulfonate from 0.1 M NaCl on the sodium form of montmorillonite was reduced a factor of ten by caustic extract from bleaching of wood pulp. In a comparison of several pulping wastes or byproducts as sacrificial agents, caustic extract and weak black liquor appeared most effective, and lignosulfonate only slightly less effective. Plugging tests of the filtrates obtained in the biomass-polymer separations indicated that polish filtration probably would be required. The microscreen is the most economical of the biomass separation methods. Small fermenter tests indicate that Sclerotium rolfsii cultures are able to tolerate salinity of 2 to 4% w/v NaCl in the fermentation broth makeup water; however, the organism was unable to grow in 6% w/v NaCl.

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Wildlife studies for the geokinetics'Kamp Kerogen site, Uintah County, Utah

A four-season wildlife study was conducted on the Geokinetics site beginning May 1978 and ending May 1979. No threatened or endangered species were encountered on or near the study area (Section 2 plus a one-mile surrounding zone). No critical habitats or wildlife of special scientific interest or unusual occurrence were identified. Mule deer and elk occur on the study area. During the period of field investigations, deer were not very common, but were present most of the year. Only occasional signs of elk were observed, which suggested a rare and probably sporadic occurrence. Quantitative studies amenable to future monitoring programs were conducted on mule deer (pellet group counts and big sagebrush production-utilization studies), small mammals (live trapping), and birds (spring and summer transect counts). The research design used was systematic sampling in selected strata (pinyon-juniper woodland and sagebrush draws).

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Ecoclimate studies

Data are rported on ecoclimatic studies on the Geokinetics Shale Group Field Research Site in Uintah County, Utah. Amount of precipitation, ambient air temperature, soil surface temperature, and soil moisture parameters were measured during the growing season (April through November). Recording systems were established in each of the 4 major vegetational types. The purpose is to obtain climatic data from the environmental zone that has the greatest influence on plant distributions and growth. (DMC)

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Economic analysis of an oil shale, nahcolite, dawsonite complex in Colorado. Option II, Circa 1971

Option II concerns mining and processing a nahcolite deposit in the Piceance Creek basin, Colorado, plus an underlying measure of oil shale containing about 25 percent nahcolite and 9 percent dawsonite to yield soda ash, alumina, and shale oil as principal products. Coke, sulfur, and ammonia are also byproducts. A two-level processing plant requires a capital investment of $605,947,700 in 1971 dollars to process 8000 tons per calendar day of nahcolite ore and 60,000 tons of the mineral containing oil shale. An income of $268,283,000 requires $143,188,700 in annual expenditures including labor, materials, maintenance, taxes, insurance, overhead, and depreciation. The discounted cash flow rate of return is 17.20 percent based on a weighted average depreciation life of 13.99 years.

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Modeling of the behavior of a multicomponent shale oil during retorting

The one-dimensional oil shale retorting model developed originally by Braun has been modified to simulate the behavior of multicomponent shale oil during retorting. The current modifications extend an earlier model that incorporated one-component oil mist formation and deposition and liquid oil drainage into Braun's model. A sample calculation shows that the model agrees at least qualitatively with experiments; the lack of detailed experimental data precludes quantitative comparisons at this time. An attempt to include liquid water accumulation and drainage phenomena has not yet succeeded. A pressure drop calculation based on Ergun's equation has also been added, thereby incorporating pressure effects into the model. 10 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs.

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Bioluminescent toxicity assay of synfuel by-product waters

Large amounts of complex by-product waters, potentially toxic to biological systems, are generated during in situ recovery of fuels from oil shale, coal, and tar sand deposits. Since these by-product waters may contain a broad spectrum of organic and inorganic pollutants, analysis of individual compounds may not always be practical. Separation of complex by-product water into environmentally interpretable hydrophilic (HP) and organophilic (OP) fractions can, however, provide a useful approach for initial toxicity evaluation. The Microtox assay was developed by Beckman Microbics Operations. For this assay, reduction of bacterial luminescence upon exposure to potential inhibitors was used as an index of toxicity. This paper presents results of the Microtox assay on eight whole waters and their HP and OP fractions, derived from oil shale, coal, and tar sand recovery processes.

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Oil shale retorting in dense phase hot-solid recycle systems

Oil shale processing remains primitive despite more than a century of study and development. To expand the industry in China, and to develop an industry in the USA, more efficient, environmentally acceptable oil shale retorting schemes are required. Rapid pyrolysis, soil-recycle retorts offer high throughput and improved oil yield compared to hot gas retorts currently in operation. At the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), we are studying this class of retort, by combining laboratory and mathematical model development efforts with operation of a 1 tonne/day pilot-scale, solid-recycle retorting system. In this paper we first discuss hot gas and hot solid retorting methods. We then compare laboratory pyrolysis kinetic and yield results with those obtained using the LLNL pilot retort, processing both Western and Eastern USA shales. Sulfur chemistry important in solid-recycle retorting is discussed. Based on this experience, coupled with laboratory measurement for shales from Maoming and Fushun, China we discuss the possibility of processing Chinese shales in rapid-pyrolysis, solid-recycle retorting systems. 8 refs., 3 figs., 6 tabs.

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High recovery proves out for shale oil process

As a prelude to development of its oil-shale holdings in Colorado, Union Oil Co. of California has almost completed pilot plant testing of its new stream gas recycle (SGR) process and design of a demonstration retort to handle 1,500 tons per day of shale. Union Oil president F.L. Hartley says that if the political and economic climate remains favorable, the company will have a commercial plant operating in Colorado by 1980. In addition to in situ retorting, 3 kinds of aboveground retorting are now under consideration by potential shale oil producers. The simplest uses gravity flow of shale down through a vertical retort. The second kind employs upward flow of shale with the aid of a solids pump. The third requires use of an inert solids heating medium, usually ceramic balls, in the retort. Hartly says that after extensive development and testing, Union Oil has opted for the second alternative because of high process reliability. A flow chart of the recycle scheme is presented.

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