Macro and Meso Characteristics of In-Situ Oil Shale Pyrolysis Using Superheated Steam

Lei Wang, Dong Yang, Xiang Li, Jing Zhao, Guoying Wang and Yangsheng Zhao
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Lei Wang: College of Mining Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
Dong Yang: Key Laboratory of In-situ Property Improving Mining of Ministry of Education, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
Xiang Li: Key Laboratory of In-situ Property Improving Mining of Ministry of Education, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
Jing Zhao: College of Mining Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
Guoying Wang: Key Laboratory of In-situ Property Improving Mining of Ministry of Education, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
Yangsheng Zhao: College of Mining Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: The efficiency of oil shale pyrolysis is directly related to the feasibility of in-situ mining technology. Taiyuan University of Technology (China) proposed the technology of in-situ convective heating of oil shale, which uses superheated steam as the heat carrier to heat the oil shale’s ore-body and transport the pyrolysis products. Based on the simulated experiments of in-situ oil shale pyrolysis using superheated steam, the changes in fracture characteristics, pyrolysis characteristics and mesoscopic characteristics of the oil shale during the pyrolysis have been systematically studied in this work. The Xinjiang oil shale’s pyrolysis temperature ranged within 400–510 °C. When the temperature is 447 °C, the rate of pyrolysis of kerogen is the fastest. During the pyrolysis process, the pressure of superheated steam changes within the range of 0.1–11.1 MPa. With the continuous thermal decomposition, the horizontal stress difference shows a tendency to first increase and then, decrease. The rate of weight loss of oil shale residue at various locations after the pyrolysis is found to be within the range of 0.17–2.31%, which is much lower than the original value of 10.8%, indicating that the pyrolysis is more adequate. Finally, the number of microcracks (<50 µm) in the oil shale after pyrolysis is found to be lie within the range of 25–56 and the average length lies within the range of 53.9636–62.3816 µm. The connectivity of the internal pore groups is satisfactory, while the seepage channel is found to be smooth. These results fully reflect the high efficiency and feasibility of in-situ oil shale pyrolysis using superheated steam.

Keywords: superheated steam; triaxial stress; thermogravimetry; X-ray microtomography; thermal cracking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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