Fushun process
Encyclopedia
The Fushun process is an above-ground retorting technology for shale oil extraction. It is named after the main production site of Fushun
, Liaoning
province in northeastern China
.
in China during the mid-1920s. The commercial-scale utilization of the process began in 1930 with the construction of "Refinery No. 1". After World War II, the shale oil production was ceased, but 100 Fushun-type oil shale retorts were restored in 1949. In 1950, total 266 retorts were in operation, each with the capacity of 100–200 tons of shale oil per day.
With the discovery of Daqing oil field
in 1960s, the shale oil production declined and Sinopec
, an operator of shale oil production these times, shut down its oil shale operations in the beginning of 1990s. At the same time, the Fushun Oil Shale Retorting Plant, using Fushun process technology, was established as a part of the Fushun Mining Group
. It started production in 1992. In 2005, China became the largest shale oil
producer in the world.
In 1985-1986, Sinopec
used the Fushun process for a test processing of Jordan's oil shale
from the El Lajjun deposit. Although the process was technically viable, the cooperation was halted due to high operation costs.
. During the pyrolysis process, oil shale is decomposed to shale coke (char
), which together with the ascending air-steam is burnt in the lower part of the retort to heat gases necessary for pyrolysis. These gases are recirculated; after leaving retort, they are cooled in a condensation system, where shale oil is condensed, and re-heated in a heating furnace about 500 °C (932 °F) to 700 °C (1,292 °F) before reinserting into the retort. The shale ash exits from a rotating water dish that acts as a seal and cooler at the bottom of the retort.
Retorts are operated in sets and have a heat carrier preparation unit and rotating water seals designed for the whole set instead of a single retort as in case of the Kiviter retort
. Regenerative furnaces are located next to the retorts and they are operating in two cycles – the combustion cycle and the gas heating cycle. During the combustion cycle, a furnace is heated up to 1000 °C (1,832 °F) by combustion gases. After the combustion cycle, retort gases from the condensation system is inserted into a furnace for their heating. By alternating furnaces, one furnace is always available for heating retort gas. Twenty retorts typically share one condensation system and a set of heating furnances.
Advantages of the Fushun process include small investment and stable operation. The process is characterized by the high thermal efficiency, but due to the addition of air into the retort, the nitrogen
dilutes the pyrolysis gas. In addition, the excess oxygen
in retort burns out a part of produced shale oil, which reduce the shale oil yield. The oil yield of the Fushun retort accounts for about 65% of Fischer Assay
. Disadvantage of this process is a high water consumption amounting to 6–7 barrels of water per barrel of produced shale-oil, and great quantities of waste shale. It is not suitable of ores with small size and oil content lower than 5%.
As the capacity of single retort is limited, Fushun process is suitable for small-scale retorting plants, and for processing lean oil shale with low gas yield.
Fushun
Fushun is a city in Liaoning, China, about 45 km east from Shenyang, with a population about 2,138 090 inhabitants at the 2010 census and an area of 11,271 km2, including 713 km2 of the city proper. Fushun is situated on the Hun He . It was formerly called Fouchouen in French...
, Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
province in northeastern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
History
The Fushun process was developed and utilized for the extraction of shale oilShale oil
Shale oil, known also as kerogen oil or oil-shale oil, is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock into synthetic oil and gas...
in China during the mid-1920s. The commercial-scale utilization of the process began in 1930 with the construction of "Refinery No. 1". After World War II, the shale oil production was ceased, but 100 Fushun-type oil shale retorts were restored in 1949. In 1950, total 266 retorts were in operation, each with the capacity of 100–200 tons of shale oil per day.
With the discovery of Daqing oil field
Daqing Field
Daqing Field , formerly called "Taching", is the largest oil field in the People's Republic of China, located between the Songhua river and Nunjiang river in Heilongjiang province....
in 1960s, the shale oil production declined and Sinopec
Sinopec
China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation Limited , or Sinopec Limited , is a majority owned subsidiary of state owned company Sinopec Group. Sinopec Limited is listed in Hong Kong and also trades in Shanghai and New York ....
, an operator of shale oil production these times, shut down its oil shale operations in the beginning of 1990s. At the same time, the Fushun Oil Shale Retorting Plant, using Fushun process technology, was established as a part of the Fushun Mining Group
Fushun Mining Group
The Fushun Mining Group is a large state-owned coal and oil shale company located in Fushun, Liaoning Province, China. The corporation consists of 35 companies with more than 40,000 employees. The main business includes: coal mining, oil shale processing, machinery and others...
. It started production in 1992. In 2005, China became the largest shale oil
Shale oil
Shale oil, known also as kerogen oil or oil-shale oil, is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock into synthetic oil and gas...
producer in the world.
In 1985-1986, Sinopec
Sinopec
China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation Limited , or Sinopec Limited , is a majority owned subsidiary of state owned company Sinopec Group. Sinopec Limited is listed in Hong Kong and also trades in Shanghai and New York ....
used the Fushun process for a test processing of Jordan's oil shale
Oil shale in Jordan
Oil shale in Jordan represents a significant resource. Oil shale deposits in Jordan underlie more than 60% of Jordanian territory, with the total resources estimated at 40 to 70 billion tonnes of oil shale. The deposits include a high quality marinite oil shale of Late Cretaceous to early...
from the El Lajjun deposit. Although the process was technically viable, the cooperation was halted due to high operation costs.
Technology
The Fushun process is classified as an internal combustion technology but also includes external gas heating. It uses a vertical cylindrical type shaft retort, with outside steel plate lined with inner fire bricks. The retort has height over 10 metres (32.8 ft) and its inner diameter is about 3 metres (9.8 ft). Raw oil shale particles with the size of 10 to 75 mm (0.393700787401575 to 3 in) are fed from the top of the retort. At the upper section of the retort oil shale is dried and heated by the ascending hot gases, which pass upward through the descending oil shale causing decomposition of the rock. The pyrolysis takes place at about 500 °C (932 °F). The produced oil vapor and gases exit from the top of the retort; hot gases and oil vapors move from the bottom to the top directly, and not diagonally like in Kiviter processKiviter process
-History:The Kiviter process is based on the earlier vertical retort technology . This technology underwent a long process of development...
. During the pyrolysis process, oil shale is decomposed to shale coke (char
Char
Char is the solid material that remains after light gases and tar coal tar have been driven out or released from a carbonaceous material during the initial stage of combustion, which is known as carbonization, charring, devolatilization or pyrolysis.Further stages of efficient combustion are...
), which together with the ascending air-steam is burnt in the lower part of the retort to heat gases necessary for pyrolysis. These gases are recirculated; after leaving retort, they are cooled in a condensation system, where shale oil is condensed, and re-heated in a heating furnace about 500 °C (932 °F) to 700 °C (1,292 °F) before reinserting into the retort. The shale ash exits from a rotating water dish that acts as a seal and cooler at the bottom of the retort.
Retorts are operated in sets and have a heat carrier preparation unit and rotating water seals designed for the whole set instead of a single retort as in case of the Kiviter retort
Kiviter process
-History:The Kiviter process is based on the earlier vertical retort technology . This technology underwent a long process of development...
. Regenerative furnaces are located next to the retorts and they are operating in two cycles – the combustion cycle and the gas heating cycle. During the combustion cycle, a furnace is heated up to 1000 °C (1,832 °F) by combustion gases. After the combustion cycle, retort gases from the condensation system is inserted into a furnace for their heating. By alternating furnaces, one furnace is always available for heating retort gas. Twenty retorts typically share one condensation system and a set of heating furnances.
Advantages of the Fushun process include small investment and stable operation. The process is characterized by the high thermal efficiency, but due to the addition of air into the retort, the nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
dilutes the pyrolysis gas. In addition, the excess oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
in retort burns out a part of produced shale oil, which reduce the shale oil yield. The oil yield of the Fushun retort accounts for about 65% of Fischer Assay
Fischer Assay
The Fischer assay is a standardized laboratory test for determining the oil yield from oil shale to be expected from a conventional shale oil extraction. A 100 gram oil shale sample crushed to...
. Disadvantage of this process is a high water consumption amounting to 6–7 barrels of water per barrel of produced shale-oil, and great quantities of waste shale. It is not suitable of ores with small size and oil content lower than 5%.
As the capacity of single retort is limited, Fushun process is suitable for small-scale retorting plants, and for processing lean oil shale with low gas yield.
Commercial use
Fushun process is used only in China. The Fushun Mining Group operates the largest by capacity shale oil plant in the world (Fushun Shale Oil Plant) consisting of 180 Fushun retorts. Each retort processes about 4 tonnes of oil shale per hour.See also
- Energy in China
- Oil shale in ChinaOil shale in ChinaOil shale in China is an important source of unconventional oil. A total Chinese oil shale resource amounts of 720 billion tonnes, located in 80 deposits of 47 oil shale basins. This is equal to 48 billion tonnes of shale oil...
- Kiviter processKiviter process-History:The Kiviter process is based on the earlier vertical retort technology . This technology underwent a long process of development...
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