Cracking and coking of shale-oil vapors

The objective of our work on cracking and coking oil vapor is first to quantify oil yield losses in the Hot-Solids-Recycle (HRS) oil shale process due to these reactions, and second, to determine if cracking and/or coking are favorable oil upgrading reactions that can be used advantageously in the HRS process. Cracking and coking of the produced shale oil vapor can relatively easily be incorporated into the HRS process, and a certain level of cracking and coking is unavoidable in the HRS process. The first objective of quantifying oil yield losses for a simple fluidized-bed process has been accomplished, but quality effects of cracking and coking have only been studied under high-severity conditions, i.e. with oil destruction conversions much higher than the conversions typical of the HRS process. 9 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.