Xinjiang oil shale retort is a new type of retorting device developed for exploiting Xinjiang oil shale according to the rock characteristics. Knowledge of the gas flow distribution in the retorting zone and the pressure drops across the retort is important to increase production rate and achieve the stable operation of the retort. In this paper, the structure and working principle of Xinjiang oil shale retort are introduced. The gas flow distribution in the retorting zone and the pressure drops across the retort system were investigated through a three-dimensional cold model of the retort. It was found that the distribution of vertical velocities of gas flow became more uniform with the increase of gas flow rate and bed depth. The optimal cold recycled gas amount is about 10% of the amount of hot recycled gas. In general, the results show that the gas flow distribution in the retorting zone is maldistribution, and the gas inlet structure should be modified. The empirical constants of the Ergun equation for the retort were determined, and the pressure drops across the retort were predicted and verified.
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