Method and apparatus for treating tailings using an AC voltage with a DC offset

• Main Authors: GARCIA, PAUL, MICAK, JAMES, PARROTT, ROBERT C, BEATTIE, BRUCE S, HARRIS, BEN, KIMZEY, DOUG
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.05.2016
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLIDMATERIALS OR FLUIDS; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; PEAT; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVEHYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, ORGASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; SEPARATING SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATICTABLES OR JIGS; SEPARATION; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS; SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATICTABLES OR JIGS; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE

There is a method of facilitating the consolidation of fine tailings through the application of an electrical current. The fine tailings include a combination of at least some water and some clay particles. Electrodes are placed into contact with the fine tailings. An AC voltage with a DC offset is applied to the electrodes to separate water from the clay particles and to induce movement of the separated water to a collection area. The separated clay particles can consolidate more readily than unseparated clay particles. In an embodiment, the fine tailings are mixed fine oil sands extraction tailings which include residual hydrocarbons. In an embodiment, the application of an AC voltage with a DC offset across the electrodes includes applying an AC voltage of about 1 V/cm and a DC offset of about ½ V/cm.