System, apparatus and process for extraction of bitumen from oil sands

• Main Authors: DIEP JOHN KHAI-QUANG, GARNER WILLIAM NICHOLAS, KIEL DARWIN EDWARD, HANN THOMAS CHARLES, BJORNSON BRADFORD E, STRAND CRAIG AARON
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.03.2015
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; DIFFERENTIAL SEDIMENTATION; EARTH DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; FLOTATION; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLIDMATERIALS OR FLUIDS; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; MINING; MINING OR QUARRYING; 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

A separation process and system for extracting hydrocarbons from a mixture. In some embodiments, a process for separating a bitumen froth stream containing bitumen froth, water and fine solids into a bitumen enriched froth stream and a water and fine solids stream, comprises: (a) receiving the bitumen froth stream in a concentrator vessel, (b) distributing the bitumen froth stream in the concentrator vessel as a substantially uniform and generally horizontal flow of the bitumen froth stream at a first flow velocity, (c) slowing the bitumen froth stream to a second flow velocity, slower than the first flow velocity, in a separation region of the concentrator vessel to promote separation of the bitumen froth from the water and fine solids, and then (d) collecting a bitumen enriched froth stream and (e) collecting a separate water and fine solids stream. Related embodiments of systems and apparatus may also be provided.