# US 10,441,976 B2 · Lump segregating slurry feed diffuser

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- Number: US 10,441,976 B2
- Document ID: US10441976B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/877,659
- Filed: 2018-01-23
- Published: 2019-07-25
- Granted: 2019-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-23
- Assignees: Syncrude Canada Ltd.
- Applicants: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude Project as such owners exist now and in the future
- Inventors: Michael Carniato; Dan Wolfe; Ron Cleminson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441976B2

## CPC

- B07B 1/08: Screens rotating within their own plane
- B01D 33/11: arranged for outward flow filtration
- B01D 33/72: for feeding
- B07B 1/22: Revolving drums
- B07B 13/05: using material mover cooperating with retainer, deflector or discharger (B07B13/065 - B07B13/075 take precedence)
- B07B 13/16: Feed or discharge arrangements
- B07B 1/24: with fixed or moving interior agitators
- B07B: SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL (wet separating processes, sorting by processes using fluent material in the same way as liquid B03; combinations of dry separating apparatus with wet separating apparatus B03B; using liquids B03B, B03D; sorting by magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges or vortex apparatus for carrying out physical processes B04; hand sorting, postal sorting, sorting by switching or other devices actuated in response to detection or measurement of some feature of articles or samples of material B07C)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)

## Abstract

A feed diffuser for use in a rotating screen having drain holes is provided, comprising a flow chamber having an upstream end and a downstream end and defining a flow path for a slurry having solid material larger than the drain holes flowing between the upstream end and the downstream end; the flow chamber having an intermediate portion disposed between the upstream end and the downstream end; the intermediate portion having a first opening; the flow chamber having an inclined floor, the lowest point of the inclined floor being adjacent to the first opening; whereby the inclined floor is sufficiently inclined such that when the slurry flows down the flow path, the larger solid material is directed towards the first opening.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A feed diffuser for use in a rotating screen having drain holes, comprising:
a flow chamber having an upstream end and a downstream end and defining a flow path for a slurry having solid material larger than the drain holes flowing between the upstream end and the downstream end;
the flow chamber having an intermediate portion disposed between the upstream end and the downstream end;
the intermediate portion having a first side opening and a second side opening opposite the first side opening;
the flow chamber having an inclined floor, the lowest point of the inclined floor being adjacent to the first side opening;
whereby the inclined floor is sufficiently inclined such that when the slurry flows down the flow path, the larger solid material is directed towards the first side opening and a solids-reduced slurry is directed towards the second side opening.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The feed diffuser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inclined floor is inclined at an angle to the horizontal of between 5 to 15°.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The feed diffuser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inclined floor comprises a plurality of individual tiles.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The feed diffuser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upstream end comprises a flange for securing an inlet conduit to the diffuser.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The feed diffuser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the downstream end comprises a lip for slowing down the flow of the slurry.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A rotary screen separator comprising a cylindrical screen defining a plurality of drain holes and a feed diffuser as claimed in claim 1 disposed within the cylindrical screen.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A method of processing a slurry to separate larger solid material from a liquid, comprising the steps of:
(a) applying the slurry to a rotary screen separator as claimed in claim 6;
(b) collecting the liquid which passes through the screen; and
(c) expelling solids through one end of the rotating screen.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 wherein the slurry is an oil sand slurry.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the oil sand slurry has been conditioned by hydrotransport through a pipeline.