Systems and methods for treating viscous media

A system for treating a target viscous medium comprising

• a primary source of pressurized treatment fluid,
• a rotational fluidic transfer assembly, and
• a helical mixing element, wherein:
• the rotational fluidic transfer assembly comprises an anchored portion, a rotational portion, a fluidic transfer chamber, a fluid outlet, and a sealed bearing assembly collectively configured to permit rotation of the rotational portion about a rotational axis relative to the anchored portion while maintaining a minimum fluidic injection pressure within the fluidic transfer chamber;
• the primary source of pressurized treatment fluid is in fluidic communication with the fluid outlet of the rotational fluidic transfer assembly via the fluidic transfer chamber;
• the helical mixing element comprises an interior treatment fluid passage, external injection ports, and external mixing paddles;
• the fluid outlet of the rotational fluidic transfer assembly is in fluidic communication with the external injection ports of the helical mixing element via the interior treatment fluid passage of the helical mixing element;
• the helical mixing element is mechanically coupled to rotate with the rotational portion of the rotational fluidic transfer assembly;
• the primary source of pressurized treatment fluid, the rotational fluidic transfer assembly, and the helical mixing element cooperate to permit the injection of pressurized treatment fluid from the primary source of pressurized treatment fluid through the external injection ports of the helical mixing element, into a target viscous medium in which the helical mixing element is positioned and to rotate the helical mixing element in the target viscous medium simultaneously with the injection of the pressurized treatment fluid into the target viscous medium;
• the target viscous medium comprises bauxite tailings;
• the pressurized treatment fluid comprises carbon dioxide;
• and
• the pressurized treatment fluid is injected into the target viscous medium at a volumetric flow rate sufficient to decrease the pH of the target viscous medium by at least 3.

A method for treating a target viscous medium, the method comprising

• submerging a system comprising a primary source of pressurized treatment fluid, a rotational fluidic transfer assembly, and a helical mixing element into the target viscous medium, and
• introducing pressurized treatment fluid to the system, wherein:
• the rotational fluidic transfer assembly comprises an anchored portion, a rotational portion, a fluidic transfer chamber, a fluid outlet, and a sealed bearing assembly collectively configured to permit rotation of the rotational portion about a rotational axis relative to the anchored portion while maintaining a minimum fluidic injection pressure within the fluidic transfer chamber;
• the primary source of pressurized treatment fluid is in fluidic communication with the fluid outlet of the rotational fluidic transfer assembly via the fluidic transfer chamber;
• the helical mixing element comprises an interior treatment fluid passage, external injection ports, and external mixing paddles;
• the fluid outlet of the rotational fluidic transfer assembly is in fluidic communication with the external injection ports of the helical mixing element via the interior treatment fluid passage of the helical mixing element;
• the helical mixing element is mechanically coupled to rotate with the rotational portion of the rotational fluidic transfer assembly;
• the pressurized treatment fluid comprises carbon dioxide;
• and
• the target viscous medium comprises bauxite tailings and has a pH between approximately 10 and approximately 13 before it is treated with the pressurized treatment fluid.

A method for treating a target viscous medium comprising bauxite tailings, the method comprising

• submerging a rotational fluidic transfer assembly and a helical mixing element into the target viscous medium comprising bauxite tailings, and
• introducing pressurized treatment fluid from a primary source of pressurized treatment fluid into the target viscous medium via the rotational fluidic transfer assembly and the helical mixing element, wherein:
• the rotational fluidic transfer assembly comprises a fluidic transfer chamber and a fluid outlet;
• the primary source of pressurized treatment fluid comprises carbon dioxide and is in fluidic communication with the fluid outlet of the fluidic transfer assembly via the fluidic transfer chamber;
• the helical mixing element comprises an interior treatment fluid passage and external injection ports;
• and
• the fluid outlet of the fluidic transfer assembly is in fluidic communication with the external injection ports of the helical mixing element via the interior treatment fluid passage of the helical mixing element.