System and method for separating bitumen from shingle powder

A system for separating bitumen from shingle powder, comprising:

• a blender configured to receive and mix a solvent and shingle powder containing bitumen;
• a plurality of tanks, including
• a solvent tank in fluid communication with the blender, the solvent tank supplying the solvent to the blender,
• a water tank in fluid communication with the blender, the water tank supplying water to wash an interior of the blender in which the solvent and the shingle powder is mixed,
• a decanting tank in fluid communication with the blender, the decanting tank configured to receive bitumen-infused solvent from the blender, and
• a distillation tank in fluid communication with the decanting tank, wherein the distillation tank is configured to vaporize the solvent of the bitumen-infused solvent to isolate bitumen from the bitumen-infused solvent received from the decanting tank, resulting in an isolated bitumen in the distillation tank;
• a plurality of pumps, with each pump of the plurality of pumps configured to either (i) pump fluid from one tank of the plurality of tanks to one of the blender and another tank of the plurality of tanks or (ii) pump fluid from the blender to one of the plurality of tanks;
• and
• a heat and solvent recovery subsystem, which includes:
• a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the water tank and the distillation tank, such that solvent vapor from the distillation tank is passed through the first heat exchanger while water from the water tank is simultaneously circulated through the first heat exchanger when the system is in use,
• a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and the solvent tank, such that solvent vapor from the first heat exchanger can be passed through the second heat exchanger while the solvent from the solvent tank is simultaneously circulated through the second heat exchanger, and
• a condenser, wherein the condenser is in fluid communication with the second heat exchanger and is configured to form a distillate solvent.

A method for separating bitumen from shingle powder, comprising steps of:

• mixing, in a blender, shingle powder containing bitumen and one or more non-bitumen constituents with a solvent to separate bitumen from the one or more non-bitumen constituents and produce a bitumen-infused solvent;
• decanting the bitumen-infused solvent from the blender into a first tank;
• washing, within the blender, the one or more non-bitumen constituents with water to produce additional bitumen-infused solvent;
• decanting the additional bitumen-infused solvent from the blender into the first tank;
• separating, within the first tank, the bitumen-infused solvent and the additional bitumen-infused solvent from water present in the first tank;
• transferring, subsequent to separation of the bitumen-infused solvent and the additional bitumen-infused solvent from water within the first tank, the bitumen-infused solvent and the additional bitumen-infused solvent within the first tank into a second tank;
• and
• vaporizing, in the second tank, the solvent from the bitumen-infused solvent and the additional bitumen-infused solvent, resulting in an isolated bitumen in the second tank.