Back to results
US 12,624,293 B2Granted
Method and systems for transporting bitumen in solidified form
AssigneeCanadian National Railway Company
InventorsJames Auld, John Bleile, Kasra Nikooyeh, Amanda Prefontaine, Derek Stanger, Jesse White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solid bitumen pellet, including a mixture of bitumen and an additive, where the additive operates to increase the viscosity of the mixture. Optionally, the pellet includes a protective shell.
Claims20
A method of preparing non-volatile bituminous material for transport comprising the following steps:
- a) heating non-volatile bituminous material until it is suitably viscous for casting;
- b) introducing the suitably viscous non-volatile bituminous material to a plurality of molds, wherein each mold defines a mold cavity configured to define a pellet of irregular shape and to receive the suitably viscous non-volatile bituminous material;
- c) filling each mold cavity of the plurality of molds with the suitably viscous non-volatile bituminous material;
- d) solidifying the suitably viscous non-volatile bituminous material in the plurality of molds until a plurality of substantially solid pellets are formed;
- e) removing the plurality of pellets from the plurality of molds;
- and
- f) preparing the plurality of molds before the step of introducing the suitably viscous non-volatile bituminous material to the plurality of molds by positioning a buoyant polymer structure in the mold cavity defined by each of the molds to form an internal web structure within each of the plurality of pellets.
4 more elements
A method of preparing non-volatile bituminous material for transport comprising:
- a) heating non-volatile bituminous material until it is suitably viscous for casting;
- b) accessing a plurality of molds, wherein each mold defines a mold cavity configured to receive the suitably viscous non-volatile bituminous material and to mold a pellet of irregular shape;
- c) positioning a buoyant polymer structure in the mold cavity defined by each of the molds,
- d) filling the mold cavities defined by the molds with the suitably viscous non-volatile bituminous material;
- e) solidifying the suitably viscous non-volatile bituminous material until a plurality of substantially solid pellets of irregular shape are formed, each of the plurality of substantially solid pellets having an internal web structure formed by the buoyant polymer structure positioned in the mold cavity defined by the corresponding one of the molds;
- and
- f) removing the plurality of substantially solid pellets of irregular shape from the plurality of molds.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.