Bituminous froth inclined plate separator and hydrocarbon cyclone treatment process
AssigneeSuncor Energy Inc.
InventorsWilliam Garner, Donald Madge, William Strand
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for separating bitumen from a bitumen froth output of a oil sands hot water extraction process comprises an inclined plate separator (IPS) for providing a first bitumen separation stage and a cyclone for providing a second bitumen separation stage. The cyclone overflow is recycled to the IPS inlet.
Claims18
An apparatus for separating bitumen from a bitumen feed comprising a mixture of bitumen, water and mineral, the apparatus comprising:
- an inclined plate separator (IPS) for providing a first bitumen separation stage, said IPS having an inlet for receiving said bitumen feed, an overflow outlet for providing a first bitumen rich stream separated from said feed, and an underflow outlet for providing a first bitumen lean stream;
- a cyclone for providing a second bitumen separation stage, said cyclone having an inlet coupled to the underflow outlet of said IPS for receiving said IPS underflow, an overflow outlet for providing a second bitumen rich stream and an underflow outlet for providing a second bitumen lean stream;
- wherein the cyclone overflow outlet is coupled to the IPS inlet for recycling the second bitumen rich stream from said cyclone to said IPS.
A process for separating bitumen from a bitumen feed comprising a mixture of bitumen, water and mineral, the process comprising:
- a) supplying said bitumen feed to an inclined plate separator (IPS) to produce an IPS overflow comprising a first bitumen rich stream and an IPS underflow comprising a first bitumen lean stream;
- b) supplying said IPS underflow to a cyclone to produce a cyclone overflow comprising a second bitumen rich stream and a cyclone underflow comprising a second bitumen lean stream;
- and,
- c) recycling said cyclone overflow for blending with the feed to said IPS.
A bitumen froth treatment process for separating bitumen comprising introducing said bitumen froth to a cyclone to provide a bitumen rich overflow and a bitumen lean underflow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.