Bituminous froth hydrocarbon cyclone

Abstract

An apparatus to perform a process to remove water and minerals from a bitumen froth output of a oil sands hot water extraction process comprises: (i) a cyclone body having an elongated conical inner surface defining a cyclone cavity extending from an upper inlet region with a diameter DC to a lower apex outlet with a diameter DU; (ii) an inlet means forming an inlet channel extending into the upper inlet region of the cyclone cavity; and (iii) a vortex finder forming an overflow outlet of a diameter (DO) extending into the upper inlet region of the cyclone cavity toward the lower apex outlet and having a lower end extending an excursion distance below the inlet channel; wherein a fluid composition entering the inlet channel into the cyclone cavity is urged by force of gravity and velocity pressure downward toward the lower apex and variations in density of the constituent components of the fluid composition cause the lighter component materials to be directed toward the overflow outlet of the vortex finder.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.