Sizing roller screen ore processing apparatus

#This invention relates to the processing of mined ore and more particularly relates to sizing and conditioning of mined ore materials.

#Earth formations are mined to recover valuable minerals that are incorporated in the earthen formations or are covered by an earthen overburden. For example, Northern Alberta has oil sands formations that contain valuable bitumen hydrocarbons. Various techniques are in use or have been discussed for recovery of bitumen hydrocarbons from oil sands formations. In accordance with one method of recovery, the oil sands formations are mined to remove in situ bitumen bearing ore from the formation in which it is found. The removed oil sands ore is then processed to separate the hydrocarbons from the sand and mineral materials. Once separated, the hydrocarbons are then further processed into intermediate or finished products such as synthetic crude oil, fuels and the like.

#When the mining method of extraction is employed, the oil sands ore extracted from the earth is transported to a processing facility where separation of the bitumen hydrocarbons from the other materials in the ore can take place. The mined oil sands ore is typically transported to processing facilities by truck or by slurry transport via a pipeline or by combinations of the two or by other mechanisms. Frequently, the oil sands ore is mined at a considerable distance from where the process of separating the oil sands into hydrocarbons, sand and minerals takes, place. Distance affects conditioning and recovery in hydrotransport systems, consequently, transport of the mined ore to a separation facility typically involves transporting the mined ore significant distances. Moreover, the location from which the ore is taken changes over time as the oil sands ore is depleted as a result of formation mining, consequently resulting in migration of the mining site along the formation. Because the location of the source of oil sands ore changes over time, the ore transport start point at the mining site must be mobile to permit the ore to begin transport from the source formation site as that changes over time.

#FIG. 1 is an elevation partial cross-section view of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

#FIG. 2 is an elevation partial cross-section view of an alternate embodiment of the invention including a crusher.

#FIG. 3 is an elevation partial cross-section view of an alternate embodiment of the invention providing a feed hopper.

#FIG. 1 shows an elevation partial cross-section view of the preferred embodiment of a mined sand processing facility constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. Mined ore 10 to be processed, for example oil sands ore, is supplied to a feed conveyor 12. The ore moves along feed conveyor 12 where it is delivered at 11 onto an upper portion surface of an ore processor bed 14. The ore processor bed 14 has plurality of rotating elements 16 in the form of inter-fitting rotating disk assemblies. Each of the rotating element disk assemblies has a plurality of disks fixed to a driven axle 18. In the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, each rotating element is operated to rotate in a clockwise direction causing the ore to move along the upper portion of the ore processor bed in a left to right direction. As the ore moves along the upper portion of the ore processor bed, the weight of the ore coming to rest on the disks of rotating disk assemblies causes the finer portions of the ore to separate and fall through the interstitial spaces of the rotating elements of the ore processor bed at 20 into the upper opening 21 of slurry vessel 22.

#The ore passing over the upper surface portion of the ore processor bed is preferably contacted with a solvent supply 24, such as a water spray directed toward the ore, to assist in ore disintegration. Preferably, a heater 23 is provided to heat the solvent supply 24 causing heating of the ore to further assist in obtaining disintegration of the ore passing over the ore processor bed. Larger rock and other undesirable oversized materials 25 that are too voluminous to be processed in passage over the ore processor bed 14 are carried to a waste conveyor 26 for disposal. Within slurry vessel 22, the disintegrated ore 20 is mixed with a solvent 28, such as water, to form a slurry solution 30. A heater 27 may be provided to heat the solvent 28 and thus heat the slurry solution. In the preferred embodiment, the lower portion of the slurry vessel has a decreasing cross section relative to the cross section of the upper opening 21 of slurry vessel 22. The decreasing cross section of the slurry vessel permits the force of gravity to urge the slurry solution 30 toward a slurry feed outlet 34 as it passes through the slurry vessel 22. The slurry feed outlet 34 provides an egress path for removing slurry from the slurry vessel by pumping for delivery to a transport pipeline.

#FIG. 2 shows an elevation partial cross-section view of an alternate embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, a crusher apparatus 29 is provided to crush the oversize material 25 received from the ore processor bed. The crushed material produced by the crusher is supplied to the slurry vessel 22 and becomes part of the solids included in the slurry solution 30.