Separation and extraction of bitumen from tar sands
AssigneeGreen Technology LLC
InventorsJohn Lee Horning, Nigel W. Moriarty, Jan H. Matthias, John Stuart Lehde
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for extracting recoverable materials (e.g., petroleum and/or other hydrocarbons) from source materials (e.g., tar sands) are provided. According to one embodiment a method is provided for extracting bitumen from tar sand. Tar sands are introduced into a batch or continuous processing plasma furnace. The bitumen contained within the tar sand is then vaporized by exposing the tar sands to a plasma energy field that penetrates the tar sands. The vaporized bitumen is captured for subsequent processing.
Claims21
A method of extracting bitumen from tar sands, the method comprising:
- introducing the tar sands into a plasma furnace;
- generating a plasma energy field within the plasma furnace by causing an electrical discharge between a pair of arc rods located within the plasma furnace and positioned above the tar sands;
- vaporizing the bitumen contained within the tar sands by causing the plasma energy field to penetrate the tar sands and heat the tar sands to a temperature sufficient to release a bond between the bitumen and the tar sands by focusing and drawing the plasma energy field through the tar sands with a magnetic field created proximate to the tar sands;
- and
- capturing the vaporized bitumen.
A method of extracting bitumen from tar sands, the method comprising:
- introducing tar sands into a plasma furnace;
- creating a condition within the plasma furnace in which a gaseous pressure within the plasma furnace is less than an atmospheric pressure outside of the plasma furnace;
- creating plasma energy within the plasma furnace by running a high-voltage electrical current through arc rods positioned above the tar sands;
- heating the tar sands to a temperature sufficient to break a bond between the bitumen and the tar sands and vaporizing bitumen contained within the tar sands by causing the plasma energy to penetrate the tar sands by drawing the plasma energy down through the tar sands with a magnetic field created below the tar sands;
- and
- capturing the vaporized bitumen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.