US 8,273,250 B2 · Skimmer, barge and methods for recovering and transferring heavy oil or bitumen

Abstract

Skimmers, barges and related methods recover heavy oil or bitumen from contaminated water environments such as tailings ponds. The skimmer has an articulated mesh-like conveyor driven around a drum by a drive sprocket. A pusher mechanism discharges bitumen or heavy oil from cavities in the conveyor. In one embodiment, the skimmer includes an automatic depth control system. In other embodiments, knife-edged shear plates remove heavy oil or bitumen adhering to the conveyor and drum. A barge may incorporate multiple parallel skimmers. The barge may include a bitumen-transfer pump having an annular fluid-injection flange that generates an annulus of lubricating fluid inside a discharge hose. A method of skimming heavy oil or bitumen involves using a skimmer that automatically adjusts its elevation or depth based on a control signal generated by a depth sensor. Another method recovers and transfers bitumen by lubricating the discharge hose using the annular fluid-injection flange.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A skimmer comprising:

a frame for supporting a drive sprocket and for supporting a drum;
a conveyor driven around the drum by the drive sprocket, the conveyor defining a downwardly moving upper flight and an upwardly moving lower flight;
a trough disposed below a portion of the lower flight, the trough extending from the drum to a discharge opening;
a trough-tensioning mechanism having a plurality of spring assemblies connecting the frame to the trough for elastically holding the trough at a predetermined distance from the lower flight of the conveyor;
a pusher mechanism disposed at the discharge opening to force bitumen or heavy oil from the conveyor into the discharge opening;
and
a shear plate disposed at the discharge opening, wherein the shear plate has a knife-edge for cutting away bitumen or heavy oil adhering to the conveyor.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Skimmer, barge and methods for recovering and transferring heavy oil or bitumen

Life of this patent

Skimmer, barge and methods for recovering and transferring heavy oil or bitumen

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19