Jet Pump Tailings Agitation for Hydrocarbon Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Oil sands tailings ponds pose an environmental and economic challenge due to the persistence of hydrocarbons in fine tailings, preventing proper settling and requiring large storage areas, which existing methods have not adequately addressed.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing a jet pump to agitate tailings and separate hydrocarbons from solids through partial phase separation, facilitated by a primary flow of water and a secondary flow of tailings, with the introduction of gas to create effervescence and enhance separation, allowing for the recovery and dewatering of tailings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If tailings are stored in large settling and storage areas, then the environmental liability is reduced to some degree, but the land occupation and storage requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the hydrocarbon fraction from the tailings through flotation separation, eliminating the harmful contaminant that prevents proper settling. By removing the hydrocarbons, the tailings can be properly stored and reclaimed without requiring excessive storage area.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical-chemical parameters of the tailings by adjusting pH levels and using chemical reagents to modify the surface properties of particles, enabling effective separation of hydrocarbons from solids and facilitating proper settling behavior.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional settling methods are used for tailings, then the process is simple, but the fine tailings do not fully settle due to electrostatic interactions between suspended particles
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces chemical reagents and pH adjustment agents as intermediaries that modify the electrostatic interactions between suspended particles. These chemical mediators neutralize repulsive forces and enable the fine tailings to settle effectively while maintaining process simplicity.
3Manufacturing precision
If jet pump agitation is used to separate hydrocarbons from solids, then phase separation is achieved, but energy consumption and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses jet pumps utilizing hydraulic principles to agitate the tailings slurry and facilitate phase separation of hydrocarbons from solids. The jet pump system creates controlled turbulence and gas injection that enhances separation efficiency through fluid dynamic forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The jet pump agitation creates mechanical vibration and turbulence in the slurry, enhancing the separation of hydrocarbon fractions from solid tailings through dynamic fluid motion and gas-liquid-solids interaction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively separates hydrocarbons from solids, enabling the dewatering and reclamation of tailings ponds, reducing environmental impact and operational costs by facilitating the reuse of treated tailings and water.
Implementation Method 1
The jet pump is operated using the primary flow to produce agitated tailings and to effect at least a partial separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the tailings
Implementation Method 2
A flow of gas is supplied to the mixing chamber of the jet pump. The jet pump is operated using the primary flow to agitate the tailings and flow of gas to effect at least a partial phase separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the solids fraction
Implementation Method 3
At least a portion of the hydrocarbon fraction is separated from the tailings in at least one separator
Implementation Method 4
The tailings are flocculated to give flocculated tailings, and the flocculated tailings are dewatered
Implementation Method 5
the flocculated tailings are dewatered
Data Source
AI summary
A method of treating tailings comprising a solids fraction and a hydrocarbon fraction is disclosed. A primary flow is supplied to a jet pump, the primary flow comprising water and less than 20% solids by mass. A secondary flow is supplied to a mixing chamber of the jet pump, the secondary flow comprising a slurry of water and tailings, the slurry comprising more solids by mass than the primary flow. The jet pump is operated using the primary flow such that the tailings are agitated to effect at least a partial phase separation of the hydrocarbon fraction from the tailings. The methods disclosed herein may also be applied to treat tailings ponds.