Mobile Bitumen Extraction Cyclone Separation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing oil sands mining processes face inefficiencies in transporting and extracting bitumen from mineral-rich ore, leading to increased operating and maintenance costs due to the need for extensive transport of mineral components, which also results in equipment wear and reduced bitumen yield.
Innovation Solution
A mobile extraction system comprising a cyclone separation facility and a froth concentration facility that separates bitumen from solids and water, creating a bitumen froth stream that can be further processed, reducing the need for transporting minerals and enhancing bitumen recovery by using a counter-current cyclone separation process and a froth concentrator vessel to enrich the bitumen content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional hydro-transport process is used to convey ore material from mine face to processing facility, then bitumen can be extracted, but transport distances increase as mine face recedes leading to increased operating and maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary bitumen separation at the mobile processing facility before hydro-transport, removing bitumen from the ore material at the mine face. This preliminary action prevents bitumen loss during transport and eliminates the need to transport processed material, as only the depleted tailings need to be conveyed back to the fixed processing facility.
2Productivity
If extensive transport of mineral components is performed, then ore material can be conveyed to processing facility, but equipment wear increases and operating costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile processing facility extracts bitumen from the ore material at the mine face using cyclone separation and froth concentration processes. This extraction removes the valuable component before transport, so that only depleted tailings (mineral components without bitumen) need to be transported back to the fixed facility, significantly reducing equipment wear and operating costs.
3Loss of time
If mobile processing facility is used to follow receding mine face, then transport distances are reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processing system is divided into mobile and fixed components. The mobile facility contains only the essential bitumen separation equipment (cyclones and froth concentrators) needed at the mine face, while the fixed facility handles downstream processing. This segmentation allows the mobile unit to be relatively simple and easily relocatable, reducing the complexity burden.
4Reliability
If bitumen separation is performed at fixed processing facility, then separation can be accomplished, but mine face must recede further increasing transport requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The processing facility is made mobile rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically relocate as the mine face recedes. This dynamic positioning maintains a short transport distance between the mine face and processing equipment, while the reliable bitumen separation is achieved through proven cyclone and froth concentration technologies adapted for mobile operation.
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 system efficiently separates bitumen from minerals near the mine face, reducing transport costs and equipment wear, while improving bitumen yield and operational efficiency by creating a highly diluted bitumen froth stream that can be concentrated for further processing.
Implementation Method 1
a cyclone separation facility for separating the slurry into a solids component stream and a bitumen froth stream
Implementation Method 2
a froth concentration facility for separating the bitumen froth stream into a final bitumen enriched froth stream, and a water and fine solids stream
Data Source
AI summary
An extraction system and process for extracting bitumen from a slurry containing bitumen, solids and water. The system comprises a cyclone separation facility for separating the slurry into a solids component stream and a bitumen froth stream with the bitumen froth stream including water and fine solids. The bitumen froth stream is then delivered to a froth concentration facility for separating the bitumen froth stream into a final bitumen enriched froth stream, and a water and fine solids stream. The final bitumen enriched froth stream is suitable for further processing. The system of the present invention is preferably mobile so that the cyclone extraction facility and the froth concentration facility can move with the mine face at an oil sands mining site, however, it is also contemplated that the system can be retrofitted to existing fixed treatment facilities to improve the operational efficiency of such fixed facilities.