DEHYDRATION OF BITUMINOUS EMULSION

• US 3,619,416 A
• Filed: 10/01/1968
• Issued: 11/09/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Petro-Canada Exploration Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Robert D. Hendry
• Inventors: Hendry, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gantz, Delbert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crasanakis, G. J.
• Application Number:
  US04/764,188
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 208/187,188,177
• US Class Current: 208/187
• CPC Class Codes: C10C 1/06 Removal of water

Abstract

A process for the thermal dehydration of a bituminous emulsion with heat from exhaust steam while simultaneously condensing the exhaust steam is disclosed herein. The process comprises heating a stream of bituminous emulsion by heat transfer from partially cooled steam turbine exhaust steam, to vaporize low boiling materials, principally water, and condense the steam, separating the vapor from the bituminous emulsion to partially dehydrate the emulsion, heating the partially dehydrated emulsion to a higher temperature by heat transfer from the exhaust steam of the steam turbine to vaporize the remaining water, and separating the water vapors from the bituminous stream. Preferably the turbine exhaust steam is first reheated and utilized to heat the fully dehydrated bitumen emulsion prior to subjecting the bitumen to solid-liquid separation by cycloning.

Claims

2. A process for dehydrating a bituminous emulsion utilizing exhaust steam, said exhaust steam being at a temperature of about 460* F. and a pressure of about 100 p.s.i., said process comprising first cooling said exhaust steam by indirect heat transfer in a second heat transfer zone to a partially dehydrated bituminous emulsion stream, said indirect heat transfer indirectly heating said partially dehydrated emulsion to a temperature of about 350* F., thereby substantially vaporizing any remaining water in said partially dehydrated emulsion, separating said vaporized water from said heated partially dehydrated bituminous stream, thereby obtaining a dehydrated bituminous stream and a cooled exhaust steam, further cooling said cooled exhaust steam by indirect heat transfer to said bituminous emulsion in a first heat transfer zone, said cooled exhaust steam thereby first indirectly heating said bituminous emulsion in said first heat transfer zone to a temperature of about 275* F. to partially vaporize water from said first heated emulsion, and separating said partially vaporized water from said first heated emulsion thereby obtaining said first partially dehydrated bituminous emulsion stream.

3. The process of claim 1 in which the bituminous emulsion contains solids, and which additionally comprises first reheating the exhaust steam to a temperature above the exhaust temperature, further heating said dehydrated bituminous stream by indirectly transferring heat from said reheated exhaust steam in a third heat transfer zone to the dehydrated bituminous stream, and cycloning the heated, dehydrated bituminous stream, thereby removing solids therefrom.