Bituminous froth inclined plate separator and hydrocarbon cyclone treatment process

• US 7,141,162 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2002
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suncor Energy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Suncor Energy Incorporated
• Inventors: Madge, Donald Norman, Strand, William Lester, Garner, William Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Lithgow, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US10/306,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20040055972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 210/202, 210/512.1, 210/521, 209/12.1, 209/727, 209/729, 208/390, 208/391, 208/425, 208/426, 208/428
• US Class Current: 210/202
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 5/34 Applications of hydrocyclones
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 9/02 specially adapted for oil-sand, oil-chalk, oil-shales, ozokerite, bitumen, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/08 Vortex chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/045 Separation of insoluble materials
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/047 Hot water or cold water extraction processes

Abstract

Discloses apparatus to perform a process to remove water and minerals from a bitumen froth output of a oil sands hot water extraction process. A bitumen froth feed stream is diluted with a solvent and supplied to a primary inclined plate separator stage, which separates the bitumen into an overflow stream providing a bitumen product output from the circuit and a bitumen depleted underflow stream. A primary cyclone stage, a secondary inclined plate separator stage and a secondary cyclone stage further process the underflow stream to produce a secondary bitumen recovery product stream and a recycle stream. The secondary bitumen recovery product steam is incorporated into and becomes part of the circuit bitumen product output stream. The recycle stream is incorporated into the bitumen froth feed stream for reprocessing by the circuit.

Claims

1. An apparatus to remove water and solids from a bitumen froth comprising:

(i) a bitumen froth processing circuit having a circuit inlet to receive bitumen froth to be processed, a circuit product outlet to provide bitumen product and a circuit tails outlet to provide material removed from the bitumen froth to be processed;

(ii) a primary inclined plate separator stage having a primary IPS input coupled to said circuit inlet, a primary IPS overflow output coupled to said circuit product outlet and a primary IPS underflow output;

(iii) a recycle path coupled to said primary IPS input;

(iv) a primary cyclone stage having a primary HCS input coupled to said primary IPS underflow output, a primary HCS overflow output and a primary HCS underflow output;

(v) means to couple said primary HCS overflow output to said recycle path;

(vi) a secondary cyclone stage having a secondary HCS input coupled to said primary HCS underflow output, a secondary HCS overflow output coupled to said recycle path and a secondary HCS underflow output; and

(vii) means to couple said secondary HCS underflow output to said circuit tails outlet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including:

(i) a secondary inclined plate separator stage having a secondary IPS input, a secondary IPS overflow output coupled to said circuit product outlet and a secondary IPS underflow output; and

(ii) wherein said means to couple said primary HCS overflow output to said recycle path includes a diverter valve operable to selectively couple said primary HCS overflow output to said recycle path and to said secondary IPS input.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further including:

(i) a centrifuge stage having a centrifuge input, a centrifuge overflow output coupled to said circuit product outlet and a centrifuge underflow output; and

(ii) wherein said means to couple said primary HCS overflow output to said recycle path includes a diverter valve operable to selectively couple said primary HCS overflow output to said recycle path and to said centrifuge input.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further including:

(i) a secondary inclined plate separator stage having a secondary IPS input, a secondary IPS overflow output coupled to said circuit product outlet and a secondary IPS underflow output;

(ii) a centrifuge stage having a centrifuge input, a centrifuge overflow output coupled to said circuit product outlet and a centrifuge underflow output; and

(iii) wherein said means to couple said primary HCS overflow output to said recycle path includes a diverter valve operable to selectively couple said primary HCS overflow output to said recycle path and to said secondary IPS input and to said centrifuge input.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a solvent recovery unit coupled to said circuit tails outlet.

6. An apparatus to remove water and solids from a bitumen froth comprising:

(i) a bitumen froth processing circuit having a circuit inlet to receive bitumen froth to be processed, a circuit product outlet to provide bitumen product and a circuit tails outlet to provide material removed from the bitumen froth to be processed;

(ii) a primary inclined plate separator stage having a primary IPS input coupled to said circuit inlet, a primary IPS overflow output coupled to said circuit product outlet and a primary IPS underflow output;

(iii) a recycle path coupled to said primary IPS input;

(iv) a primary cyclone stage having a primary HCS input coupled to said primary IPS underflow output, a primary HCS overflow output and a primary HCS underflow output;

(v) a secondary inclined plate separator stage having a secondary IPS input coupled to said primary HCS overflow output, a secondary IPS overflow output coupled to said circuit product outlet and a secondary IPS underflow output;

(vi) means to couple said primary HCS overflow output to said secondary IPS input;

(vii) a secondary cyclone stage having a secondary HCS input, a secondary HCS overflow output coupled to said recycle path and a secondary HCS underflow output;

(viii) means to couple said primary HCS underflow output and said secondary IPS underflow output to said secondary HCS input; and

(ix) means to couple said secondary HCS underflow output to said circuit tails outlet.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said means to couple said primary HCS overflow output to said secondary IPS input further includes means to couple said means selectively to said recycle path and said secondary IPS input.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 further including a solvent recovery unit coupled to said circuit tails outlet.

9. A process to remove water and mineral from a bitumen froth comprising the steps of:

(i) supplying a bitumen froth to a processing circuit, said processing circuit having a circuit inlet to receive said bitumen froth, a circuit product outlet to provide bitumen product and a circuit tails outlet to provide material removed from the bitumen froth;

(ii) mixing said bitumen froth with a recycled froth stream producing a mixed bitumen froth;

(iii) passing the mixed bitumen froth through a primary inclined plate separator stage to produce a primary IPS overflow stream and a primary IPS underflow stream,

(iv) supplying said primary IPS overflow stream to said circuit product outlet;

(v) passing said primary IPS underflow stream through a primary cyclone stage to produce a primary HCS overflow stream and a primary HCS underflow stream;

(vi) supplying said primary HCS overflow stream to said recycled froth stream;

(vii) passing said primary HCS underflow stream through a secondary cyclone stage to produce a secondary HCS overflow stream and a secondary HCS underflow stream;

(viii) supplying said secondary HCS underflow stream to said circuit tails outlet; and

(ix) supplying said secondary HCS overflow stream to said recycled froth stream.

10. The process of claim 9 further including the steps of:

(i) directing a portion of said primary HCS overflow stream to a secondary inclined plate separator stage to produce a secondary IPS overflow stream and a secondary IPS underflow stream;

(ii) supplying said secondary IPS overflow stream to said circuit product outlet; and

(iii) passing said secondary IPS underflow stream through said secondary cyclone stage for processing into said secondary HCS overflow stream and said secondary HCS underflow stream.

11. The process of claim 10 further including the steps of:

(i) directing a portion of said primary HCS overflow stream to a centrifuge stage to produce a centrifuge overflow stream and a centrifuge underflow stream;

(ii) supplying said centrifuge overflow stream to said circuit product outlet; and

(iii) passing said centrifuge underflow stream through said secondary cyclone stage for processing into said secondary HCS overflow stream and said secondary HCS underflow stream.

12. The process of claim 9 wherein the unit flow rates and pressure drops of the secondary HCS is maintained to achieve a hydrocarbon content in the secondary HCS underflow stream that does not exceed 1.6%.

13. The process of claim 10 wherein the unit flow rates and pressure drops of the secondary HCS is maintained to achieve a hydrocarbon content in the secondary HCS underflow stream that does not exceed 1.6%.

14. The process of claim 11 wherein the unit flow rates and pressure drops of the secondary HCS is maintained to achieve a hydrocarbon content in the secondary HCS underflow stream that does not exceed 1.6%.

15. The process of claim 9 further including the step of passing the stream provided to said circuit tails outlet through a solvent recovery unit to produce a recovered diluent stream and a circuit tails stream.

16. The process of claim 10 further including the step of passing the stream provided to said circuit tails outlet through a solvent recovery unit to produce a recovered diluent stream and a circuit tails stream.

17. The process of claim 11 further including the step of passing the stream provided to said circuit tails outlet through a solvent recovery unit to produce a recovered diluent stream and a circuit tails stream.

18. The process of claim 12 further including the step of passing the stream provided to said circuit tails outlet through a solvent recovery unit to produce a recovered diluent stream and a circuit tails stream.

19. The process of claim 15 wherein said secondary cyclone stage is dimensioned such that solvent recovery unit is operated to maintain solvent loss to the said circuit tailing stream that is below 0.7% of the solvent content of said bitumen froth supplied to said circuit inlet.

20. A process to remove water and mineral from a bitumen froth comprising the steps of:

(i) supplying a bitumen froth to a processing circuit, said processing circuit having a circuit inlet to receive said bitumen froth, a circuit product outlet to provide bitumen product and a circuit tails outlet to provide material removed from the bitumen froth;

(ii) mixing said bitumen froth with a recycled froth stream producing a mixed bitumen froth;

(iii) passing the mixed bitumen froth through a primary inclined plate separator stage to produce a primary IPS overflow stream and a primary IPS underflow stream,

(iv) supplying said primary IPS overflow stream to said circuit product outlet;

(v) passing said primary IPS underflow stream through a primary cyclone stage to produce a primary HCS overflow stream and a primary HCS underflow stream;

(vi) passing at least a portion of said primary HCS overflow stream through a secondary inclined plate separator to produce a secondary IPS overflow stream and a secondary IPS underflow stream;

(vii) supplying said secondary IPS overflow stream to said circuit product outlet;

(viii) passing said primary HCS underflow stream and said secondary IPS underflow stream through a secondary cyclone stage to produce a secondary HCS overflow stream and a secondary HCS underflow stream;

(ix) supplying said secondary HCS underflow stream to said circuit tails outlet; and

(x) recycling said secondary HCS overflow stream as said recycled froth stream.

21. The process of claim 20 further including the step of supplying the portion of said primary HCS overflow stream not passing through said secondary inclined plate separator to said recycled froth stream.

22. The process of claim 20 wherein the unit flow rate and pressure drops of the secondary HCS is maintained to achieve a hydrocarbon content in the secondary HCS underflow stream that does not exceed 1.6%.

23. The process of claim 20 further including the step of passing the stream provided to said circuit tails outlet through a solvent recovery unit to produce a recovered diluent stream and a circuit tails stream.

24. The process of claim 23 wherein the secondary HCS is dimensioned such that said solvent recovery unit is operated to maintain solvent loss to the said circuit tailing stream that is below 0.7% of the solvent content of said bitumen froth supplied to said circuit inlet.