Patent ID: 8277642
Filing Date: 2012-10-02
Classification: C10G

Abstract:
1. An extraction chamber configured for separating bitumen from a slurry of bitumen rich sands, bitumen, and solvent comprising: a vessel including a top and a bottom, said vessel configured to receive said slurry in said vessel; a plurality of trays spaced apart in a vertically stacked configuration inside said vessel, wherein each tray of said plurality of trays has a plurality of openings in a surface of each tray in which said openings of each tray are rotationally offset from said openings of each adjacent tray, and wherein said slurry is deposited on the uppermost tray of said plurality of trays each of said plurality of trays including at least one scraper adjacent thereto; a motor coupled to at least one of said plurality of trays and one of said scrapers, said motor configured to provide a relative rotational movement between said scrapers and said trays to urge said slurry through said opening of said tray to deposit said slurry in a lower position within said vessel; a sprayer for injecting into said slurry a solvent selected to substantially remove said bitumen from said bitumen rich sands and leaving substantially bitumen free sands; a conduit proximate said top of said vessel through which said bitumen is removed; and, a valve proximate said bottom configured to selectively open and allow said substantially bitumen free sands to exit said vessel.