Patent ID: 8225944
Filing Date: 2012-07-24
Classification: B01D,B03B,B03D,C10G,E21C

Abstract:
1. A concentrator vessel for separating a bitumen froth stream containing bitumen froth, water and fine solids into a final bitumen enriched froth stream and a water and fine solids stream, the concentrator vessel comprising: an inlet region to receive the bitumen froth stream and distribute the bitumen froth stream as a substantially balanced flow across a separation region; the separation region being adapted to establish uniform, substantially horizontal flow of the bitumen froth stream to promote separation of the bitumen froth from the water and fine solids, the bitumen froth tending to move upwardly to accumulate as a froth layer atop a water layer with the fine solids settling within the water layer; a froth recovery region in communication with the separation region having an overflow outlet to collect the bitumen froth layer as the bitumen enriched froth stream; an underflow outlet configured to collect the water and fine solids as the water and fine solids stream; and a flow level control device configured to control the level of the water layer within the vessel to permit the overflow outlet to collect the bitumen froth layer despite variations in the volume of the bitumen froth stream.