Patent ID: 8096425

Claim:
An extraction system for extracting bitumen from a slurry containing bitumen, solids and water comprising: a cyclone separation facility for separating the slurry into a solids component stream and a bitumen froth stream, the bitumen froth stream including bitumen, water and fine solids; and 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 froth concentration facility comprising at least one concentrator vessel having: an inlet region to receive the bitumen froth stream; a separation region in communication with the inlet region comprising a laterally diverging channel adapted to slow the flow of the bitumen froth stream to promote separation of the bitumen froth from the water and the fine solids, the bitumen froth accumulating as a separated bitumen froth layer atop a water layer with the fine solids settling within the water layer; and a froth recovery region in communication with the separation region having an overflow outlet to collect the separated bitumen froth layer as the final bitumen enriched froth stream, and an underflow outlet to collect the water and fine solids stream, wherein the laterally diverging channel is formed by first and second spaced apart continuous barriers, each of the first and second spaced apart continuous barriers extending from respective first ends disposed proximate the inlet region to second ends disposed proximate the froth recovery region, the laterally diverging channel having a first region between the respective first ends of the first and second spaced apart continuous barriers and a second region between the respective second ends of the first and second spaced apart continuous barriers, the second region being wider than the first region to cause the flow of the bitumen froth stream to be slowed while a volumetric flow rate through the laterally diverging channel remains constant as the bitumen froth stream is directed from the inlet region to the froth recovery region between the first and second spaced apart continuous barriers.