Patent ID: 8550258

Claim:
A feedwell for a gravity separation vessel for introducing a feed stream such as oil sand slurry to the gravity separation vessel, the feedwell comprising: a walled member having an upper perimeter edge, a lower perimeter edge and a substantially continuous wall extending from the upper perimeter edge to the lower perimeter edge; an inlet for introducing a feed stream into the walled member positioned adjacent the substantially continuous wall; a bottom plate having a first opening and extending generally beneath the lower perimeter edge; a first deflector plate having a generally frusto-conical shape, a substantially horizontal periphery and a second opening, the first deflector plate positioned beneath the first opening such that the feed is directed from the first opening to the second opening; and a second deflector plate having a generally conical shape, a substantially horizontal periphery and spacedly positioned below the first deflector plate so that when the feed goes through the second opening it is distributed between the two deflector plates; wherein the first deflector plate is substantially parallel to the second deflector plate.