IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0512791
(2006-08-30)
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등록번호 |
US-7641770
(2010-02-11)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Cauley, Phillip L.
- Edwards, Tracy L.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Natural Resource Recovery, Inc.
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
18 |
초록
▼
A system for recovering hydrocarbons from tar sands includes a heated enclosure 66, one or more input conveyors 60, 67 move tar sands through the heated enclosure, provide a flow line with a temperature gradient of at least 150° F., and mechanically move the tar sands along the flow line. A hea
A system for recovering hydrocarbons from tar sands includes a heated enclosure 66, one or more input conveyors 60, 67 move tar sands through the heated enclosure, provide a flow line with a temperature gradient of at least 150° F., and mechanically move the tar sands along the flow line. A heated rotary drum 74 is in fluid communication with the flow line, and condenser unit 94, 98 receive vapors from the flow line and the rotary drum and output hydrocarbons. One or more discharge conveyors 76 discharge stripped sands from the rotary drum. Control valves 80, 82 seal a vacuum downstream from the discharge conveyors, and control valves 34, 46 seal vacuum upstream from the one or more input conveyors. Various types of vacuum pumps may be used to maintain a selected vacuum between the control valves.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A system for recovering hydrocarbons from tar sands, the system comprising: a stationary heated enclosure having an interior chamber and a plurality of internal baffles within the heated chamber; one or more input conveyors for inputting tar sands to the heated enclosure, the
What is claimed is: 1. A system for recovering hydrocarbons from tar sands, the system comprising: a stationary heated enclosure having an interior chamber and a plurality of internal baffles within the heated chamber; one or more input conveyors for inputting tar sands to the heated enclosure, the heated enclosure housing a flow line positioned with respect to the plurality of baffles to provide a temperature gradient along the flow line of at least 150° F., thereby producing hydrocarbon vapors and stripped sands, the input conveyors mechanically moving the tar sands and the stripped sands along the flow line; a heated rotary drum in fluid communication with the flow line for receiving the tar sands from the flow line and rotating within the enclosure, the rotary drum having an interior temperature of from 760° F. to 840° F. for generating hydrocarbon vapors and stripped sands; a condenser in fluid communication with both the flow line and the rotary drum for receiving the vapors from the flow line and the rotary drum and outputting liquids including hydrocarbons; one or more discharge conveyors for discharging the stripped sands from the rotary drum; one or more input control valves for sealing vacuum downstream from the one or more input conveyors, each input control valve having two or more axially spaced closure gates for redundant sealing downstream from the one or more input conveyors; one or more discharge control valves for sealing vacuum upstream from the one or more discharge conveyors, each discharge control valve having two or more axially spaced closure gates for the redundant sealing upstream from the one or more discharge conveyors; and a vacuum pump for maintaining a selected vacuum of less than 5 inches of water between the one or more input valves and the one or more discharge valves, such that hydrocarbon vapors are drawn from the flow line and the rotary drum into the condenser. 2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein a drum sensor senses a temperature within the rotating drum; and tar sands movement through the enclosure is controlled as a function of the measured drum temperature. 3. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a substantially vertical input conveyor in fluid communication with the two or more input control valves for providing a plug of tar sands for minimizing vacuum loss. 4. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a substantially vertical waste conveyor in fluid communication with the two or more discharge control valves for providing a plug of stripped sands for minimizing vacuum loss. 5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more input conveyors, the one or more discharge conveyors, and the heated conveyor within the flow line includes a rotary auger. 6. The system as defined in claim 5, wherein each rotary auger is rotated by a drive motor and gearbox, a seal engaging a rotary shaft connected to each auger for sealing vacuum, and a sealed enclosure downstream from the seal for containing gases which pass by the seal. 7. The system as defined in claim 5, further comprising: one or more rpm sensors for monitoring a rotational rate of the rotary augers. 8. The system as defined in claim 5, wherein each auger is driven by the motor and gearbox to rotate at less than 10 rpm. 9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the flow line extends in one axial direction and in a substantially opposing axial direction within the heated chamber. 10. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a nitrogen supply system to supply nitrogen to stripped sands discharged from the one or more discharge conveyors. 11. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a water chiller for cooling hydrocarbon vapors passing through the condenser. 12. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a condensing column upstream of the condenser for separating liquids and gases, hydrocarbon vapors being input into a lower portion of the condensing column. 13. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of sensors for detecting a leak within a vacuum system between the two or more input control valves and the two or more discharge control valves. 14. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a flow meter for measuring a flow rate of hydrocarbon vapors to the condenser. 15. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a steam line for inputting steam at a temperature of greater than 800° F. into the rotary drum. 16. The system as defined in claim 15, further comprising: a boiler heated by at least one of gas including hydrocarbons and the liquids including hydrocarbon to provide steam to the steam lines. 17. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein a vacuum pump maintains a selected vacuum between the two or more input valves and the two or more discharge valves of from 0.5 inches to 2.5 inches of water. 18. A system for recovering hydrocarbons from tar sands, the system comprising: a heated enclosure having an interior chamber and a plurality of internal baffles within the heated chamber; one or more input conveyors for inputting tar sands to the heated enclosure; a flow line within the heated enclosure in fluid communication with the one or more input conveyors for receiving tar sands and positioned with respect to the plurality of baffles to provide a temperature gradient along the flow line of 150° F., thereby producing hydrocarbon vapors and stripped sands; a conveyor within the flow line mechanically moving the tar sands and the stripped sands along the flow line; a heated rotary drum in fluid communication with the flow line for receiving the tar sands and residual solids from the flow line, the drum rotating within the enclosure and having an interior temperature of from 760° F. to 840° F. for generating hydrocarbon vapors and stripped sands; a steam line for inputting steam at a temperature of greater than 800 ° F. in the rotary drum; a condenser in fluid communication with both the flow line and the rotary drum for receiving the vapors from the flow line and the rotary drum and outputting liquids including hydrocarbons and gas including hydrocarbons; one or more discharge conveyors for discharging the stripped sands solids from the rotary drum; one or more input control valves positioned along the one or more input conveyors for sealing vacuum downstream from the one or more input conveyors, the input control valve having two or more axially spaced closure gates; one or more discharge control valves positioned along the one or more discharge conveyors for sealing vacuum upstream from the one or more discharge conveyors, the discharge control valve having two or more axially spaced closure gates; each of the one or more input conveyors, the one or more discharge conveyors, and the heated conveyor within the flow line includes a rotary auger; and a vacuum pump for maintaining a selected vacuum of less than 5 inches of water within the condenser, such that hydrocarbon vapors are drawn from the flow line and the rotary drum into the condenser. 19. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein a portion of one or more of gas including hydrocarbons and the liquids including hydrocarbons are input into a burner within the heated closure. 20. The system as defined in claim 18, further comprising: one or more rpm sensors for monitoring a rotational rate of one or more of the augers. 21. The system as defined in claim 18, further comprising: a flow meter for measuring a flow rate of hydrocarbon vapors to the condenser. 22. The system as defined in claim 18, further comprising: a plurality of sensors for detecting a leak within a vacuum system between the one or more input control valves and the one or more discharge control valves. 23. The system as defined in claim 18, further comprising: a boiler heated by at least one of gas including hydrocarbons and liquids including hydrocarbon for generating steam to the steam lines. 24. The system as defined in claim 18, further comprising: a condensing column upstream of the condenser for separating liquids and gases, hydrocarbon vapors being input into a lower portion of the condensing column. 25. A system for recovering hydrocarbons from tar sands, the system comprising: a heated enclosure having an interior chamber and a plurality of internal baffles within the heated chamber; one or more input conveyors for inputting tar sands to the heated enclosure; a flow line within the heated enclosure in fluid communication with the one or more input conveyors for receiving tar sands and positioned with respect to the plurality of baffles to provide a temperature gradient along the flow line of 150° F., thereby producing hydrocarbon vapors and stripped sands; a conveyor within the flow line mechanically moving the tar sands and the stripped sands along the flow line; a heated rotary drum in fluid communication with the line for receiving the tar sands and stripped sands from the flow line, the rotary drum having an interior temperature of from 760° F. to 840° F. for generating hydrocarbon vapors and stripped sand; a condenser in fluid communication with both the flow line and the rotary drum for receiving the vapors and outputting liquids including hydrocarbons and gas including hydrocarbons; an oil/water separator for receiving the liquids including hydrocarbons and gas including hydrocarbons from the condenser and separating hydrocarbons and water; one or more discharge conveyors for discharging the stripped sands; one or more input control valves each positioned along the one or more input conveyors for sealing vacuum downstream from the one or more input conveyors; one or more discharge control valves each positioned along the one or more discharge conveyors for sealing vacuum upstream from the one or more discharge conveyors; a vacuum pump for maintaining a selected vacuum of less than 5 inches of water between the one or more input valves and the one or more discharge valves, such that hydrocarbon vapors are drawn from the flow line and the rotary drum into the condenser; a plurality of leak detector sensors for detecting a leak within a vacuum system between the one or more input control valves and the one or more discharge control valves; a flow meter for measuring a flow rate of hydrocarbon vapors to the condenser; each of the one or more input conveyors, the one or more discharge conveyors, and the heated conveyor within the flow line includes a rotary auger; and a processor for controlling a rotational speed of each rotary auger in response to the flow meter and the plurality of leak detector sensors. 26. The system as defined in claim 25, wherein a portion of one of the gas including hydrocarbons and the liquids including hydrocarbons are input into a burner within the heated closure. 27. The system as defined in claim 25, wherein each rotary auger is rotated by a drive motor and gearbox, a seal engaging a rotary shaft connected to each auger for sealing vacuum, and a sealed enclosure downstream from the seal for containing gases which pass by the seal. 28. The system as defined in claim 25, wherein the flow line extends in one axial direction and in a substantially opposing axial direction within the heated chamber. 29. The system as defined in claim 25, wherein a vacuum pump maintains a selected vacuum of from 0.5 inches to 2.5 inches of water between the one or more input control valves and the one or more discharge control valves. 30. The system as defined in claim 26, further comprising: a condensing column upstream of the condenser for separating liquids and gases, hydrocarbon vapors being input into a lower portion of the condensing column.
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