Bitumen solidification and prilling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11041124-B2
Application number	US-201816135811-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2018
Priority date	Oct 26, 2015
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

Methods, processes, and apparatuses for preparing and transporting bitumen. Bitumen may be prilled such that a bitumen product comprising a prill core and a non-stick coating is produced. The non-stick coating may comprise asphaltenes and the prill core may comprise bitumen, deasphalted oil, or both bitumen and deasphalted oil. The resultant non-stick coated prills have reduced adhesion to transportation vessels and other non-stick coated prills at a temperature below an adhesion temperature, facilitating transport.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for preparing a non-stick coated bitumen prill, the apparatus comprising:
a deasphalter for separating a crude composition into: (i) a first stream comprising asphaltenes, and (ii) a second stream comprising bitumen, deasphalted oil, or a combination thereof;
a prilling vessel having an upper section and a lower section;
a first inlet for inputting at least a portion of the bitumen, the deasphalted oil, or the combination thereof, in the upper section of the prilling vessel and forming a prill core;
a second inlet for inputting a carrier gas to the lower section of the prilling vessel for cooling the prill core;
a first outlet for discharging the carrier gas from the upper section of the prilling vessel;
a third inlet for inputting at least a portion of the asphaltenes as a component of a non-stick coating material for coating the prill core; and
a second outlet for outputting the non-stick coated bitumen prill.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first inlet comprises a nozzle or prilling head.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to cool the prill core from about 180° C. at the upper section of the prilling vessel to about 30° C. at the lower section of the prilling vessel.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the asphaltenes of the non-stick coating material are a powder, a liquid which subsequently solidifies, a solvent-diluted asphaltenes solution which subsequently solidifies, or a combination thereof.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the asphaltenes of the non-stick coating material comprise toluene-diluted asphaltenes.

6. An apparatus for preparing a non-stick coated bitumen prill, the apparatus comprising:
a prilling vessel having an upper section and a lower section;
a first inlet for inputting bitumen, deasphalted oil, or a combination thereof, in the upper section of the prilling vessel and forming a prill core;
a second inlet for inputting a carrier gas to the lower section of the prilling vessel for cooling the prill core;
a first outlet for discharging the carrier gas from the upper section of the prilling vessel;
a third inlet for inputting a non-stick coating material for coating the prill core; and
a second outlet for outputting the non-stick coated bitumen prill,
wherein the first inlet is configured to input the bitumen, the deasphalted oil, or the combination thereof, in the upper section of the prilling vessel via a nozzle or prilling head having a diameter, D n , and at a velocity, v, that satisfy the following equations:

We
l

=

ρ
l

⁢

D
n

⁢

v
l
2

σ

>
8

,
and

We
g

=

ρ
g

⁢

D
n

⁡

(

v
g

-

v
l

)

2

σ

<
0.4

,

wherein:
We represents Weber number,
l represents liquid,
g represents gas,
ρ represents density,
D n represents diameter,
v represents velocity, and
σ represents surface tension.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the apparatus is configured to cool the prill core from about 180° C. at the upper section of the prilling vessel to about 30° C. at the lower section of the prilling vessel.

8. The apparatus according to 6 , wherein the non-stick coating material comprises asphaltenes as a powder, as a liquid which subsequently solidifies, as a solvent-diluted asphaltenes solution which subsequently solidifies, or a combination thereof.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the non-stick coating material comprises asphaltenes as a toluene-diluted asphaltenes.

Assignees

• Cenovus Energy Inc

Inventors

• Gupta Subodh
• Holmes Michael N
• Macdonald Eric A
• Wood Jennifer D

Classifications

• B01F23/451

  by injecting one liquid into another · CPC title

• B01F33/404

  for mixing material moving continuously therethrough, e.g. using impinging jets · CPC title

• B01F25/721

  for spraying a fluid on falling particles or on a liquid curtain · CPC title

• B01F35/7179

  using sprayers, nozzles or jets · CPC title

• B01F33/8363

  with coating · CPC title