Methods and Systems for Removing Material from Bitumen-Containing Solvent

Abstract

Methods and systems for preparing bitumen-laden solvent for downstream processing are described. The bitumen-laden solvent can be treated with various materials, such as water and emulsion breakers, followed by treating the bitumen-laden solvent in a desalter. The desalted bitumen-laden solvent can then be subjected to downstream processing, such as upgrading in a nozzle reactor.

1 . A method of removing material from bitumen-containing solvent, the material removing method comprising the steps of:
 (i) providing a bitumen-containing solvent stream;   (ii) mixing the bitumen-containing solvent stream and a water stream;   (iii) introducing the mixture of the bitumen-containing solvent stream and the water stream in a desalter to remove solid particles from the mixture;   (iv) removing a desalted bitumen-containing solvent stream from the desalter; and   (iv) subjecting the desalted bitumen-containing solvent stream to downstream processing.   
     
     
         2 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen-containing solvent stream provided in step i) comprises from 0 to 35% solvent and from 100 to 65% bitumen. 
     
     
         3 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the solvent component of the bitumen-containing solvent stream comprises an aromatic solvent, a paraffinic solvent, or a polar solvent. 
     
     
         4 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen-containing solvent stream comprises inorganic salts. 
     
     
         5 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein prior to processing the mixture in the desalter, the mixture is heated to a temperature in the range of from 80 to 120 ° C. 
     
     
         6 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein prior to mixing the bitumen-containing solvent stream and the water stream, the bitumen-containing solvent stream is heated to a temperature in the range of from 100 to 140° C. 
     
     
         7 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the mixture includes from 0 to 35% bitumen-containing solvent and from 1 to 25% water. 
     
     
         8 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising adding an emulsion breaker to the mixture. 
     
     
         9 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the emulsion breaker comprises amines, amyl resins, butyl resins, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen-containing solvent is obtained from a SAGD process. 
     
     
         11 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen-containing solvent is obtained from a double solvent extraction process. 
     
     
         12 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen-containing solvent is obtained from an in-situ extraction process. 
     
     
         13 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the bitumen-containing solvent is obtained from a single solvent extraction process. 
     
     
         14 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the downstream processing comprises distillation of the desalted bitumen-containing solvent stream. 
     
     
         15 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the downstream processing comprises cracking of the bitumen content of the desalted bitumen-containing solvent stream in a nozzle reactor. 
     
     
         16 . A method of removing material from bitumen-containing solvent, the material removing method comprising the steps of:
 (i) providing a bitumen-containing solvent stream;   (ii) mixing the bitumen-containing solvent stream and a water stream;   (iii) introducing the mixture of the bitumen-containing solvent stream and the water stream in a desalter to remove solid particles from the mixture;   (iv) removing a desalted bitumen-containing solvent stream from the desalter; and   (iv) upgrading the desalted bitumen-containing solvent stream in a nozzle reactor.   
     
     
         17 . The material removing method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the nozzle reactor comprises:
 a reactor body having a reactor body passage with an injection end and an ejection end;   a first material injector having a first material injection passage and being mounted in the nozzle reactor in material injecting communication with the injection end of the reactor body passage, the first material injection passage having (a) an enlarged volume injection section, an enlarged volume ejection section, and a reduced volume mid-section intermediate the enlarged volume injection section and enlarged volume ejection section, (b) a material injection end in material injecting communication with the combustion chamber, and (c) a material ejection end in material injecting communication with the reactor body passage; and   a second material feed port penetrating the reactor body and being (a) adjacent to the material ejection end of the first material injection passage and (b) transverse to a first material injection passage axis extending from the material injection end to the material ejection end in the first material injection passage in the first material injector;   
     
     
         18 . A system for removing material from bitumen-containing solvent, the material removing system comprising:
 a desalter having a bitumen-containing solvent stream inlet and a desalted bitumen-containing solvent stream outlet; and   a nozzle reactor having a feed material inlet, wherein the feed material inlet is in fluid communication with the desalted bitumen-containing solvent stream outlet of the desalter.   
     
     
         19 . The material removing system as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the structure of the nozzle reactor comprises:
 a reactor body having a reactor body passage with an injection end and an ejection end;   a first material injector having a first material injection passage and being mounted in the nozzle reactor in material injecting communication with the injection end of the reactor body passage, the first material injection passage having (a) an enlarged volume injection section, an enlarged volume ejection section, and a reduced volume mid-section intermediate the enlarged volume injection section and enlarged volume ejection section, (b) a material injection end in material injecting communication with the combustion chamber, and (c) a material ejection end in material injecting communication with the reactor body passage; and   a second material feed port penetrating the reactor body and being (a) adjacent to the material ejection end of the first material injection passage and (b) transverse to a first material injection passage axis extending from the material injection end to the material ejection end in the first material injection passage in the first material injector;   
     
     
         20 . The material removing system as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a mixing vessel having a water inlet, a bitumen-containing solvent stream inlet, and a bitumen-containing solvent stream outlet, wherein the bitumen-containing solvent stream outlet of the mixing vessel is in fluid communication with the bitumen-containing solvent stream inlet of the desalter.