Fluidizing Tower Method and Apparatus (Patent No: 592983)

Inventor: Clark, Lincoln

Location: Calgary

Comments: N/A

Description: The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. The method of separating coarse sand from oil-bearing sands which comprises feeding the sands into the upper portion of a tower, introducing a stream of water to the bottom of the tower under sufficient pressure to provide an upward water flow of from 0.2 to 1.5 feet per minute, drawing off the cleansed coarse sand from the bottom of the tower, and removing from the top of the tower the overflow consisting of oil, water, and oil-bearing clay and other fines.
2. The method of separating coarse sand from oil-bearing sands which comprises diluting the oil phase through addition of a diluent of lesser specific gravity than the oil, in an amount sufficient to reduce the specific gravity of said oil substantially below 1.00, feeding the diluted oil-bearing sands into the upper portion of a tower, introducing a stream of water to the bottom of the tower under sufficient pressure to provide an upward water flow of from 0.2 to 1.5 feet per minute, drawing off the cleansed coarse sand from the bottom of the tower, and removing from the top of the tower the overflow consisting of oil, water, and. oil-bearing clay and other fines.
3. The method of separating coarse sand from oil-bearing sands which comprises agitating the oil-bearing sand in an excess of water to the extent necessary to substantially eliminate consolidation of the sand grains, feeding the sands into the upper portion of a tower, introducing a stream of water to the bottom of the tower under sufficient pressure to provide an upward water flow of from 0.2 to 1.5 feet per minute, drawing off the cleansed coarse sand from the bottom of the tower, and removing from the top of the tower the overflow consisting of oil, water, and oil-bearing clay and other fines.
4. The method of separating coarse sand from oil-bearing sands which comprises diluting the oil phase through the addition of a diluent of lesser specific gravity than the oil in an amount sufficient to reduce the specific gravity of the oil substantially below 1.00, agitating the oil-bearing sand in an excess of water to the extent necessary to substantially eliminate consolidation of the sand grains, feeding the sands into the upper portion of a tower, introducing a stream of water to the bottom of the tower under sufficient pressure to provide an upward water flow of from 0.2 to 1.5 feet per minute, drawing off the cleansed coarse sand from the bottom of the tower, and removing from the top of the tower the overflow consisting of oil, water, and oil-bearing clay and other fines.
5. The method of separating coarse sand from oil-bearing sands which comprises heating the sand, feeding the heated sands into the upper portion of a tower, introducing a stream of water to the bottom of the tower under sufficient pressure to provide an upward water flow of from 0.2 to 1.5 feet per minute, drawing off the cleansed coarse sand from the bottom of the tower, and removing from the top of the tower the overflow consisting of oil, water, and oil-bearing clay and other fines.
6. The method of separating coarse sand from oil-bearing sands which comprises heating the sand, diluting the oil phase through the addition of a diluent of lesser specific gravity than the oil, in an amount sufficient to reduce the specific gravity of said heated oil substantially below 1.00, feeding the diluted oil-bearing sands into the upper portion of a tower, introducing a stream of water to the bottom of the tower under sufficient pressure to provide an upward water flow of from 0.2 to 1.5 feet per minute, drawing off the cleansed coarse sand from the bottom of the tower, and removing from the top of the tower the overflow consisting of oil, water, and oil-bearing clay and other Lines.
7. The method of separating coarse sand from oil-bearing sands which comprises heating the sand, agitating the sand in an excess of water to the extent necessary to substantially eliminate consolidation of the sand grains, feeding the sands into the upper portion of a tower, introducing a stream of water to the bottom of the tower under sufficient pressure to provide an upward water flow of from 0.2 to 1.5 feet per minute, drawing off the cleansed coarse sand from the bottom of the tower, and removing from the top of the tower the overflow consisting of oil, water, and oil-bearing clay and other fines.
8. The method of separating coarse sand from oil-bearing sands which comprises heating the sand, diluting the oil phase through the addition of a diluent of lesser specific gravity than the oil in an amount sufficient to reduce the specific gravity of the oil substantially below 1.00, agitating the oil- bearing sand in an excess of water to the extent necessary to substantially eliminate consolidation of the sand grains, feeding the sands into the upper portion of a tower, introducing a stream of water to the bottom of the tower under sufficient pressure to provide an upward water flow of from 0.2 to 1.5 feet per minute, drawing off the cleansed coarse sand from the bottom of the tower, and removing from the top of the tower the overflow consisting of oil, water and oil-bearing clay and other fines.
9. A fluidizing tower adapted to separate coarse sand from diluted oil-bearing sands comprising a vertical column, an inlet at the lower extremity for the introduction of a stream of water, an outlet towards the lower extremity of the tower for the discharge of sand, an inlet towards the upper extremity for the introduction of diluted oil sands, and an outlet towards the upper extremity for the removal of the overflow consisting of oil, water and oil-bearing clay and other fines, together with a plurality of transverse perforated baffles located at spaced intervals across the tower, or other means adapted to distribute the upward water flow and downward sand flow evenly over the cross-section of the tower.
10. A fluidized tower as claimed in claim 9 wherein said water inlet comprises a plurality of upwardly directed jets spaced evenly across the entire cross-sectional area of the tower.