Process and apparatus for recovering residual oil from solids dehydrated in an oil medium and grossly deoiled

Filing Information

• Patent Number: US3950230
• Application Number: US5511825
• Filing date: 10/03/1974
• Issue date: 04/13/1976
• Predicted expiration date: 04/13/1993

• U.S. Classifications: 203/47  · 202/174  ·
• International Classifications: B01D 300 ·
• International Classifications: 20346;47;72 ·
• Related U.S. Application Data:
  CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
  This Application is a continuation-in-part of our co-pending application Ser. No. 318,424, filed in the U.S. Pat. Office on Dec. 26, 1972, and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,079.
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Patent Family

Abstract

Process and apparatus for recovering residual oil from solids previously substantially dehydrated by a process wherein a slurry of water-wet solids in oil is subjected to a heat evaporation step to substantially remove the water. The oil is then largely expressed from the solids after which the solids still containing some oil as residual oil are extracted with a relatively low viscosity and relatively volatile water-immiscible light oil. The light oil-laden solids are then brought into direct contact with steam whereby the presence of the steam effectively reduces the boiling point of the water-immiscible light oil to effect its more efficient removal from the solids. Excess externally supplied steam and light oil vapor are used to supply heat to the overall process.

Independent Claims | See all claims (18)

1. 1. A process for the recovery of residual oil from solids dehydrated in an oil medium and thereafter grossly deoiled comprising the steps of (1) admixing aqueous solids with a relatively non-volatile oil to obtain a mixture which will remain fluid and pumpable after the removal of the water content therefrom; (2) subjecting the resultant oil-containing mixture to dehydration by heat evaporation to yield water vapor and a substantially anhydrous solids in oil slurry; (3) condensing said water vapor and recovering the resulting condensate as a clean water product; (4) separating the gross part of the relatively non-volatile oil from said solids in oil slurry; (5) substantially removing the residual non-volatile oil from the resultant non-volatile oil-laden solids by extraction with a relatively low viscosity, relatively volatile light oil that is water-immiscible; and (6) bringing the resultant light oilladen solids into direct contact with steam to thereby remove said light oil from said solids by heat evaporation.
2. 10. An apparatus for recovering clean water and dry, essentially oil-free solids from aqueous solids, said apparatus comprising (1) a tank adapted to receive a stream of said aqueous solids and provided with a stirring or mixing mechanism, (2) a fluidizing oil reservoir, (3) a conduit for transmitting fluidizing oil from said oil reservoir to said tank wherein fluidizing oil and aqueous solids may be mixed, (4) an evaporator disposed to be supplied with evaporative heat, (5) a conduit extending from said tank to said evaporator wherethrough may flow a stream of aqueous solids admixed with fluidizing oil from said tank into the evaporating region of said evaporator, (6) a condenser, (7) a conduit extending from said evaporator to said condenser through which may flow water vapor formed as a result of heating of said aqueous solids and fluidizing oil mixture, (8) means for withdrawing water vapor condensate from said condenser as a clean water product, (9) a liquid-solid separating means, (10) a conduit extending from said evaporator to said liquid-solid separating means wherethrough may flow a stream of a substantially anhydrous slurry of solids in fluidizing oil, (11) a light oil reservoir, (12) a conduit extending from said light oil reservoir to said liquid-solid separating means wherethrough may flow a stream of light oil from said reservoir to said liquid-solid separating means wherein said light oil may extract residual fluidizing oil remaining on said solids after separation of fluidizing oil therefrom, (13) a deoiler means disposed to receive blowing steam to come into direct contact with any light oil-laden solids therein, and (14) a conduit extending from said liquid-solid separating means to said deoiler means wherethrough may flow a stream of light oil-laden solids.
3. 16. An apparatus for recovering clean water from aqueous solids, said apparatus comprising (1) a tank adapted to receive a stream of said aqueous solids and provided with a stirring or mixing mechanism, (2) a fluidizing oil reservoir, (3) a conduit for transmitting fluidizing oil from said oil reservoir to said tank wherein fluidizing oil and aqueous solids may be mixed, (4) a multi-stage evaporator disposed to be supplied with evaporative heat, (5) a conduit extending from said tank to the first stage of said multi-stage evaporator wherethrough may flow a stream of aqueous solids admixed with fluidizing oil from said tank into the evaporating region of said evaporator, (6) a condenser, (7) a conduit extending from the first stage of said evaporator to said condenser through which may flow water vapor formed as a result of heating of said aqueous solids and fluidizing oil mixture, (8) means for withdrawing water vapor condensate from said condenser as a clean water product, (9) a vapor duct extending from the vapor chamber of each evaporator stage of higher pressure than the first to the evaporating region of the evaporator stage immediately preceding with respect to processed material flow through which may flow vapor formed as a result of heat evaporation to thereby act as a source of evaporative heat in each said preceding evaporator stage, (10) a liquid-solid separating means, (11) a conduit extending from the last stage of said evaporator to said liquid-solid separating means wherethrough may flow a stream of a substantially anhydrous slurry of solids in fluidizing oil, (12) a light oil reservoir, (13) a conduit extending from said light oil reservoir to said liquid-solid separating means wherethrough may flow a stream of light oil from said reservoir to said liquid-solid separating means wherein said light oil may extract residual fluidizing oil remaining on said solids after gross separation of oil therefrom, (14) a conduit extending from said liquid-solid separating means to the vapor duct extending from the vapor chamber of an evaporator stage of higher pressure than the first wherein light oilladen solids may come into direct contact with steam, and (15) means for withdrawing light oil-free solids from said vapor duct.