FLUID TREATMENT SYSTEM
A fluid treatment device and method is proposed for the treatment of a fluid that has components to be separated, such as tailings. The fluid treatment device in one embodiment comprises a motive pump connected to drive fluid to be treated along a conduit through a restriction forming a nozzle into a mixing chamber and thence to a discharge. A port, which may be controlled by a valve, admits gas into an initial portion of the mixing chamber. The motive pump, nozzle, gas port and mixing chamber together form a phase separator. Multiple phase separators may be connected together in series. The mixing chamber may have constant diameter and a length to diameter ratio of 20:1 or 60:1 or more. The conduit terminates in a discharge. The discharge may supply the treated fluid to a secondary separation device such as a flotation cell. Solids and liquids may be taken off the flotation cell for disposal, further processing or delivery into a sales line.
1 . A fluid treatment device, comprising:
a motive pump having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being connected to a source of fluid having components to be separated;
a conduit connected to the outlet of the motive pump, the conduit having a discharge;
a restriction in the conduit forming a nozzle through which the fluid flows when the motive pump is operated, the restriction dividing the conduit into an upstream end between the motive pump and nozzle and a downstream end that terminates at the discharge; and
the conduit having a mixing chamber downstream of the nozzle and a port for admission of gas into the mixing chamber in an initial portion of the mixing chamber, in which the mixing chamber has a length to internal diameter ratio of at least 20:1 and at most 60:1.
2 . The fluid treatment device of claim 1 in which the mixing chamber has a mixing chamber internal diameter, the restriction has a restriction diameter and the upstream end of the conduit has a conduit internal diameter and the mixing chamber internal diameter is sized between the restriction diameter and the conduit internal diameter.
3 . The fluid treatment device of claim 2 in which the mixing chamber terminates downstream at a transition in the conduit to a larger diameter portion of the conduit.
4 . The fluid treatment device of claim 3 in which the mixing chamber has constant internal diameter along the length of the mixing chamber.
5 . The fluid treatment device of claim 2 in which the mixing chamber terminates downstream at a transition in the conduit to a larger diameter portion of the conduit and the mixing chamber has a length to internal diameter ratio of at least 40:1.
6 . The fluid treatment device of claim 5 in which the mixing chamber has constant internal diameter along the length of the mixing chamber.
7 . The fluid treatment device of claim 1 in which the fluid comprises an oil and water mixture.
8 . The fluid treatment device of claim 7 in which the fluid comprises an oil, water and solids mixture.
9 . The fluid treatment device of claim 8 in which the fluid comprises tailings from a tailings pond.
10 . The fluid treatment device of claim 9 in which the source of fluid comprises a first pump connected to pump fluid from a first portion of a tailings pond and a second pump connected to pump fluid from a second portion of a tailing pond, the first pump and the second pump each having outlets connected to the inlet of the motive pump.
11 . The fluid treatment device of claim 10 in which the first portion of the tailings pond comprises a first weight percent of solids and the second portion of the tailings pond comprises a second weight percent of solids and the second weight percent is less than the first weight percent.
12 . The fluid treatment device of claim 1 in which the port comprises a valve.
13 . The fluid treatment device of claim 1 in which the discharge is disposed to discharge treated fluid into a secondary separation apparatus.
14 . The fluid treatment device of claim 13 in which the secondary separation apparatus comprises a flotation tank.
15 . A method of treating a fluid, comprising:
pumping fluid using a motive pump through a restriction in a conduit into a mixing chamber downstream of the restriction, the fluid having components to be separated;
adding gas into the fluid downstream of the restriction in an initial portion of the mixing chamber, in which the mixing chamber has a length to internal diameter ratio of at least 20:1 and at most 60:1; and
discharging the fluid from the conduit.
16 . The method of claim 15 in which the mixing chamber has a mixing chamber internal diameter, the restriction has a restriction diameter and the upstream end of the conduit has a conduit internal diameter and the mixing chamber internal diameter is sized between the restriction diameter and the conduit internal diameter.
17 . The method of claim 16 in which the mixing chamber terminates downstream at a transition in the conduit to a larger diameter portion of the conduit.
18 . The method of claim 16 in which the mixing chamber terminates downstream at a transition in the conduit to a larger diameter portion of the conduit and the mixing chamber has a length to internal diameter ratio of at least 40:1.
19 . The method of claim 17 in which the mixing chamber has a constant internal diameter along its length.
20 . The method of claim 15 in which the fluid comprises an oil and water mixture.
21 . The method of claim 20 in which the fluid comprises an oil, water and solids mixture.
22 . The method of claim 21 in which the fluid comprises tailings from a tailings pond.
23 . The method of claim 22 further comprising supplying fluid to the motive pump from the tailings pond by pumping fluid from a first portion of the tailings pond and pumping fluid from a second portion of the tailing pond.
24 . The method of claim 23 in which the first portion of the tailings pond comprises a first weight percent of solids and the second portion of the tailings pond comprises a second weight percent of solids and the second weight percent is less than the first weight percent.
25 . The method of claim 15 in which adding gas into the fluid comprises metering the gas through a valve.
26 . The method of claim 15 in which treated fluid is discharged into a secondary separation apparatus for further separation of fluid components.
27 . The method of claim 26 in which the secondary separation apparatus comprises a flotation tank, and treated fluid is discharged into the flotation tank with dispersion of the treated fluid across the surface of fluid in the flotation tank.
28 . The method of claim 25 further comprising enhancing separation in the secondary separation apparatus by adding a flocculent.
29 - 38 . (canceled)
39 . A fluid treatment device, comprising:
a motive pump having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being connected to a source of motive fluid;
a conduit connected to the outlet of the motive pump, the conduit having a discharge;
a restriction in the conduit forming a nozzle through which the motive fluid flows when the motive pump is operated, the restriction dividing the conduit into an upstream end between the motive pump and nozzle and a downstream end that terminates at the discharge;
the conduit having a mixing chamber downstream of the nozzle and at least a port in an initial portion of the mixing chamber for admission into the mixing chamber of gas and a fluid having components to separated;
the mixing chamber having a mixing chamber internal diameter;
the restriction having a restriction diameter;
the upstream end of the conduit having a conduit internal diameter and the mixing chamber internal diameter is sized between the restriction diameter and the conduit internal diameter;
the mixing chamber terminating downstream at a transition in the conduit to a larger diameter portion of the conduit and the mixing chamber having a length to internal diameter ratio of at least 20:1 and at most 60:1.
40 . The fluid treatment device of claim 39 in which the mixing chamber has constant internal diameter along the length of the mixing chamber.
41 . The fluid treatment device of claim 40 in which the mixing chamber has a length to internal diameter ratio of at least 40:1.
42 . The fluid treatment device of claim 39 in which the fluid having components to be separated comprises an oil and water mixture.
43 . The fluid treatment device of claim 42 in which the fluid having components to be separated comprises an oil, water and solids mixture.
44 . The fluid treatment device of claim 43 in which the fluid comprises tailings from a tailings pond.
45 . The fluid treatment device of claim 39 in which the source of motive fluid comprises a first pump connected to pump fluid from a first portion of a tailings pond and the port is supplied with a fluid having components to be separated through a second pump connected to pump fluid from a second portion of a tailings pond.
46 . The fluid treatment device of claim 1 in which the discharge is disposed to discharge treated fluid into a secondary separation apparatus.
47 . The fluid treatment device of claim 13 in which the secondary separation apparatus comprises a flotation tank.
48 . A method of treating a fluid, comprising:
pumping fluid using a motive pump through a restriction in a conduit into a mixing chamber downstream of the restriction, the fluid having components to be separated; and
discharging a treated fluid from the conduit into a flotation tank with dispersion of the treated fluid across the surface of fluid in the flotation tank.
49 . A method of treating a fluid, comprising:
combining a first fluid, having a first weight percent of solids, with a second fluid, having a second weight percent of solids, to produce combined fluid, in which the first weight percent of solids is less than the second weight percent of solids;
pumping the combined fluid using a motive pump through a restriction in a conduit into a mixing chamber downstream of the restriction, the combined fluid having components to be separated; and
discharging the combined fluid from the conduit.
50 . The method of claim 49 in which the first fluid and the second fluid are from one or more tailings ponds.