FEED STREAM CONDITIONING TO PROMOTE SEPARATION OF HYDROCARBON FLUID FROM PARTICULATE MATTER IN A FROTH SETTLING UNIT

摘要

Feed stream conditioning to promote separation of hydrocarbon fluid fromparticulatematter in a froth settling unit, and froth settling units and separationmethods including thesame are disclosed herein. The methods include providing a feed stream to afeed barrel ofthe froth settling unit and injecting a high-power impinging water stream intothe feed barrel.The methods further include combining the feed stream and the high-powerimpinging waterstream to produce an inlet stream for the froth settling unit, flowing theinlet stream into aninternal volume of the froth settling unit, and permitting the particulatematter and the waterto at least partially separate from the hydrocarbon fluid within the frothsettling unit. Themethods further include discharging an overflow stream from an upper region ofthe frothsettling unit and discharging an underflow stream from a lower region of thefroth settlingunit.