Endless cable system and associated methods

Abstract

A separation apparatus can include at least one endless cable. The cable can be wrapped around at least two revolvable cylindrical members a plurality of times. The wraps can form gaps between adjacent windings, which, along with the endless cable, can be used to facilitate separations processing. Additionally, the separation apparatus can optionally include a repositioning guide for each multiple wrap endless cable that can guide the endless cable in an endless route and prevent the cable from rolling off or falling off of the cylindrical members. Separation can be accomplished by oleophilic adherence to the cable, electrostatic adherence to the cable, and/or physical retention on the cable. This endless cable system can be particularly useful for separation of oil sand slurries, mass transfer operations, and physical separations.

1 . A separation apparatus, comprising:
 a) at least one endless cable wrapped a plurality of times around at least two revolvable cylindrical members to form a first wrap, a plurality of subsequent wraps, and a final wrap such that the cable is wrapped from one cylindrical member to another and contacts each of the at least two cylindrical members a plurality of times to form gaps between adjacent windings.   
   
   
       2 . The separation apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a cable stripping device operatively associated with the at least one endless cable, configured to remove material from the endless cable. 
   
   
       3 . The separation apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the endless cable is oleophilic. 
   
   
       4 . The separation apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising an agglomerator drum having openings oriented in fluid communication with the endless cable to allow passage of fluid from an interior to an exterior of the agglomerator drum and including oleophilic members for adhering oleophilic material. 
   
   
       5 . The separation apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a gas inlet oriented to direct a gas across a flight of the at least one endless cable, and a first liquid reservoir wherein the at least two revolvable cylindrical members includes a feed roller and an upper roller, said feed roller being oriented within the first liquid reservoir sufficient to contact liquid therein and said upper roller being remote from the first liquid reservoir. 
   
   
       6 . The separation apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising at least one additional liquid reservoir each including a corresponding additional feed roller oriented within a corresponding additional liquid reservoir. 
   
   
       7 . The separation apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one endless cable includes a first endless cable configured to be charged electrically with a high potential direct or alternating current of a first polarity or phase. 
   
   
       8 . The separation apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the first endless cable and the at least two revolvable cylindrical members are oriented within a containment vessel, said containment vessel being electrically charged with a high potential direct or alternating current of a second polarity or phase opposite the first polarity or phase. 
   
   
       9 . The separation apparatus of  claim 7 , comprising a second endless cable wrapped a plurality of times around the at least two cylindrical members such that the second endless cable is wrapped from one cylindrical member to another and contacts each of the at least two cylindrical members a plurality of times to form gaps between adjacent windings of the second endless cable and wherein said the wraps of said second endless cable are alternating with and are located within the gaps of the first endless cable, wherein the wraps of the second endless cable are configured to be charged electrically with a high potential direct or alternating voltage of opposing polarity or of opposing phase to the wraps of the first endless cable. 
   
   
       10 . The separation apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two revolvable cylindrical members are oriented to form an upper flight and a lower flight of the at least one endless cable, the upper flight being within 45° of horizontal and wherein the gaps between adjacent windings are configured to be sufficiently narrow to allow passage of liquid therethrough and retention and conveyance of particulate solids thereon having a predetermined particle size and further comprising a liquid collection vessel oriented below the first flight and configured to receive the liquid. 
   
   
       11 . The separation apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the gaps between adjacent windings are spaced apart a distance sufficient to size particulate material into at least two separate size ranges and further comprising at least two particulate collection members oriented to collect each the at least two separate size ranges. 
   
   
       12 . The separation apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the adjacent windings are non-parallel sufficient to form gradually expanding distances between the adjacent windings from a narrowly spaced end to a widely spaced end of a top flight of the at least one endless cable, wherein a particulate feed inlet is oriented to distribute particulate material over more narrowly spaced portions of the top flight. 
   
   
       13 . The separation apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two revolvable cylindrical members are oriented to form an upper flight and a lower flight of the at least one endless cable and further comprising:
 a) a secondary separation apparatus including a second endless cable wrapped a plurality of times around at least two secondary revolvable cylindrical members to form a plurality of secondary wraps to form secondary gaps between adjacent windings, said secondary separation apparatus having a secondary upper flight being oriented at an angle with respect to the upper flight and being substantially coplanar therewith; and   b) a plurality of directing pins oriented within junction spaces formed between the gaps and the secondary gaps, said directing pins being elevatable from a lower position to an upper directing position said lower position placing an upper end of the respective directing pin below the secondary upper flight, said plurality of directing pins being selectively elevatable to direct an object on the upper flight to move along the secondary upper flight.   
   
   
       14 . A method of separating oleophilic material from hydrophilic material in a flowable material, comprising:
 passing the flowable material through at least one continuously moving endless cable, wherein the hydrophilic material passes through gaps between adjacent wrappings in said at least one continuously moving endless cable, said at least one continuously moving endless cable having been wrapped a plurality of times around at least two cylindrical members, such that at least a portion of the oleophilic material is retained on or by the endless cable; and   removing at least a portion of the oleophilic material from the endless cable.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of removing at least a portion of the oleophilic material from the at least one endless cable includes passing the endless cable through a means for removing oleophilic material. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising passing the flowable material through an agglomerator sufficient to increase recovery yields of the second component. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 collecting a bitumen rich sludge from a tailings pond, said tailings pond having a bitumen rich layer between a top water rich layer and a bottom silt and sand layer; and   directing the bitumen rich sludge to the at least one continuously moving endless cable, wherein the bitumen rich sludge forms at least a portion of the flowable material.   
   
   
       18 . A multi-phase method of contacting components of a gaseous flowable material, comprising:
 passing the gaseous flowable material through at least one continuously moving endless cable, wherein a first portion of the flowable material passes through gaps between adjacent wrappings in said at least one continuously moving endless cable, said at least one continuously moving endless cable having been wrapped a plurality of times around at least two cylindrical members, such that a second portion of the flowable material contacts the endless cable.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of:
 contacting a portion of the endless cable with a liquid sufficient for a portion thereof to coat the endless cable, wherein the endless cable is oriented to transport the coated liquid upwards to a contacting region such that the second portion of the flowable material contacts the coated liquid in the contacting region.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the step of contacting involves at least one of crystallization, evaporation, chemical reaction, humidifying, drying, and gas cleaning. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising applying a high potential voltage AC or DC to the at least one endless cable while the flowable material passes through the gaps and particulate and droplet material adheres to the wraps of the at least one endless cable for subsequent removal in the presence of an additional electrode charged with DC or AC of opposite polarity or opposite phase than the endless cable. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising a second continuously moving endless cable in which the wraps of the second endless cable are interlaced with the wraps of first endless cable, and wherein the wrappings create gaps through which material can flow, wherein the wraps of the second endless cable have opposite electrical charges or opposite electrical phase from the wraps of the first endless cable and wherein particulate and droplet material adheres to the wraps of said endless cables for subsequent removal. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one endless cable is configured to charge passing particles for subsequent electrostatic separation. 
   
   
       24 . A method of physically separating components of a flowable material containing particulates, comprising:
 passing the flowable material through at least one continuously moving endless cable which is oriented and configured to form an upper flight and a lower flight allowing at least a portion of the particulates to be retained on or by the endless cable, wherein a first component of the flowable material passes through gaps between adjacent wrappings in said at least one continuously moving endless cable, said at least one continuously moving endless cable having been wrapped a plurality of times around at least two cylindrical members, such that a second component of the flowable material is retained on or by the endless cable; and   removing at least a portion of the second component from the endless cable.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said upper flight is within 45° of horizontal, and further comprising depositing a first coarse slurry onto the upper flight such that at least a portion of solid particulates are retained on the upper flight while at least a portion of liquids pass through the upper flight and separately collecting the portion of liquids and the portion of solid particulates. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the flowable material is a substantially dry particulate having a non-uniform particle size range, and wherein the method further comprises depositing the flowable material onto an upper flight of the endless cable such that a first size portion of the dry particulate passes through the upper flight while a second size portion of the dry particulate is retained on the upper flight and separately collecting each of the first size portion and the second size portion. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the flowable material is a wet slurry of a particulate and fluid, wherein the particulate has a non-uniform particle size range, and wherein the method further comprises depositing the wet slurry onto an upper flight of the endless cable such that a first size portion of the particulate passes through the upper flight while a second size portion of the particulate is retained on the upper flight and separately collecting each of the first size portion and the second size portion.