RETORTING EXTRACTOR OF HYDROCARBONS FROM ANY SOLID MATERIAL ESPECIALLY TAR SAND, AND THE PROCESS OF EXTRACTION

CORNUE ET METHODE DE SEPARATION DES HYDROCARBURES EN PRESENCE DANS DES MATIERES COMPACTES, PLUS PARTICULIEREMENT LES SABLES BITUMINEUX

English Abstract

A B S T R A C T
The invention offers a new kind of retorting extractor which
consists of the retorting tube which is installed in the
furnace and it is heated by means of the burner.
The tar-sand, or any other material containing the bitumen is
loaded through the loading chute, situated on one end of the
retorting tube, and the material is pushed through the whole
length of the retorting tube, by the drag chain which moves
inside the retorting tube. The process of the extraction ends
at the other end of the retorting tube, where the material
(sand) free from the bitumen is unloaded into the drive
chamber and it is evacuated out of the extractor though the
unloading chute, which is located at the bottom of the
drive chamber.
The bitumen extracted from the solid material, flows through
the manifold, welded to the top of the retorting tube, out
of the extractor.
The drag chain is driven by the drive sprocket, or by the
drive system, consisting of the drive chain and two secondary
sprokets, which are located in the drive chamber. The drive
chain returns from the drive chamber through the return tube
into the return chamber, where the idle sprocket re-directs
the drag chain back into the retorting tube.
The retorting extractor is practically air-tight: the retorting
tube and the return tube are welded, or bolted to drive chamber,
and to the return chamber, and the loading chute is also welded,
or bolted to the retorting tube. Both loading and unloading
chutes are equiped each with two gates, and during loading,
or unloading, before one of the gates opens, the other closes.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS :
1. A retorting extractor of hydrocarbons from any solid
material, especially tar-sand, which constitutes an airtight
vessel, composed of the retorting tube, the drive chamber,
the return chamber, and the return tube, where the retorting
tube has on its both ends flanges which are welded to the
retorting tube, and by means of which the retorting tube is
bolted to the drive chamber and to the return chamber, where
the return tube has also on its both ends flanges which are
welded to the return tube, and the return tube is bolted to
the drive chamber and to the return chamber, moreover the
retorting tube is equipped with a loading channel which
is located in the upper part of the retorting tube, where
the loading chute is bolted to the loading channel of the
retorting tube, where all bolted joints are airtight, and
where the retorting tube is covered on a largest part of its
lenght with the evaporation top, to which there is welded
a manifold, where the evaporation tube with the manifold
is installed inside a furnace where it is heated by means
of a burner, where at the bottom of the drive chamber
there is located an unloading chute which is equipped with
an upper unloading gate, and the lower unloading gate, and
similarly the loading chute is equipped with an upper
loading gate and a lower loading gate, and moreover
inside the extractor, i.e. inside the retorting tube, the
return tube, inside the drive chamber, and the return
chamber there is installed a drag conveyor which consists
of a drag chain, a drive sprocket, installed in the drive
chamber, and of the return sprocket, installed in the
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return chamber, where the drive sprocket is driven by means
of a motor and a transmission, and the drag chain is driven
by the drive sprocket, and as a result the drag chain moves
inside the retorting tube, in the direction of this end of
retorting tube that connects to the drive chamber, where
the drive sprocket detours the drag chain into the return
tube, through which the drag chain goes into the return
chamber, where the return sprocket guides the drag chain
back into the retorting tube, while the upper loading gate
the lower loading gate, the upper unloading gate, and the
lower unloading gate, are operated by means of pneumatic,
or hydraulic cylinders, or by any other mechanical means,
while the control system that governs the movements of
opening and closing of those gates is designed in such way
that at all times, including the operation of loading the
extractor, at least one of the loading gates, i.e. the
upper loading gate, or the lower loading gate is always
closed, and also one of the unloading gates, i.e. the
upper unloading gate, or the lower unloading gate is
always closed, even during the operation of unloading,
moreover while the lower part of the retorting tube is
uniform in shape and dimensions on the whole lenght of
the retorting tube, the shape of the upper part of the
retorting tube is different in different points of its
length, and the upper part of the retorting tube consists
not only of the loading channel, but also of the evaporation
top the highest points of which are raised very high above
the lower part of the retorting tube, and as a result there
is created between the lower part of the retorting tube,
the heights of which corresponds to the height of the drag
chain, and the evaporation top, an evaporation space, and
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and a manifold is welded to the evaporation top in its
highest points, in such way that the nozzles of the manifold
penetrate the evaporation top, ensuring a free passage of
gases, and vapors from the evaporation space into the
manifold, while the minimal height of the retorting tube is
in those points of lenght of the retorting tube, where the
retorting tube is covered with a flat top, but the inside
dimensions between the flat top and the bottom of the
retorting tube are larger than the over all dimensions of
the drag plates of the drag chain by an amount of clearance
necessary to ensure a free movement of the drag chain
inside the retorting tube, while the drag chain consists
of drag plates and drag links, and the drag chain is a
two strand type where there are two drag links welded to
each drag plate, or the drag chain constitutes a one strand
type, where there is only one drag link welded to each
drag plate, and moreover to the outside end of the
manifold there is connected a fan which creates a very
low vacuum inside the retorting tube, the drive chamber,
the return chamber, and inside the return tube, and by
this action it prevents any possible leaks,through the
closed gates, from inside of the extractor to the
outside, whereas the process of extraction of hydrocarbons
from tar-sand, or any other solid material is accomplished
in the following way : the tar-sand, or any other solid
material containing hydrocarbons, is loaded through the
loading chute, it accumulates on the lower loading gate
which is normally closed, and as soon as the tar-sand
fills the space inside the loading chute between the
upper loading gate, and the lower loading gate, the
upper loading gate closes, and after a short period of
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time when both loading gates are closed, the lower loading
gate opens, the tar-sand falls down the loading channel
into the lower part of the retorting tube, and the flat top
located between the loading channel and the evaporation top
trims the tar-sand in such way that the maximal level of
the top surface of the tar-sand does not exceed the level
of the upper edge of the drag plates of the drag chain,
and the tar-sand,trimmed in such way, is being pushed
inside the retorting tube in a direction from the loading
channel toward this end of the retorting tube that connects
to the drive chamber, and along the way, the tar-sand is
gradually heated to increasingly higher temperatures,
and as a result, first the lighter hydrocarbons evaporate,
and later on the heavier hydrocarbons are subjected to
the thermal cracking and coking, where the molecules of
heavier hydrocarbons are split into lighter fractions
which are instantly vaporized, and the excess carbon forms
the coke residue which in the case of thermal extraction
of tar-sand is mixed with sand, while the hydrocarbon
vapors are collected in the evaporation space which
channels them to the nozzles of the manifold which expells
the hydrocarbon vapors outside, for further processing,
with help of the fan which is connected to the outside end
of the manifold,and it creates a very low vacuum (about
10 cm of water) in the retorting tube. and the loading
channel, in the drive chamber, in the return tube and in
the return chamber, and as a result any eventual leaks
through closed loading gates and unloading gates of
hydrocarbons to the outside of the extractor are reduced
or eliminated completely, while the design and the
construction of the retorting tube ensures that the
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nozzles of the manifold are located high above the lower
part of the retorting tube, i.e. high above the upper edge
of the drag plates of the drag chain, and high above the
top surface of the tar-sand, and this prevents that any
small particles of sand or dust, lifted by the violent
discharges of the hydrocarbon vapors, above the top
surface of the tar-sand, would ever enter into the
manifold, and when tar-sand reaches this end of the
retorting tube that connects to the drive chamber, the
process of the thermal extraction of this particular
portion of tar-sand is already fininshed, and the residue
of sand and coke is dumped into the drive chamber, where
it accumulates on the bottom of the drive chamber, that
connects to the unloading chute, on the upper unloading
gate that is normally closed, and when enough of residue
is accumulated, the lower unloading gate closes, and after
a short period of time when both unloading gates are
fully closed, the upper unloading gate opens, the residue
falls into the unloading chute, the upper unloading gate
closes, and again after a short period of time when both
unloading gates are fully closed, the lower unloading
gate opens, and the residue is ejected - falls outside
of the extractor.
2. A. retorting extractor as defined in claim 1,
in which the retorting tube is designed and built in such
way that the lower part of the retorting tube, consisting
of the bottom and of two sides, is uniform and of identical
dimensions through the whole length of the retorting tube,
i.e. a cross section through the lower part of the
retorting tube is identical in shape and dimensions at any
point of length of the retorting tube, where the bottom
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of the retorting tube is flat, and both sides of the
retorting tube are vertical, or at an angle to the bottom,
where the transition from the bottom to the sides is
rounded, to avoid any sharp corners, where the intersections
of theoretical planes through sides, with the theoretical
plane of the bottom, are parallel to each other, and where
the inside dimensions of the lower part of the retorting
tube are such that the drag plates of the drag chain should
fit into the inside of the lower part of the retorting
tube tight enough that the drag plates will scrape the
bottom and the sides, to prevent any adherence of any
residue to the bottom and sides of the retorting tube,
but at the same time, there should be enough clerance,
to ensure that the movement of the drag chain inside the
retorting tube is unrestricted, but on the contrary, the
upper part of the retorting tube is of a different form
at different points of the length of the retorting tube,
where the retorting tube is equipped with a loading
channel, located near this end of the retorting tube
that connects to the return chamber, from which it is
separated by a flat top, while on the top of the loading
channel there is welded a flange, whereas another flat
top, on the other side of the loading channel, separates
the loading channel from the evaporation top, and finally
one more flat top covers the retorting tube between the
other end of the eveporation top, and this end of the
retorting tube that connnects to the drive chamber, where
the dimensions of the sides of the retorting tube are such
that the flat top welded to the top edge of the sides of
the retorting tube is at such distance from the bottom
of the retorting tube that the dimensions inside the
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retorting tube between the flat top and the bottom is
larger than the width of the drag plates, i.e. it is larger
that the height of the drag chain, by an amount of clearance,
necessary to ensure an unrestricted movement of the drag
chain inside the retorting tube, where the evaporation top
is raised high above the lower part of the retorting tube,
much higher than the flat top, and as a result the
evaporation top and the lower part of the retorting tube
i.e. between the evaporation top and the upper edge of the
drag chain, there is created the evaporation space, where
the evaporation top is formed from two inclined plates,
or one plate bended in the middle,forming two inclined
planes, or from a curved plate, so that a cross section
through the evaporation top resembles a cross section
through a curb roof, or through an architectural arch,
where the lowest edges of the evaporation top are welded
to the sides of the retorting tube, while in the highest
points of the evaporation top there is welded the manifold
the nozzles of which penetrate through the evaporation
top, to ensure an un-obstructed passage of hydrocarbon
vapors from the evaporation space, into the manifold, and
moreover on both ends of the retorting tube there are
welded flanges, and all components of the retorting tube :
the bottom, the sides, the flat tops, the evaporation top,
the loading channel and all flanges are welded in such
way that all welds are airtight.
3. A retorting extractor as defined in claim 1,
where the drag chain is driven by means of a drive system,
located in the drive chamber, where the drive system
which consists of a drive chain, of a secondary drive
sprocket, and a secondary idle sprocket, where the
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drive chain meshed with the drag chain actually pulls,
drives the drag chain, and the secondary drive sprocket
is driven by means of a motor and a transmission.
4. A retorting extractor as defined in claim 1,
where system of control of the movements of opening and
closing of all gates, i.e. of the upper loading gate, of
the lower loading gate, of the upper unloading gate, and
of the lower unloding gate is electrical, or pneumatical,
and it is designed in such way that in the loading chute
both loading gates must be fully closed for a short period
of time, before any of them opens, and in the same way in
the unloading chute both unloading gates must be fully
closed for a short period of time before any of them
opens, and at all times one of the gates of the loading
chute is closed i.e. at all times the upper loading gate,
or the lower unloading gate is closed, and similarly at
all times one of the unloading gates, of the unloading
chute, is closed, i.e. at all times or the upper unloading
gate is closed, or the lower unloading gate is closed,
where the timing of the movements of opening and closing
of the gates is realized in function of time, or by any
other principle, or method.
5. A retorting extractor as defined in claim 1,
in which the drag plates are welded to the drag links,
in such way that the drag plates are perpendicular to
the drag links, and in a case if the drag chain is of
a two strand type, both drag links welded to the same
drag plate, are parallel to each other.
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Description

i4t~6
S P E C I F I C A T I O N
The invention pertains to the petroleum industry,
especially to the extraction of hydrocarbons from tar-sanaO
Till now, from the excavated tar-sand, hydrocarbons are
extracted by means of a costly process consisti~g of heating
the tar-sand with steam , and treating the resulting
slurry with the caustic soda which separates the tar from
water, and the sand is precipitated gravitationally in
the separa-tion vessels~ This process is very costly, it
is characterized by a low efficiency (about 85%), and it
pollutes the environment. Moreover to build an extraction
plant of bitumen from tar-sand, according to the existing
process, a very ~igh capital expenditure is needed.
The invention offers a new retorting extractor which
extracts hydrocarbons from any solid material containing
bitumen, and especially from tar-sand. The retorting
extractor (which would be called later "extractor")
will reduce many times the costs of extraction of the
bitumen from tar-sand, per barrel of oil, as compared
with the costs of extracting the bitumen from tar-sand,
using the existing process. Also the implementation oE
the present invention for extraction of the bitumen from
tar-sand should reduce many times the capital expenditure
of building an extraction plant, as compared with costs
of building an extraction plant, of t~e same capacity,
which would use the existing process~ Finally -the
implemen-tation of the present invention, would eliminate
the pollution, created by the existing processes and
methods of extracting the bitumen from tar-sand.
The primary goal of the invention is to provide a
novel extractor for extraction of hydrocarbons from
- tar-sands, still another objective of the invention is
to provide a new extractor for extraction of hydrocarbons
from oil shale.
The invention is illustrated by wa~ of example in
accompanying diagramatic drawings oE which :
Fiq. 1 shows a longtitudal section along the centerline
o~ the extractor,

~540~i
Fiq. 2 shows a partial cross section along line A - A
through the extractor, i.e. it shows a cross section
through the furnace and through the retorting tube
that is located inside the furnace,
Fiq. 3 shows a longtitudal section through the retorting
tube only (detail drawing),
Fiq._4 shows a partial lonytitudal section through the
extractor, and precisely through the drive chamber,
and it presents the alterante drive system of the
drag chain.
The extractor is represented in its entirety in the
Fig. 1 on which it is shown that the extractor consis-ts of
the retorting tube 1, of the return tube 2, of the drive
chamber 3, of the return chamber 4, and of the loading
chute 5. The retorting tube 1, and the return tube 2, are
bolted to the drive chamber 3, and to the return chamber
4 in a way to ensure airtight joints. ~lso the loading chute
S is bolted to the loading channel 30 of the retorting tube
l in such way that the joint should be airtight.
Moreover the loading chute 5 is equipped with two
gates : the upper loading gate 6 and the lower loading
gate 7, and at all times one ofthe gates the lower
loading gate 7 or the upper loading gate 6 is closed.
And this means that while loading (tar-sand) before
any of the gates opens the two gates must be closed.
The bottom of the drive chamber 3 forms the unloading
chute 8 which is also equipped with two gates : the
upper unloading gate 9 and the lower unloading gate 10.
~nd in this case too, in the process of unloading, both
gates must be in a position closed, before any of them
would open : i.e. at all times one of the gates - the
upper unloading gate 9, or the lower unloading gate 10
must be closed.
The extracted hydrocarbons, in form of vapors are
evacuated through the manifold ll which is welded to the
evaporation top 12 that covers part of the retorting
tube l.
To sum up, the extractor constitutes practically
an airtight system and the only way the vapors of
hydrocarbons could possibly escape from the extractor,
, ~
-- 2 ~

)6
ls through the mani~old 11. The eventual losses of vapors of
hydrocarbons through -the loading chute 5 during the operation
of loading ofthe extractor (with tar-sand or other material)
are reduced considerably because the loading chute 5 is
equipped with the upper loading gate 6 and the lower gate 7,
and at all times (also during the operation o~ loading) one
of the gates is always closed. Also the losses of vapors o~
hydrocarbons through the unloading chute 8, during unloading
of sand (or any other solid residue ) would be very small
since at all times one of the gates : the upper unloading
gate 9, or the lower unloading gate 10, is closed.
In order to reduce even more the inevitable leak
through the closed gates, the fan 13 is connected to the
end of the manifold 11 which creates a very low
vacuum i.e. a negative pressure of about 10 cm oi wa-ter
in the whole system of extractor : in the retorting tube 1,
in the drive chamber 3, in the return chamber 4, and in the
return tube 2. Consequently any possible leaks through the
closed gates would result in leaks of the surrounding air
into the extractor, rather than in lea]cs of the vapors of
hydrocarbons out of the extractor~
In this airtight system o~ the extractor, there is
installed a drag conveyer which consists 3~ the drag chain
14, of the drive sprocket 15~ and o~ the return sprocket 16.
The drive sprocket 15 is installed in the drive chamber 3 and
the return sprocket 16 is ins~alled in the return chamber 4.
The drag chain 14 runs inside the retortlng tube 1, and it
moves ~rom the loading chute 5 toward the drive chamber 3,
where the drive sprocket 15 drives the drag chain 14, and
the drag chain 14 returns through the return tube 2 into the
return chamber 4, where the return sprocket 16 guides the
drag chain 14 back into the retorting tube lo
~ n alternate system o~ driving the drag chain 14 is
represented in Fig. 4, where there is shown a drive system,
installed in the drive chamber 3, consisting of the drive
chain 17, o~ the secondary drive sprocket 18, and o~ the
secondary idle sprocket 19. While the secondary drive
sprocket 18 drives thedrive chain 17, it is the drive`chain
17 which isengaged with the drag chain 14 that drives
(pulls) the drag chain ~4.

~5406;
The drag chain 14 is composed of the drag plates 20. and
of the drag links 21. The drag chain 14 is a two-strand type,
i.e. with two drag lin]cs 21 welded to each drag plate 20, as
it is shown in Fig~ 2. The drag chain may be also a one-strand
type, with only one drag link 21 welded to each drag plate 20
(this one-strand type is not shown in the drawings).
The drag plates 20 are welded to the drag links 21 in such
way that the drag plate 20 is perpendicular to the drag link
21. And if the drag chain 14 is a two-strand type, both
drag links 21 are welded to each drag plate 20 in such way
that both drag links 21 are perpendicular to the drag plate
20, and moreover both drag links 21 a~e parallel to each
other~
The retorting tube 1 is placed inside a furnace 22~ where
it is supported by means of legs 23. The retorting tube 1 is
heated by means of a burner 24, while the combustion gases
are evacuated from the furnace 22, through a flue 25.
The retorting tube is built in such way that the lower
part of the retorting tube 1, consisting of the bottom 2
and of sides 27 is uniform, and of identical dimensions
through the whole length of the retorting tube 1, and the
inside dimensions of the lower part of the retorting tube 1
are such that the drag plates 20 of the drag chain 14 fit
tightly inside the lower part of the retorting tube 1, in
order that the drag plates 20 could scrape the bottom 26, and
the sides 27 of the retorting tube 1, to prevent any adherence
of tar-sand or any other solid residue to the bottom 26 and
to the sides 27 of the retorting tube 1. But at the same time
there must be maintained a minimal clearance between the
drag plates 20 of the drag chain 14, and the inside of the
lower part of the retorting tube 1, i.e. the inside dimensions
of the lower part of the retorting tube 1 must be larger
than the over-all dimensions of the drag plates 20 of the
drag chain 14, in order to ensure an unrestricted movement
of the drag chain 14 inside the retorting tube 1.
But the upper part of the retorting tube 1 is different
at different points of the length of the retorting tube.l :
the retorting tube 1 is equipped with a loading channel 30
which is located near this end of the retorting tube 1 that
connects to the return chamber 4. The loading channel 30
,:
~ 4 --

~2~5~06
is ec~uipped with a flange 31 to which there is bolted the
loading chute 5.
Between the loadin~ channel 30 and this end of the
retorting tube 1 that connects to the return chamber 4, the
~etorting tube 1 is covered with a flat top 29. Also on the
other side of the loading channel 30, the retorting tube 1
is covered with a flat top 29, which separates the loading
channel 30 from the evaporation top 12. Finally between the
other end of the evaporation top 12 and this end of the
10 retorting tube 1 that connects to the drive chamber 3, the
retorting tube 1 is covered with a flat top 29.
The dimensions of the sides 27 of th~ retorting tube 1
are such that a flat top 29, welded to the top edge of the
sides 27, is in such distance from the bottom 26 of the
retorting tube 1 that the dimensions inside the retorting
tube 1 between its bottom 26 and the flat top 29 is larger
than the width of -the drag plates 20, i.e. it is larger than
the height of the drag chain 14, by an amount of clearance,
necessary to ensure an un-obstructed movement of the drag
20 chain 14 inside the retorting tube 1.
The function of the flat top 29, located at both ends of
the retorting tube 1, is to prevent,- or to reduce an eventual
flow of hydrocarbon vapors into the driva cha~er 30 and
into the return chamber 4. But the unction of the flat
top 29, located between the loading channel 30 and the
evaporation top 12, is to prevent any accumulation of tar-sand
above edge of the drag chain 14, and to ensure that the
retorting tube 1 is filled with the -tar-sand in such way
that the top surface of the tar-sand is always flush
30 with the upper edge of the drag chain 14, or below it.
The evaporation top 12 is built in such way that it is
formed from two inclined plates or from one plate, bended
in the middle forming two inclined planes, where the bottom
edges of those plates are welded to the upper edges of the
sides 27 of the retorting tube 1 or, as an alternate
solution, the evaporation top 12 is formed of a curved
plate, the bottom edges of which are welded to the upper
edges of the sides 27 of the retorting -tube 1. But in
both solutions, the manifold 11 is welded to the evaporation
40 top 12 in its highest points. Conse~uently the distance
-- 5 --

~2~
between the highest points of the avaporation top 12 and the
bottom 26 of the retorting tube 1 is couple times larger than
the distance from the flat top 29 and the bottom 26 of -the
retorting tube 1, As a result the evaporation top 12 is
raised well above the upper edge of the drag plates 20 of
the drag chain 14, i.e. the evaporation top 12 is raised
well above the top surface of the tar-sand (or any other
material) contained in the retortin~ tube 1.
And therefore between the evaporation top 12 and the
upper edge of the drag plates 20 of the drag chain 14, i.e.
between the evaporation top 12 and the top surface of the
tar-sand, or other processed material, there is created
the evaporation space 28. One function of t~e evaporation
space 28 is to channe-l the hydrocarbon vapors to the nozzles
of the manifold 11, since the manifold 11 is welded to the
evaporation top 12 in its highest points~in such way that ~e
nozzles of the m~nifold 11 penetrate the evaporation top 12,
to-ensure an un-obstructed passage of gases and vapors from
the evaporation space 28 into the manifold 11.
To describe the other unction of the evaporation space
some additional explanation would be necessary. It is obvious
that during the process of evaporation of hydrocarbons, and
during the process of thermal coking some partic~es of sand
and dust, and other small particles of solids could be
lifted above the top surface of the processed tar~sand by
violent currents of vapors of hydrocarbons. And we can
expect that the concentration of those small solid particles
would decrease with increasing height above the top surface
of the processed tar-sand (or other processed material).
As a result in the vinicity of the nozzles of the manifold
11 which are located high above the top surface of the
processed tar-sand there would be a very low concentration
of the solid particles, or even the atmosphere of hydrocarbons
in the vinicity of nozzles of the manifold 11~ would be
completely free from any solid particlesD Consequently the
other function of the evaporation space 28 is to minimize
the nu~er of solid particles drown into the manifold 11
with the vapors of hydrocarbons, or to completely eliminate
their intake.
On both ends of the retorting tube 1 there are welded
-- 6 --

40i
the flanges 32, by means of which the retorting -tube 1 is
bolted to the drive chamber 3 and to the return chamber 4.
The return tube 2 has too flanges welded on its both
ends, and by means of those flanges the return tu~e 2 is
bolted to the drive chamber 3 and to the return chamber 4.
The return tube ~ is of any cross-sectional shape but its
internal dimensions must be larger than the over-all
dimensions of the drag plates 20, in order to ensure an
un-obstructed movement of the drag chain 14 inside the
return tube 2.
All gates : the upper loading gate 6, the lower
loading gate 7, the upper un-loading gate 9, and the lower
un-loading gate 10 are operated by means of pneumatic or
hydraulic cylinders, or by any mechanical means. The
movement of opening and closing of those gates is
controlled electronically in an automatic cycle which
fulfills the necessary prerequisite that both loading
gates, or both un-loading gates must be fully closed
before any of them opens. The timing of the opening and
closing o~ those gates is realised in function of time,
or by any other method.
The extractor operates in the foll~ing way~ The
solid material containing the bitumen or hydrocarbons
(which would be later on referred as tar-sand) is loaded
through the loading chute 5 in such way that the tar-sand
~alls down the loading chute 5 and it accumulates upon
the lower loading gate 7 which is normally closed. As
soon as the accumulation o~ the tar-sand is reaching a
point that the tar-sand fills the space inside the
loading chute 5 between the upper loading gate 6 and
the lower loading gate 7, the upper loading gate 6
closes, and after a short period of time when both
loading gates are fully closed, the lower loading gate
7 opens (while the upper loading gate 6 ramains closed)
and the tar-sand falls down the loading channel 30, into
the retorting tube 1. After that the lower loading gate 7
closes, and again after a short period of time when both
loading gates are fully closed, the upper loading gate 6
opens, and after that tha cycle repeats. And the movement
of tar-sand during the process of loading is indicated in

- -
5~(~G
Fig. 1 with arrows.
The tar~sand that falls from -the loading chute 5, through
the loading channel 30, into the retorting tube 1, is trimmed
by the flat top 29 located between the loading channel 30 and
the evaporation top 12. The flat top 29t adjacent to the
loading channel 30, restricts the height of the accumulation
of the tar-sand in the retorting tube 1, and as a result the
top sur~ace of the processed tar-sand is flush with the
upper edge of the drag chain 14, or below it.
Inside the retorting tube 1, the tar-sand is pushed by
the drag chain 14 in the direction from the loading channel
30 toward the drive chamber 3, as the arrow in FigO 1
indicates. Since the retorting tube 1 is located inside a
furnace 22, where it is heated by means of a burner 24, the
tar-sand in the retorting tube 1, is continuously heated to
increasingly higher temperature, as it moves toward this end
of the retorting tube 1 that connects to the drive chamber 3.
Consequently,the tar-sand contained inside the retorting
tube 1 is subjected to the process of thermal e~traction,
where first the lighter fractions of hydrocarbons evaporate,
and later on, when the tar-sand is heated to even higher
temperature the thermal cracking and thermal coking occurs,
i.e. the heavier hydrocarbon molecules are broken into
lighter cracked fractions, and the excess carbon forms a
solid co]ce residue.
The hydrocarbon vapors, resulting from the process of
evaporation, and from thermal cracking, and coking, rise
above the surface of the tar-sand, and they accumulate
in the evaporation space 28 which channels those hydrocarbon
vapors to the nozzles of the manifold 11. But the violent
release of hydrocarbon vapors can result in lifting some
small particles of sand, dust, or other solids above the
top surface of tar-sand, where those particles could be
suspended in the atmosphere of hydrocarbon vapors.
And therefore the nozzles of the manifold 11 (which are
welded to the evaporation top 12 in its highest points)
are placed relatively high above the top surface of the
tar-sand (i.e. high a ove the upper edge of the drag chain
14) where there would not be any solid particles suspended
in the atmosphere of hydrocarbons, or their concentration
-- 8 --

06
would be minimal, and as result only a minimal amount of
solid particles, if any, would enter into the manifold 11.
But in a case if some minimal amount of solid particles
would enter into the manifold 11, the existing methods of
filtration and precipitation could eliminate those solid
~particles from the hydrocarbon vapors~ before they would be
condensated~ The fan 13, connected to the manifold 11, is
expelli.ng the hydrocarbon vapors outside of the extractor,
for further processing, and at the same time the fan 13
creates a very low vacuum in the whole system of the
extractor, minimizing any eventual leaks of hydrocarbon
vapors through closed gates.
When the tar-sand reaches this end of the retorting
tube 1 that connects to the drive chamber 3, the process of
extraction of this particular portion of tar-sand is already
finished, and the solid residue of the thermal extraction -
the sand contaminated with the coke - is dumped out of the
retorting tube 1, into the drive chamber 3. The residue -
- the sand falls down the drive chamber 3, as the arrows
in Fig.l indicate, and the sand falls through the drag chain
14 returning to the return tube but the fact that the drag
chain 14 is crossing the path of falling sand, does not
obstruct the free fall of the sand to the bottom of the
drive chamber 3~
The sand, discharged from the retorting tube 1,
accumulates on the bottom of the drive chamber 3 which
constitutes the entrance to the unloading chute 8, and which
is ~ormally closed by the upper unloading gate 9. As soon
as, enough sand accumulates on the bottom of ~he drive
chamber 3, the lower unloading gate 10 closes, and later
on, after a short period of time when both unloading gates
are fully closed, the upper unloading gate 9 opens, the
sand falls into the unloading chute 8, and when i'_ fills
the unloading chute 8, the upper unloading gate 9 closes, -
and again after a short period of time when both gates are
fully closed, the lower unloading gate 10 opens (while
the upper unloading gate 9 remains closed) and falls outside
of the extractor. After that the cycle repeatsO
The drive sprocket 15 and the secondary drive sprocket
18 are driven by means of a motor and a transmission.

All components of the retorting tube 1 i.e. the bottom
26, the sides 27, the loading channel 30, the flat top 29,
the evaporation top 12, the flange 31 o~ the load-ng chute
30, and the flanges 32 of the retorting tube 1 are welded in
a way to ensure that the retorting tube would be airtight.
Also the return tube 2, the drive chamber 3 and the unloading
chute 8, as well as the return vhamber 4, and the loading
chute 5, all those components of the extractor are fabricated
in a way that they are airtight.
All bolted joints of the retorting tube 1 with the
drive chamber 3 and the return chamber ~ as well as the
bolted joints o~ the return tube 2 with the drive chamber 3
and the return chamber 4, and the bolted joint of the
loading chute 5 with the loading channel 30 of the retorting
tube 1, are made in such way that the bolted joints are
airtight in any operating temperature.
-- 10 --