Performance of auger-type dry materials feeders when feeding oil sands

Abstract Continuous, reproducible solids feeding has historically been difficult to achieve during surface mining-recovery process development studies with Uinta Basin oil sands. In an effort to solve the problem, commercial bin-discharge feeders were tested for oil sands feeding to rotary kiln and fluidized-bed pyrolysis reactors and for feeding spent sands from pyrolysis reactors to combustion reactors. Feeder experiments were conducted using spent sands, fresh oil sands, and mixtures of fresh and spent sands. Three variations of the feeder, nine different auger sizes, and three different auger types were tested. Experimental data collected included average feed rates and cumulative weight delivered by the feeder. The factors which were determined to affect oil sands feeding were: (1) bitumen content of the oil sands, (2) moisture content of the oil sands, (3) temperature rise on the auger and in the auger housing during the operation of the feeder, (4) auger rotation speed, (5) auger diameter and type, (6) ratio of spent sands-to-fresh oil sands in the feed mixture, and (7) level of oil sands in the feeder hopper with small feeders. A larger diameter ( d ⩾ 6.35 cm) auger running at low speed with a water-jacketed auger housing gave the most consistent and reproducible feeding performance.