19
Oil Sands ―lab preparation Information (in words and photos) for teachers and/or lab- techs for oil sands labs.
Oil Sands―lab preparation
Information (in words and photos) for teachers and/or lab-techs for oil sands labs.
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
2
Oil Sands Investigations
These bitumen from oil sands investigations have been prepared by teachers with the assistance of the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation (COSI) in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta.
The program is administered for Alberta Ingenuity by the Centre for Mathematics Science and Technology Education (CMASTE) in the Faculty of Education at the U of A.
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
3
The Story of Bitumen from Oil Sands
The photo at the right is of a display of oil sands, bitumen, synthetic crude, coke, sulfur and sand.
Mining leads to extraction of bitumen from oil sands, upgrading of bitumen to synthetic crude, and refining of synthetic crude into components like gasoline (see flowchart).
Inside Education 4
A1: oil sands mine (< 75 m)
•overburden stripper•oil sands shovel•oil sands truck
B1: bitumen extraction unit
•hydrotransport•separation tanks
•naphtha dilution system•centrifuge
B2: insitu extraction of bitumen unit
(e.g., SAGD)
C1: vacuum distillation unit
D1: cracking unit (coker)
E1: distillation unit (e.g., gas, naphtha,
kerosene & gas oil)
F1: hydrotreaters G1: synthetic crude blender
F1.2.1: Claus converter
Oil Sands to Synthetic Crude Oil (4)
Upgrading of bitumen to
synthetic crude oil
Extraction of bitumen from
oil sands
H2S(g)
H1: refinery further cracking and
distillation
pipe(line)
F: H2(g) generatorbitumen
dilbit
dilbit
C1.3: naphtha recycle system
naphtha
S8(l)
C(s)
H2(g)
NH3(g)
B1.1: tailings pond
coke sulfur
ammonia
oil
F1.2: amine scrubberH2S(g)
sourgas
water
sand
gasoline, diesel, etc.
steam
CH4(g)
NH3(g)
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
5
Genesis of School Lab Idea
The idea for these investigations in vials came serendipitously when visiting the Oil Sands Discovery Centre in Fort McMurray. The spontaneous reheating of a vial that showed the extraction of bitumen from oil sands worked—again and again. This eventually led to the creation of the investigations described herein—studying variables that affect bitumen extraction.
Reheated vial
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
6
First PerturbationAnother effort that has proven fruitful is the use of canning jars to demonstrate bitumen extraction and solubility. The jars are more available and provide a larger demonstration model. However, be careful about placing flammable solvent in glass jars—plastic is better. Plastic is not better for bitumen extraction from oil sand—it sticks to the plastic sides. Likewise glass beakers are better than plastic.
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
7
Research Program & Projects: Variables Affecting Bitumen Extraction
Research Projects
1. temperature
2. quantity of air
3. pH
4. Ca2+(aq) concentration
5. quality of oil sands
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
8
Design, Materials and Procedure
Design: Manipulate one variable; control all other variables (e.g., temp., pH, and air)
Materials: glass vials, oil sands, water, air, NaOH(aq), CaCl2(aq), etc.
Procedure: Prepare vial with oil sands, water and air. Adjust temperature or pH. Observe and measure the effect.
(Students write Design and Materials from Procedure.)
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
9
Preparing oil sand samples
Placing the frozen oil sand into vials is time consuming.
Add about 3 cm—to a mark on the vial.
Place on a balance that is tared and adjust for a controlled mass of oil sand.
oil sand in refrigerator
sticky oil sand
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
10
1. For temperature manipulation
Prepare three identical vials with a pH of 9.
Add pH 9 (NaOH(aq)) solution to 7 cm mark on each vial.
Screw the top on tight and/or glue it shut.
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
11
2. pH manipulation
Prepare three vials with 3 cm of oil sands (adjusted to an equal mass on a balance).
Add pure water to one vial for a pH of 7.
Add pH 9 solution to the second vial.
Add pH 11 solution to the third vial.
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
12
3. Adjust the quantity of air
Prepare three vials with 3 cm of oil sand (adjusted to an equal mass on a balance).
Add pH 9 solution to each vial while leaving air equal in height to 6 cm, 3 cm and 0 cm of air.
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
13
4. Adjust [Ca2+(aq)].
Prepare three vials with 3 cm of oil sand (adjusted to an equal mass on a balance).
Add pH 9 solution (adjusted for [CalCl2(aq)]) to each vial while leaving air equal in height to 4 cm of air—3 cm oil sand, 4 cm of solution & 4 cm air.
0 mmol/L 1.0 mmol/L 10 mmol/L
Ca2+(aq) concentration in a pH 9 solution
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
14
5. Adjust the quality of oil sand
The quality of oil being mined is variable; e.g., with concentration of bitumen and Ca2+.
Dried out rich oil sand can be used to simulate lean oil sand. There is no need to order lean oil sand—just dry out some rich oil sand.
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
15
Some Procedures
heating samples on a hot plate
keeping temperature for 5 min
preparing to shake hot vial for 1 min
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
16
Research Program/Team
This series of investigations is aimed at improving the extraction of bitumen from oil sands—especially to reduce energy and water usage and environmental impact.
A research team is described in another COSI lesson—see which.
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
17
Other COSI Lessons/Materials
research team description researcher profiles careers in OS redox chemistry acid-base chemistry thermochemistry organic chemistry curriculum connections
concept organizer (flow chart for extraction & upgrading)
a kitchen table narrative (an STS issue lesson)
pro and con perspectives teacher’s resource for
every lesson sample lab reports PowerPoint lessons and
photos
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
18
Partners in Oil Sands Education
Inside Education OS Lessons
oil sands kit oil sands poster oil sands issues oil sands DVD c/w
exercises assessment bank
concept organizer for bitumen extraction and upgrading
Boreal-Northwest Equip. Supplier
raw oil sands kits; possibly as
described herein
Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation & CMASTE
19
Acknowledgements
COSI staff: Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation
Andree Koenig Cam McGregor Pam Seager Dr. Zhenghe Xu Dr. Steve Kuznicki Dr. Murray Gray
Alberta Ingenuity Sandra Robertson
CMASTE Dr. Bob Ritter
Authors Art Bauer Dr. Frank Jenkins
teachers who have provided feedback on these lessons
