A method of removing solids from a drilling fluid that includes applying a first electric current to a first screen of a screen assembly within a vibratory screening machine; passing the drilling fluid through the screen assembly while the first electric current is applied to allow electroseparation of solids within the drilling fluid; and removing electroseparated solids from the drilling fluid.

Method and apparatus to facilitate recycling of at least one fraction of bitumen-containing materials. This can be accomplished by dissolving the at least one fraction, for example, maltenes or asphaltenes in roofing shingles, into at least one solvent. In one aspect, the apparatus comprises a dissolution vessel, a tumbler positioned therein, and at least one solvent distributor. The tumbler is configured to facilitate wetting the bitumen-containing materials with solvent. In a second aspect, a system comprises the apparatus, a solid-liquid separator, for example, a vibratory screen, and at least one solvent-fraction separator, for example, a flash drum. The at least one solvent can comprise one or more solvents useful to extract the at least one fraction. In a third aspect, a first fraction is extracted from the bitumen-containing materials with a first solvent composition, then a second fraction is extracted from the remaining bitumen-containing materials with a second solvent composition.

An acoustophoresis device includes an acoustic chamber with a piezoelectric element located within its volume. The piezoelectric element vibrates and generates acoustic standing waves from both sides, so that particles can be separated from fluid passing through the acoustic chamber. This permits the element to be cooled more efficiently, reducing transient heat loads in the fluid traveling through the device.

An operating point for control of an acoustic transducer can drift during operation and be compensated. A model for the transducer and/or environment frequency response is provided and used to compensate feedback from the transducer to determine an adjustment for the operating point. The model can be recalibrated during operation.

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to an apparatus for separating a second fluid or a particulate from a host fluid. That apparatus comprises a flow chamber with at least one inlet and at least one outlet. A drive circuit configured to provide a drive signal to a filter circuit configured to receive the drive signal and provide a translated drive signal. An ultrasonic transducer is cooperatively arranged with the flow chamber, and transducer includes at least one piezoelectric element configured to be driven by the current drive signal to create an acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber. At least one reflector opposing the ultrasonic transducer to reflect acoustic energy.

A system includes a pump configured to pressurize a first fluid, and a pressure exchanger (PX). The PX is configured to receive a second fluid, to receive the pressurized first fluid, and to utilize the pressurized first fluid to pressurize the drilling mud for transport to a well.

A modular backwash assembly and method for using the same is disclosed, the modular backwash assembly comprises a filter brick body, an ultrasonic generator and an ultrasonic connecting component, the filter brick body is provided at an upper portion with a square trench and a cover, the square trench is provided with a plurality of stiffeners and fillers, and a conductive channel is provided on the periphery of the square trench and is provided with an ultrasonic conductive medium therein. The invention has the advantages of firm structure and durable, the gas distribution uniformity may be increased up to 96% and the turbidity average is below the specification 10 NTU.

An acoustic standing wave is utilized to separate components from a multi-component fluid, such as oil from an oil-water mixture, or cells entrained in a fluid, in a fluid flow scheme with an acoustophoresis device. For example, the flow scheme and device allows for trapping of the oil as the oil coalesces, agglomerates, and becomes more buoyant than the water. A driver and controller for the acoustophoretic device accommodate variable loading as the components are separated, thereby improving separation efficiency.

Systems and methods for cleansing blood are disclosed herein. The methods include acoustically separating target particles from elements of whole blood. The whole blood and capture particles are flowed through a microfluidic separation channel formed in a thermoplastic. At least one bulk acoustic transducer is attached to the microfluidic separation channel. A standing acoustic wave, imparted on the channel and its contents by the bulk acoustic transducer, drives the formed elements of the blood and target particles to specific aggregation axes.

Described are methods and systems for enhanced dissociation of cells from a solid biological tissue sample. In some embodiments, a self-contained cartridge apparatus includes a first chamber for receiving the tissue sample, enables ultrasonic energy from a transducer assembly of a processing unit to dissociate cells from the sample in the first chamber, and collect viable cells of interest from an aqueous suspension in a second chamber fluidly connected to the first chamber via a channel. In some embodiments, to enhance dissociation of viable cells, a filter device includes a tubular body configured to be telescopically inserted into a container containing the tissue sample in an aqueous fluid. The filter device also includes a cell-filter mesh that covers a bottom opening of the tubular body and that is configured to compress the tissue sample to expel cells from the sample when the filter device is fully inserted into the container.