Bitumen produced from Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage(SAGD) and Expanding Solvent Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage(ES-SAGD) processes contains highly viscous emulsions with finely dispersed water droplets and suspended solids, resulting in poor oil–water separation performance. Conventional separation technologies, including Free Water Knockout(FWKO) vessels and Electrostatic Oil Treaters, have limitations in removing fine water droplets and suppressing rag-layer formation under high-viscosity conditions. To address these limitations, this study proposes a hybrid oil–water separation system integrating Electric Grid-based electrostatic coalescence with Microbubble-assisted flotation. The proposed system combines emulsion destabilization by microbubbles with electrostatic droplet coalescence to enhance gravitational separation. An engineering design framework, including operating conditions, electric-field configuration, and microbubble injection strategy, was established for application to ES-SAGD production facilities. To provide quantitative engineering validation, a theoretical analysis based on Stokes' law was performed. Under the assumed design conditions, doubling the water-droplet diameter increased the calculated settling velocity by four times, while reducing the microbubble diameter from 300 to 100 decreased the theoretical rising velocity to approximately one-ninth. These results support the engineering feasibility of the proposed hybrid separation mechanism. The proposed system provides a theoretical engineering design basis for pilot-scale implementation and offers a technical foundation for future experimental validation and AI-assisted intelligent bitumen separation systems.

Abstract
1. 서 론
2. 기존 비튜멘 유체 분리기술의 현황 및기술적 한계
    2.1 비튜멘 생산유체의 특성
    2.2 기존 유 · 수 분리공정의 운전 특성
    2.3 기존 기술의 한계 및 연구의 필요성
3. 전기식 전극 및 마이크로버블 복합 분리기술 개념
    3.1 시스템 구성 개요
    3.2 전기식 전극(Electric Grid)에 의한 전기장 작용 메커니즘
    3.3 마이크로버블(Microbubble) 기반 에멀전 불안정화 메커니즘
4. 제안된 복합 분리시스템의 공학적설계기준
    4.1 설계 기본 개념(Design Basis)
    4.2 공정 구성 및 설계 개념
    4.3 Microbubble과 Electric Grid의 복합 분리메커니즘
    4.4 Electric Grid Separator의 구조 및 작동원리
    4.5 ES-SAGD 공정 적용방안
    4.6 제안된 복합 분리시스템의 공학적 성능 분석및 검증
    4.7 제안된 복합 분리시스템의 설계목표 및 향후검증계획
5. 제안 기술의 적용 가능성 및기대 효과
6. 결 론
후 기
References

• 정진홍(President, Gaonens Co., Ltd. Doctor of Engineering in mechanical systems) | Jin-hong Jung Corresponding author