Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE
[0001] Portable Silo Assembly
FIELD
[0002] There is described a portable silo assembly developed for use in the
oil and gas
industry to store sand required for an operation known as "fracing". It will
be appreciated that
the portable silo assembly can be used in any application where temporary use
of a silo is
required.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In the oil and gas industry, a formation fracturing operation
known as "fracing" is
performed that requires large quantities of sand. In preparation for "fracing"
a portable silo
needed to store the large quantities of sand is transported to a remote well
site. The portable
silos currently in use are large cylinders which are transported on a truck in
a substantially
horizontal orientation due to highway height restrictions and are then placed
in a vertical
orientation at the well site. There will hereinafter be described a portable
silo assembly.
SUMMARY
[0004] There is provided a portable silo assembly which includes two or
more telescopic
silos. Each of the telescopic silos are multi-stage structures that are
vertically movable from a
collapsed transport position to a telescopically expanded operative position.
A rigid
underlying base structure is provided upon which the two or more telescopic
silos are
mounted. A jacking assembly is provided for jacking the two or more telescopic
silos from
the collapsed transport position to the expanded operative position. A
rigidifying truss system
provided rigidity between the two or more telescopic silos during transport
and as the two or
more telescopic silos are jacked from the collapsed transport position to the
expanded
operative position.
[0005] The above described portable silo assembly is an alternative to
portable silos
currently in use. The portable silo assembly that will hereinafter be
described uses four
telescopic silos. This configuration provides a capacity in excess of any
portable silo that is
currently in use.
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[0006] There are a number of optional features that have been added to
the portable silo
assembly, as will hereinafter be further described. A skid is used as the
underlying base
structure to facilitate winching the underlying base structure on and off
transport trailers. A
plurality of multi-stage hydraulic cylinders are used for the jacking
assembly. Stabilizer
columns are provided which telescopically extend to provide resistance against
deflection
when raising and lowering the portable silo assembly. Stabilizer legs are
provided to stabilize
the two or more telescopic silos in the expanded operative position and
provide a back up to
the multi-stage hydraulic cylinders in the event of hydraulic failure. The
stabilizer legs are
pivotally mounted at an upper end of the two or more telescopic silos. The
stabilizer legs
slide in tracks positioned on the underlying base structure from a transport
position to a
support position as the two or more telescopic silos are moved by the jacking
assembly from
the collapsed transport position to the expanded operative position.
Outriggers are provided
that are capable of being extended outwardly from the underlying base
structure. Guy wires
may be secured from the top of the two or more telescopic silos to remote ends
of the
outriggers for further stability. Each of the two or more telescopic silos has
a coned bottom
with an underlying conveyor which retracts when the two or more telescopic
silos are in the
collapsed transport position and extends when the two or more telescopic silos
are in the
expanded operative position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] These and other features will become more apparent from the
following
description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings
are for the
purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting,
wherein:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable silo in an expanded
operative position.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the portable silo illustrated
in FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the portable silo illustrated
in FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the portable silo illustrated in
FIG. 1 in a collapsed
transport position.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the portable silo in HG. 4.
[0013] HG. 6 is a side elevation view of the portable silo in FIG. 4.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] A portable silo assembly will now be described with reference to
FIG. 1 through
FIG. 6.
Legend of Components
[0015] 100 ¨ Safety Rail around perimeter of structure. (Hinged
attachment
allowing railings to be "folded" down for transport.
[0016] 101 - (6) Retractable stabilizers to resist any deflection
while raising and
lowering the silo.
[0017] 102 - Collapsing caged ladder
[0018] 103 - Guyed wires to be connected to lower outriggers upon
operational
height
[0019] 104 - Multi-stage Hydraulic Cylinders to support structure
[0020] 105 - Lower Outriggers complete with connection to support guy
wires
[0021] 106 - Hydraulic Power pack
[0022] 107 - External Conveyor
[0023] 108 - Internal Conveyor, on a track to slide in for transport
and out for
operation
[0024] 109 - Silo Support legs
[0025] 110 - Collapsing Silo assembly (5 Aluminum Cylinders complete
with 1
coned cylinder)
[0026] 111 - Silo base with skid plate
[0027] 112 - Stabilizer legs that will swing down on a track to be
locked in place
with assembly is at operational height.
[0028] 113 - Plates with "pin" connection to allow stabilizer arms to
swing freely
down as the unit is erected.
[0029] 114 - Truss system along entire unit and between each cylinder
to ensure
structure is rigid as well as ensure no deflection while being loaded or
unloaded. Truss system
will be tied into base under transport at 5 points (2 at each end and 3 in-
between silos)
[0030] 115 - Hatch to allow for material to enter the silos
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Structure and Relationship of Parts:
[0031] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the portable silo assembly
includes two or more
telescopic silos 110. It is to be noted that four telescopic silos 110 have
been illustrated to
provide the desired capacity. Each of the telescopic silos 110 are multi-stage
structures that
are vertically movable from a collapsed transport position (as illustrated in
FIG. 4 through
FIG. 6) to a telescopically expanded operative position (as illustrated in
FIG. 1 through FIG.
3). The multi-stages of each of telescopic silos 110 include five aluminium
cylinders and one
coned bottom. Each of telescopic silos 110 is supported by silo support legs
109. This raises
telescopic silos 110 up to provide access for unloading through the coned
bottom. A rigid
underlying base structure 111 is provided upon which telescopic silos 110 are
mounted. A
skid is used as underlying base structure 111 to facilitate winching the
underlying base
structure on and off transport trailers. A jacking assembly is provided for
jacking telescopic
silos 110 from the collapsed transport position (as illustrated in FIG. 4
through FIG. 6) to the
expanded operative position (as illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3). A
plurality of multi-
stage hydraulic cylinders 104 are used for the jacking assembly. Hydraulic
cylinders 104
receive hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic power pack 106. A rigidifying truss
system 114
provides rigidity between telescopic silos 110 during transport and as
telescopic silos 110 are
jacked from the collapsed transport position (as illustrated in FIG. 4 through
FIG. 6) to the
expanded operative position (as illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3). Truss
system 114 runs
along the entire length of the portable silo assembly and between telescopic
silo 110 to ensure
the structure is rigid as well as to ensure no deflection while being loaded
or unloaded.
[0007] There are a number of optional features that have been added to the
portable silo
assembly. Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, a safety rail 100 is provided
around a top
perimeter of the portable silo assen' bly. Safety rail 100 is intended to
provide fall protection.
Referring to FIG. 4 through FIG. 6, safety rail 100 folds down when the
portable silo
assembly is in the collapsed transport position. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG.
2, there is a
caged ladder 102 for providing access to the top perimeter of the portable
silo assembly.
Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, caged ladder 102 collapses when the portable
silo assembly is
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in the collapsed transport position. Referring to FIG. 1, top hatches 115 are
provided through
which material enters each of telescopic silos 110. Referring to FIG. 1,
retractable stabilizer
columns 101 are provided which telescopically extend to provide resistance
against deflection
when raising and lowering the portable silo assembly. Referring to FIG. 4,
stabilizer columns
5 101 collapse when telescopic silos 110 are in the collapsed transport
position. Referring to
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, stabilizer legs 112 are provided to stabilize the portable
silo assembly
when telescopic silos 110 are in the expanded operative position. Stabilizer
legs 112 both
provide more rigidity to the structure and provide a back up to hydraulic
cylinders 104 in the
event of hydraulic failure. Each of Stabilizer legs 112 are pivotally mounted
at an upper end,
as shown at plate 113, of the telescopic silos 110. Referring to FIG. 4 and
FIG. 5, stabilizer
legs 112 fold down against underlying base structure 11 when the portable silo
assembly is in
the collapsed transport position. To facilitate this movement, stabilizer legs
112 slide in
tracks positioned on underlying base structure 111 from a transport position
to a support
position as the telescopic silos are moved by hydraulic cylinders 104 of the
jacking assembly
from the collapsed transport position to the expanded operative position.
Conversely,
stabilizer legs 112 slide in tracks positioned on underlying base structure
111 from a support
position to a transport position as the telescopic silos are moved by
hydraulic cylinders 104 of
the jacking assembly from the expanded operative position to the collapsed
transport position.
When stabilizer legs 112 are in the support position with telescopic silos 110
in the expanded
operative position, stabilizer legs 112 are locked in position. Referring to
FIG. 1 and FIG. 3,
lower outriggers 105 are provided that are capable of being extended outwardly
from
underlying base structure 111. Guy wires 103 may be secured from the top
perimeter of the
portable silo assembly to remote ends of lower outriggers 105 for further
stability when
telescopic silos 110 are in the expanded operative position. Referring to FIG.
1, each of
telescopic silos 110 has a coned bottom with an underlying internal conveyor
108. Internal
conveyor 108 extends and retracts. When telescopic silos 110 are in the
expanded operative
position, internal conveyor 108 extends to connect with an external conveyor
107. When
telescopic silos 110 are in the collk sed transport position, internal
conveyor 108 retracts.
Operation:
[0032] Referring to FIG. 4, the portable silo assembly is transported on
a flatbed transport
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trailer to a remote site. Winches are used to lower the skid which forms
underlying base
structure 111 from the transport trailer onto the ground. The rigid
reinforcement provided by
truss system 114 prevents damage to the portable silo assembly during
transport and when
off-loading from the transport trailer to the ground. Referring to FIG. 3,
lower outriggers 105
are extended outwardly from underlying base structure 111. Hydraulic cylinders
104 of the
jacking assembly are then used to raise all four telescopic silos 110 in
unison as a one unit
from the collapsed transport position illustrated in FIG. 4 to the expanded
operative position
illustrated in FIG. 1. During movement from the collapsed transport position
to the expanded
operative position, stabilizer columns 101 are provided which telescopically
extend to provide
resistance against deflection. Stabilizer legs 112 slide in tracks positioned
on underlying base
structure 111 from a transport position to a support position as telescopic
silos 110 are moved
by hydraulic cylinders 104 of the jacking assembly from the collapsed
transport position to
the expanded operative position. Once telescopic silos are in the expanded
operative position,
stabilizer legs 112 are locked in the support position to provide more
rigidity to the structure
and provide a back up to hydraulic cylinders 104 in the event of hydraulic
failure. Guy wires
103 are secured from the top perimeter of the portable silo assembly to remote
ends of lower
outriggers 105 for further stability when telescopic silos 110 are in the
expanded operative
position. Caged ladder 102 extends as telescopic silos 110 of the portable
silo assembly move
to the expanded operative position. Once in the expanded operative position,
safety rail 100
around the top perimeter of the portable silo assembly is raised to provide
fall protection.
When telescopic silos 110 are in the expanded operative position, internal
conveyors 108 are
extended and connected with external conveyor 107.
Features:
[0033] 1. Legal Road transportable Storage Silo (when Collapsed)
[0034] 2. A large Volume Storage once erected
[0035] 3. Built on a skid to be winched on and off trailers with winch
tractor trucks
[0036] 4. Silo is designed with 2 main factors enabling it to move off
and on the trailers
without buckling; engineered skid Sz structure base, as well as the truss
system that ties into
the skid creating a rigid, low deflection structure that acts as 1 unit.
[0037] 5. Takes up less square footage on site due to vertical
capability's
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[0038] 6. Due to the large capacity of the Silo, the savings of plus or
minus 7 truckloads
will take place.
[0039] 7. Silo is trucked onto site with Winch Tractor
[0040] 8. Silo is lowered off trailer in Collapsed position to level
ground
[0041] 9. Stabilizers are extended out and the multistage multi silos are
jacked up to full
storage capacity.
[0042] 10. Each cylinder has different diameters enabling the cylinders
to create a large
storage hold capable of holding approx. 1200 tons of sand when fully extended,
while also
having the ability to be transported with just 1 vehicle.
[0043] 11. With multiple silos you must have a truss system to tie them all
raise in lower
together, resisting any binding or buckling.
[0044] 12. The truss system holding the multiple silos on the skid is
raised and lowered by
2 multi stage hydraulics at each end.
[0045] 13. Hydraulics are operated with a diesel power pack at the end of
the silo
[0046] 14. Each aluminum cylinder has welded rings with rubber seals to
catch the next
cylinder & to create a leak-free seal
[0047] 15. Silo product loading done through top hatch by conveyor or
pneumatic.
[0048] 16. Discharge of the product takes place through coned bottom
valve dropping
onto a conveyor of which is on a track.
[0049] In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-
limiting sense to
mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically
mentioned are not
excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" does not
exclude the
possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context
clearly requires that
there be one and only one of the elements.
[0050] The scope of the claims should not be limited by the illustrated
embodiments set
forth as examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent
with a purposive
construction of the claims in view of the description as a whole.
