Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR BULK MATERIAL STORAGE AND/OR
TRANSPORT
[0001] Blank.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the
handling of bulk materials, and more particularly, to a bulk material
container for storage
and/or transporting of particulate materials therein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This section is intended to introduce various aspects of the art, which
may be
associated with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. This
discussion is believed
to assist in providing a framework to facilitate a better understanding of
particular aspects of
the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that this section
should be read in
this light, and not necessarily as any admission of prior art.
[0004] Bulk materials, such as sand, coal, ores, or grains, are typically
collected
(e.g., mined or harvested) at the source, stored, then transported and
delivered to end
users. The flow of materials between the origin and destination, i.e.,
logistics,
significantly affects the profitably of such materials. Profitability
increases with
improved logistics.
[0005] A frequent problem with shipping bulk materials is bottle necks in the
logistics chain. Bottle necks are often caused by transportation delays.
Transportation
delays can be isolated at the point of the delay by providing excess storage
capacity to
accommodate any accumulation of material due to the delay. For example, if
trucks are
CA 3004327 2018-05-09
not available to transport materials as they arrive by train, the materials
collect at the
train yard. As long as the train yard has available storage capacity, material
continues to
be shipped. However, once all excess storage capacity has been used, no
further
materials can be moved (logistical gridlock).
[0006] A significant aspect of shipping bulk materials is the ability to ship
and
efficiently store the material along the logistics chain. Storage containers
for bulk
materials are typically large permanently fixed storage vessels often referred
to as silos.
These are costly and do not facilitate in the transportation process of
materials from one
site to another. Accordingly, the need exists for a method and apparatus that
provide
storage solutions that also facilitate the transportation process to expedite
the logistics of
delivering bulk materials from an origin to the end users.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In one embodiment, a bulk material storage container unit is described.
The container unit includes a storage component that includes a generally
rectangular
portion and a tapered portion, and a frame component attached to said storage
component, where the frame component includes a plurality of support members
configured to allow said storage component to sit on a surface. The container
unit
further includes a dispenser component attached to the storage component, and
a top
surface attached to the storage component, where = the top surface includes at
least one
opening and a lid member corresponding to the lid member. The bulk material
storage
container unit also comprises a width that corresponds to the width of at
least one of a
rail cart trailer and a truck trailer. In one embodiment, the tapered portion
includes a
plurality of walls disposed at an angle with respect to a horizontal surface,
said angle is
in the ranfe between about 25 degrees and about 60 degrees. In particular, the
angle is
about 45 degrees.
[0008] The container unit can further include a diverter component attached to
the storage component, where the diverter component is configured to reduce
the angle
of repose of particulates entering the storage component through the at least
one opening
of the top, surface. In one embodiment, the number of diverter components
corresponds
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to the number of opening of the top surface. In another embodiment, each
diverter
component is placed in said storage component below the respective opening. In
one
embodiment, the component includes a diverter plate with a plurality of
apertures, where
the diverter plate being positioned to disperse bulk material entering the
bulk material
storage container. In one embodiment, the diverter component comprises two
surfaces at
an angle with respect to said top surface and a plurality of apertures. Some
of the
plurality of apertures can have a diameter of about 1.5 inches. The angle of
said two
surfaces with respect to the top surface can be in the range of about 27
degrees to about
89 degrees. In one particular embodiment, the angle is about 30 degrees.
[0009] In one embodiment, the bulk material storage container unit has a
length
of less than about 12 feet, a width of less than about 8 feet 6 inches, and a
height of less
than about 10 feet. In particular, the length is preferably about 12 feet,
said width is
about 8 feet 4 inches, and said height is about 9 feet 9 1/16 inches. In one
embodiment,
the lid member has a width that ranges between about 12 inches and about 48
inches and
a length of about 10 feet.
[00101 In one embodiment, the plurality of support members include at least
one
of a plurality of vertical support members, a plurality of horizontal support
members, and
a plurality of angled support members. In one embodiment, the frame component,
storage component, and diverter component comprise at least one of the
following
material: aluminum, steel, plastic, or fiberglass. The container unit can
include a transfer =
component, which can enable a forklift to engage and move the bulk material
storage
container õunit. Alternatively or in addition to, the transfer component can
also be a lift
ring.
[00111 In one embodiment, the dispenser component is configured allow for
adjustment of the flow rate of particulates from the storage component. In
particular, the
dispenser component is a butterfly valve.
10012] According to another aspect of the invention, a method for filling a
container with particulates is described. In one embodiment, the method
comprises the
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step of pouring a plurality of particulates into a container through at least
one opening of
the container, where the pouring step forms a flow of particulates into the
container. The
method further includes the step of reducing the angle of repose of the
particulates. in the
container by diverting at least a portion of the particulates from the flow of
particulates.
The diverting step comprises providing the container with a diverter component
configured to change the direction of at least a portion of flowing
particulates that strike
a surface of the diverter component. In one embodiment, the particulates
comprise sand.
109131 The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical
advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description of
the
disclosure that follows may be better understood. Additional features and
advantages of
the disclosure will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the
claims of the
disclosure. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the
conception and
specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying
or
designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present
disclosure. It
should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent
constructions do
not depart from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth in the
appended claims.
The novel, features which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure,
both as to its
organization and method of operation, together with further objects and
advantages will
be better understood from the following description when considered in
connection with
the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each
of the
figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and
is not intended
as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] For a more complete understanding of the embodiments of the present
invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in
conjunction with
the accompanying drawing, in which:
[00151 FIG. IA is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a bulk material
storage unit according to certain aspects of the present invention;
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[0016] FIG. 1B is a front view of the bulk material storage unit of FIG. IA;
0017] FIG. IC is a side view of the bulk material storage unit of FIG. IA;
100181 FIG. ID is a cross-section view of the bulk material storage unit of
FIG.
IC along line A-A;
[0019] FIG. 18 is a top view of the bulk material storage unit of FIG. IA;
[00201 FIG. IF is a cross section view of the bulk material storage unit of
FIG.
1D along line B-B;
(0021] FIGS. 2A and 28 illustrate exemplary angles of repose for certain
deposited,bulk material and corresponding volumes;
(00221 FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a diverter
component of a bulk material storage according to certain aspects of the
present
invention.
[0023] FIG. 3B is an end view of the diverter component of FIG. 3A;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment to unload the
bulk storage units shown in FIG. IA from a flatbed according to certain
aspects of the
present invention;
=
[0025] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the bulk storage units shown in FIG. 1
A
transported on a flatbed rail car and being loaded with bulk material
according to certain
aspects of the present invention; =
[06263 FIG. 6 is a perspective view of exemplary bulk storage units of the
present invention transported on a flatbed rail car;
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= 100271 FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bulk storage units of FIG. IA
transported on a flatbed trailer;
100281 FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a material
storage
unit according to certain aspects of the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 9 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment to load the bulk
material storage unit of FIG. 8; and
10030) FIG. 10 is a side view of another exemplary embodiment to load the bulk
material storage unit of FIG. 8.
[00311 It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale
and
that the disclosed embodiments are sometimes illustrated diagrammatically and
in partial
views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an
understanding of the
disclosed tmethods and apparatuses or which render other details difficult to
perceive
may have been omitted. Also, for simplification purposes, there may be only
one
exemplary instance, rather than all, is labeled. It should be understood, of
course, that
this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments illustrated
herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
100321 While embodiments of the present invention have a broad range of=
applications, they are particularly applicable for transportation of bulk
materials using
the railway or roadway systems. In railway transportation, the bulk material
is typically
loaded from silos at the source location into rail hopper cars for transport
to the
destination for use by the end users. If needs for the material is not
immediate at the
destination and storage is not available at that moment, these hopper cars
usually end up
sitting on the railway serving as temporary storage while taking up room on
the rails that
can lead to scheduling delays, thereby triggering a negative domino effect on
the
logistics. In roadway transportation, the bulk material is loaded from silos
at the source
location into truck trailers designed to hold bulk materials for
transportation. Similar to
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railway transportation, if storage at the destination is lacking, the trucks
need to remain
there to serve as storage until the materials can be unloaded, thereby tying
up resources
in the logistical system.
[0033] Embodiments of the present invention provide bulk material storage
units
that can be placed on flatbed rail cars or flatbed trailers for
transportation. The bulk
material storage units of the present invention provide efficient storage of
bulk material
during transportations and upon arrival at the final destination.
100341 Referring to FIGS. 1A-1F, one embodiment of the bulk material storage
= unit of the present invention is shown, storage component 100, which
comprises frame
component 102, storage component 104, and dispenser component 106. Frame
component 102 provides support to storage component 104, which is attached to
frame
component 102. As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1C, ID, and 1E, frame component 102
comprise& vertical support members 108 preferably attached to the corners of
storage
= component 104. In certain embodiments, frame component 102 also includes
horizontal
support members 110 extending between vertical support members 108. In the
preferred
embodiment, horizontal support members 110 are attached to vertical support
members
108 near the end of vertical support members 108 toward the bottom of bulk
material
= storage unit 100. In other embodiments, however, horizontal support
members 110 can
be placed, at a higher position toward the top of bulk material storage unit
100 as
appropriate. If additional support is needed or desired, frame component 102
can also
include angled support members 112 extending between vertical support members
108
and horizontal support members 110. The angle of angled support members 112
can be
varied as desired or required.
[0035] In the preferred embodiment, bulk material storage unit 100 further
comprises transfer component 114 attached to frame component 102 that allow
bulk
material storage unit 100 to be placed onto or unloaded from the transport
equipment,
e.g. flatbed, and placed at a convenient location to provide temporary and
portable
storage of the bulk material. In one embodiment, transfer component 114 allows
bulk
material storage unit 100 to be moved by a forklift, such as forklift 402 as
shown in FIG,
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4. As shown in FIGS. 1A-1D, transfer component 114 comprises bars 116
extending
across opposite horizontal support members 110 and spaced apart the
appropriate
distance to accommodate the forklift forks from one another. Referring to
FIGS. 1A-1B
and 1D, Pars 116 also include openings 118 to allow insertion of the forklift
forks.
Alternatively or in addition to transfer component 114, bulk material storage
unit 100
can further include another transfer component, such as lift ring 134,
attached to the top
of vertical support members 108. Lift ring 134 preferably comprises standard
commercially available products that can be bolted in or welded in place. The
capacity
for lift ring 134 preferably meet the applicable ASME and OSHA standards.
[0036] Referring to FIGS. 1A-1D, storage component 104 comprises rectangular
portion 120 and tapered portion 122. Rectangular portion 120 comprises four
side walls
124a and I24b and top surface 126. Side walls 124a extend between two vertical
support members 108 along the length of bulk material storage unit 100. Side
walls
124b extend between two vertical support members 108 along the width abulk
material
storage unit 100. As shown, the height of side walls 124a is longer than the
height of
side walls 124b. In embodiments where angled support members 112 are used, the
corners of side walls 124a can be removed to accommodate certain angled
support
members 112, as swoon in FIGS. 1A-1B and 1D. Other embodiments can have
different
arrangements of side walls 124a and 124b.
[0037] Top surface 126 has openings (not shown) that allow the bulk material
to
be loaded ,into storage component 104 from above, such as shown in FIG. 5.
Referring
to FIGS. lA and IC, top surface 126 comprises lid members 128 to regulate
access to
storage component 104 through these openings. Referring to FIG. IA, lid
members 128
lay on top surface 126 and is attached to top surface 126 via hinges 140. In
this
configuration, lid members 128 open away from top surface 126. However, in
other
embodiments, lid members 128 can have other known arrangements, such as
opening
into top surface 126. Referring to FIGS. IA and 1E, lid members 128 have
dimensions
that are slightly larger than the corresponding openings of top surface 126 so
they can
sufficiently cover the openings and protect the bulk material within when
closed. In =the
preferred embodiment, the openings of top surface 126 and corresponding lid
members
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128 have a length that extend substantially along the length of top surface
126. The
openings of top surface 126 and corresponding lid members 128 have a width
that is
sufficient to allow bulk material to be efficiently loaded into storage
component 104..
Thus, in certain embodiments, the width can vary depending on the particular
bulk
material and/or equipment, but it is preferable that the width is designed to
be compatible
with as many equipment and/or bulk material as possible. The dimensions of lid
members 128 can vary. For example, lid member 128 can have a width of about 12
inches, about 18 inches, about 24 inches, about 36 inches, or about 48 inches.
For
applications involving fine particles such as sand, the preferred width is
about 36 inches.
If two lid members 128 are used, both can have the same or different width as
desired.
In one embodiment, the width of lid member 128 is at least dependent on the
size of the
down spout used to fill bulk material container unit 100. In the preferred
embodiment,
the length of lid member 128 is about 10 feet. In one embodiment, lid member
128 can
be made out of any suitable light weight and durable material such as formed
plastic, or
fiberglass. In an embodiment for use with finer particles such as sand, the
preferred
material for lid member 128 is steel or aluminum.
[0038] Referring to FIGS. 1A-1D, tapered portion 122 includes four tapered
walls 130 extending from each side wall 124 in a narrowing manner toward the
bottom
of bulk material storage unit 100. To maximize the volume of storage component
104,
tapered portion 122 preferably ends near the bottom of bulk material storage
unit 100. In
the preferred embodiment, the angle at which walls 130 taper is about 45
degrees;
however, tapered walls 130 can have any other angles, such as about 60
degrees, about
= 55 degrees, about 50 degrees, about 40 degrees, about 35 degrees, about
30 degrees, or
about 25 degrees. An angle of about 45 degrees is a minimum angle at which the
alit
effect of gravity acts on the particulate material inside storage component
104. While
angles less than about 45 degrees gradually reduce the vertical force of
gravity as the
angle approaches 0 degrees, certain embodiments can employ such angles to
sacrifice the
gravity effect for additional volume where rapid dispensing of the bulk
material may not
be critical,. Likewise, angles greater than about 45 degrees may be beneficial
in certain
applications.
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[0039] Referring to FIGS. 1A-1F, tapered portion 122 ends with an opening (not
shown) near the bottom bulk material storage unit 100 to allow unloading of
the bulk
material from storage component 104. Dispensing component 106 is attached to
the end
of tapered portion 122 to regulate the flow of the bulk material from storage
component
104. In the preferred embodiment, dispensing component 106 retains the bulk
material
in storage component 104 and prevent leakage of the bulk material in the
closed position.
Referring to FIGS. 1A-1E, dispensing component 106 preferably also allows for
adjustment of the rate of flow of the bulk material within the range from the
closed
position to fully open using actuator member 132. In one embodiment,
dispensing
component 106 comprises a valve, preferably a butterfly valve according to
ASME
standards.
[00401 Referring to FIGS. 1B-1F, in the preferred embodiment, to maximize the
volume of bulk or particulate material that can be loaded into storage
component 104,
bulk material storage unit 100 fvirther comprises diverter components 136
positioned
below lid members 128. Diverter components 136 divert the bulk material
pouring in
from the top toward side wails 124 to minimize the angle of repose or the
conical pile
that typically forms when bulk or particulate material is poured through
openings of top
surface 126. FIGS. 2A and 2B demonstrate the angle of repose of bulk material
202
when poured through top surface 126 having one opening/one lid member 128 or
two
openings/two lid members 128, respectively, into storage component without any
diverter component 136 installed. As shown in FIG. 2B, using top surface 126
with two
openings can increase the volume of material that can be poured into storage
component
104 as compared to only using one opening as shown in FIG. 2A. The two
openings
allow bulk material to be introduced to the sides of storage component 104,
taking
advantage of space near the top of storage component 104 that would be
unavailable if
only one Opening was used. There are many factors that affect the angle of
repose, or the
internal angle between the surface of the pile and the horizontal surface,
such as density,
surface area and shapes of the particles, and the coefficient of friction of
the material.
Material with a low angle of repose forms flatter piles than material with a
high angle of
repose. As such, the decision to employ one or two openings, as well as
corresponding
diverter components 136, may be more critical in maximizing the volume of bulk
CA 3004327 2018-05-09
materials with higher angle of repose that can be loaded as compared to bulk
materials
with lower angle of repose.
(0041) Referring to FIGS. 1B-1F and 3A-3B, each diverter component 136
preferably includes two ends attached to the inner surface of side walls 124b.
A body
extend between the two attached ends. The length of diverter component 136
preferably
generally match the length of the respective opening of top surface 126
covered by lid
member 128. The width of divertcr component 136 (the maximum distance across
diverter component 136) can be larger or smaller than the width of the
respective
opening of top surface 126. In one embodiment, the width of diverter component
136 is
between about 12 inches and 48 inches, and more particularly, about 12 inches,
about 18
inches, about 24 inches, about 36 inches, or about 48. In an exemplary
embodiment,
when used with down spouts having a width of about 24 inches, divert component
136
preferably has a width of about 24 inches, and for down spouts of about 36
inches, the
width of diverter component 136 is about 36 inches.
[0042) In another embodiment, the body of diverter component 136 has two
surfaces 138 angled away from each other that reduce the conical piling below
the
loading point of the bulk material. The incoming particulates hit angled
surfaces 138 and
get deflected toward the sides of storage component 104. Thus, the incoming
bulk
=
material fills up storage component 104 more evenly, thereby making more
volume near
= the top of storage component 104 available for use as storage. In
addition, diverter
component 136 preferably comprises a plurality of apertnres 142 to allow bulk
material
particulates to pass through. Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, diverter component
136 has
three rows of apertures 142, and surfaces 138 are at an angle of about 30
degrees from
the horizontal, as indicated by line 302. This can vary with different
industries and
particulate materials, ranging from about 27 degrees to about 89 degrees. For
fine
particles like sand and other particles with properties similar to sand, the
preferred angle
is about 30 degrees. In one embodiment, particularly for sand, the surface
area provided
by apertures 142 is about half of the total surface area of surfaces 138. As
shown,
apertures 142 has a diameter of about 1.5 inches, which is particularly
suitable to sand
and other similar fine particles. The diameter and surface area of apertures
142 can vary
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with other industries and materials, where at least the density and
permeability of the
particulate material being loaded. It is understood that the location, size,
and/or shape of
apertures 142 can vary to optimally reduce of the angle of repose of the
material being
loaded, thereby maximizing the use of space within storage component 104. In
particular, each of the position, size, and shape of apertures 142 can each be
varied. For
instance, an exemplary diverter component can have apertures 142 of various
sizes
and/or shapes that are positioned in uniform or nonuniform arrangement.
[0043) Further, it should be understood that the illustrated diverter
component
136 with gngled surfaces 138 is merely illustrative and not intended to limit
the present
invention. Diverter component 136 deflects particulates toward the walls of
storage
component 104, thereby disrupting the flow of particulates into storage
component 104
that can form a conical pile if left undisturbed. The deflection of
particulates can be
implemented in other forms within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the
art. For
example, instead of or in addition to apertures 142, angled surfaces 138 can
comprise a
plurality of fingers where certain particulates would be deflected when they
hit the
surface of these fingers while others fall through the gaps between the
fingers. Another
example includes a cylinder with a plurality of protrusions that is configured
to spin as
particulates are flowing in and hitting the surfaces of the cylinder.
(0044] In the preferred embodiment, for every opening of top surface 126 and
lid
member 128, there is provided a divert component 136 placed below the
respective
opening of the top surface 126 to direct incoming bulk material to the side
and minimize
the angle of repose. Also, in other embodiments, such as that shown in FIG. 4,
top
surface 126 can comprise one opening (not shown) and one lid member 128.
Storage
component 104 of bulk material storage unit of FIG. 4 preferably includes one
corresponding diverter component 136 placed below the single lid member 128.
[00451 In the preferred embodiment, bulk material storage unit 100 is sized to
be
compatible with equipment at the source location, the transport equipment, and
equipment at the destination. Bulk material storage unit 100 is preferably
adapted to fit
flatbed rail cars for rail transportation or flatbed trailers for roadway
transportation. The
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preferred bulk material storage unit has dimensions that are compatible with
both railway
and roadway transportation equipment for versatility. Based on dimensions of
flatbeds
=currently used for both railway and roadway transport and roadway regulations
governing the height of trailers, the preferred bulk material storage unit 100
has a length
of less than about 12 feet, a width of less than about 8 feet 6 inches, and a
height of less
than about 10 feet. In particular, bulk material storage unit 100 more
preferably has a
length of about 12 feet, a width of about 8 feet 4 inches, a height of about 9
feet 9 1/16
inches, not including any lift ring 134. In one embodiment, diverter component
136 is
attached to the interior of side walls 124b through welding or it can be
bolted to side
walls 124.b. In certain embodiments, angular supports can be used to reinforce
the
anchoring at the location of attachment. Divetter component 136 is preferably
attached
to side walls 124b so that the distance between the peak angle of diverter
component 136
and top surface 126 of about 1 to 18 inches. The specific distance can vary
depending on
the density and angle of deflection of the product being loaded into bulk
material storage
=unit 100. For applications involving fine particles such as sand, the
preferred distance
from top surface 126 is about 3 inches determined based at least on the
density of sand.
Sand products can vary from about 8-16 mesh to about 100 mesh in size. Storage
component 104 preferably is configured with dimensions to provide it with the
capacity
to hold up to 675 cubic feet of volume. Components of bulk material storage
unit 100
can be made of durable materials such as steel, aluminum, fiberglass, plastic,
or= a
combination thereof.
[0046] Referring to FIGS. 4-7, four bulk material storage units 100 can fit on
a
flatbed that is about 48 feet long, whether for a rail car, e.g., rail car 404
as shown in
FIGS. 4-6, or a trailer, e.g., trailer 704, as shown in FIG. 7. Referring to
FIG. 4, bulk
material storage units 100 can be transferred to and from flatbed 406, whether
transported by rail or road, using forklift 402. Alternatively or in addition,
bulk material
storage units 100 can be transferred to and from flatbed 406 using a crane or
similar
lifting device through transfer component 114. While four bulk material
storage units
100 can be placed on a flatbed of about 48 feet long, certain transportation
regulations
.
governing weight, particularly for roadways, may restrict the actual number of
full bulk=
material storage units 100 that can be hauled by a particular at any one time.
If bulk
material storage units 100 are empty or not fully filled. This can expedite
the logistics
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process and cut transport costs by enabling multiple empty bulk material
storage units
100 to be returned by one truck for every one full bulk material storage unit
100
delivered, where conventional trailers cannot provide this increased
capability.
[00471 Referring to FIG. 8, according to another aspect, there is provided a
second embodiment of the bulk material storage unit of the present invention,
bulk
material storage unit 800, which is similar to bulk material storage unit 100
of FIGS. 1A-
1F. Certain descriptions of bulk material storage unit 100 are also applicable
to bulk
material storage unit 100, such as dimensions, composition materials, and
manners of
transfer or transportation. Bulk material storage unit 800 also comprises
frame
component 802, storage component 804, and dispenser component 806. Frame
component 802, however, does not include any angled support members. Further,
the
arrangements of the components of bulk material storage units 800 are modified
to allow
bulk material storage to stack on top of one another. As shown, storage
component 804
and horizontal support members 810 are respectively attached to frame
component 802
such that a portion of the top and bottom of each vertical support member 808
are
available so the top of vertical support members 808 of one storage unit 800
can engage
and attach to the bottom of vertical support members 808 of another storage
unit 800. As
shown, bulk material storage unit 800 also includes= lid member 828 placed
generally in
the center of top surface 826 that is round instead of rectangular like lid
members 128 of
bulk material storage unit 100. The shape and location of lid member 828 can
allow for
transferring of bulk material from a higher stacked storage unit 800 to a
lower stacked
storage unit 800. It is understood that any one or more of these modifications
can be
made to bulk material storage unit 100. Other known modifications can also be
made to
bulk material storage unit 100 to make it stackable.
[00481 According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
method of transporting bulk material using embodiments of the bulk material
storage
= unit disclosed herein. The transport of bulk material begins with loading
of bulk material
into the bulk material storage units at the origin, whether it is the source
location where
the bulk material is collected, an off-site storage location, an intermediate
transport point,
etc. FIG. 5 shows one way of loading of bulk material storage units 100 with
two lid
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members 128 hauled by rail car 404. Railway 502 runs through silo 504 allowing
successive bulk material storage units 100 to be pulled to the proper position
underneath
dispenser 506 of silo 504 to receive the bulk material. FIGS. 9 and 10 show
exemplary
ways of filling bulk material storage unit 800.
10049] Once the bulk material storage units are filled, they are transported
to the
destination via the particular transportation mode, e.g., rail cars or trucks.
The
destination can be the final delivery point for the end-user, an intermediate
transport
point, etc. If storage of the bulk material, whether permanent or temporary,
is needed at
the destination, the bulk material storage units can be unloaded from the rail
cars or
trucks and transferred to the desired location. Referring to FIG. 4, unloading
of bulk
material storage units 100 can be achieved with forklift 402 Embodiments of
the present
invention allow for storage to be stored immediately without requiring
existing storage
infrastructures at the destination, thereby freeing the transportation
equipment to be
utilized elsewhere, preventing obstruction of the logistics flow, and reducing
costs
associated with constructing storage structures. Embodiments of the present
invention
also eliminate any costs or material loss associated with the transfer of bulk
material
from conventional shipping containers to a storage container by providing bulk
material
storage units that can serve as both. If the stored bulk material needs to be
moved to
=
another location or transported again via rail way or road way, the bulk
material storage
units can be moved via the transfer components as described above. Embodiments
of the
present invention also allow for straightforward transfer of only a portion of
the stored
bulk material by transferring only the desired number of bulk material storage
units.
Further, the portability of embodiments of the present invention provides
storage
flexibilities to adapt to the changing market where stored bulk material
and/or storage
space can be moved cost effectively to other regions.
(00501 As mentioned, embodiments of the present invention are applicable to
meet needs of industries that involve storage and transport of particulate
materials, such
as sand, grains, ores, gravel, stone, etc. Certain embodiments, however, are
particularly
applicable for storing and transporting sand or similar fine particles. A
specific industry
that requires a large amount of sand to be delivered from the mines is the oil
and gas
CA 3004327 2018-05-09
industry, which uses the sand as proppants in hydraulic fracturing at well
sites. While
the following descriptions specifically mention sand, it is understood they
can be
similarly applicable to other industries and particulate materials. Current
rail
transportation of sand uses rail hopper cars which are not designed to retain
fine particles
like sand, which often lead to product loss during transportation. This loss
is typically
referred to as variance. Variance in the oil and gas industry today ranges
approximately
3% to 10%. Embodiments of the present invention can reduce or eliminate this
variance
because they are configured to prevent leakage.
[0051] When sand is delivered to the well site, it is typically injected into
the
well using pneumatic trailers. Embodiments of the present invention can reduce
the
number of pneumatic trailers used by allowing the sand to be stored closer to
the well,
thereby making the sand more accessible. Embodiments of the present invention
can
also facilitate in eliminating use of the pneumatic trailers through the use
of an
alternative sand injector that can take advantage of the It is designed to use
gravity as
one energy source to introduce the sand into the well.
[0052] Sand has different angles of repose depending on its properties. Dry
sand
has an angle of repose of about 34 degrees, moist sand has an angle of repose
of about 15
degrees and 30 degrees, and wet sand has an angle of repose of about 45
degrees. As
discussed above, more volume of moist sand can be filled as compared to dry
and wet
sand because moist sand has the lowest angle of repose. Specifically, for a
bulk material
storage uOt with dimensions of about 12 feet in length, about 8 feet 4 inches
in width,
and about 9 feet and 9 1/16 inches in height, the volume for a 45 degrees
angle of repose
for a single opening surface, as shown in FIG. 2A, is about 360 cubic feet,
and the
volume for a 34 degrees angle of repose is 425 cubic feet. For a two-opening
surface, as
shown in FIG. 2B, the volume for a 45 degree angle of repose is 460 cubic feet
compared
to the volume for a 34 degree angle of repose is 493 cubic feet.
[0053] As described, the volume of sand that can be loaded is increased by
using
two openings. This volume can further be increased by using diverter
components 136,
as described above. In one embodiment, under normal conditions, an increase of
about
16
CA 3004327 2018-05-09
2,000 to 6,000 lbs can be achieved for sand products. Referring to FIGS. 3A
and 3B, as
described above, diverter component 136 has three rows of apertures 142, and
surfaces
138 are at an angle of about 30 degrees from the horizontal, as indicated by
line 302.
The surface area provided by apertures 142 is about half of =the total surface
area of
surfaces 138. As shown, apertures 142 has a diameter of about 1.5 inches,
which is
particularly suitable to sand and other similar fine particles. For other
industries and
particulate materials, diverter components 136 are reconfigured to suit the
conditions of
such industries and materials, including but not limited to modifications to
the
dimensions, angle of surfaces 138, surface area of apertures 142, number and
arrangement of apertures 142, and diameter of apertures 142.
[00541 Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described
in
detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and
alterations can be
made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as
defined by
the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not
intended to
be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture,
composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the
specification. As one
of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of
the present
disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means,
methods,
or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform
substantially the same
function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding
embodiments
described,herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure.
Accordingly, the
appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes,
machines,
manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
17
CA 3004327 2018-05-09
