Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PROPPANT DELIVERY SYSTEM COMPRISING SILOS AND SMALLER
RECTANGULOID STORAGE CONTAINERS CARRIED ON A SUPPORT
STAND AND RELATED METHOD
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a proppant delivery system for
use at a hydraulic fracturing site, and more particularly to such a system
employing both
relatively small capacity rectanguloid storage containers receiving specialty
proppants
used in relatively small quantities for forming a proppant mixture at a
blender and
comparatively larger silos receiving a primary proppant which forms a largest
proportion
of the proppant mixture.
BACKGROUND
In the fracking industry, there are predominantly two types of proppant
containers which are used at a hydraulic fracturing operation site to
temporarily store
and subsequently discharge proppant for delivery to a blender at the site in
which an
appropriate mixture of proppant is prepared for subsequent delivery to a
nearby
wellbore at the same hydraulic fracturing site. The proppant mixture comprises
both a
primary type of proppant, which forms a largest portion of the mixture in
comparison to
other types of proppant, and secondary types of proppant which are used in the
mixture
in smaller quantities as compared to the primary proppant. A proppant storage
container is used at any time to store a single type of proppant, that is,
multiple types
of proppant are not simultaneously contained within a single container so as
to avoid
uncontrollable mixing thereof during discharge from the container.
A first type of proppant storage and delivery container is a box-like
container which comprises a cubic or rectanguloid container having a top
upwardly-
opening fill opening and a bottom downwardly-facing discharge so that
particulate
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material stored therein in the form of proppant is discharged from the cubic
or
rectanguloid container by gravity to a discharge location disposed within a
periphery of
the container defined by a rectangular peripheral wall of the container. The
container
is mounted on a frame which forms an annular base so that the box-like
container can
be rested on a support surface. However, the annular base is located
substantially in
a common plane with the discharge of the box-like container. The box-like
container
with its base is typically in the order of about 8.5 feet in height and is in
the order of 8
feet in width with a hopper bottom locating the gravity discharge.
Furthermore, the box-like proppant storage container is filled with material
at a remote location to the fracking site and is loaded typically onto a flat
deck trailer
towed by a semi-tractor for transport to the fracking site. Once the
containers are
emptied, they are transported back to the filling site and replaced by pre-
filled
containers transported to the hydraulic fracturing site. The box-like
container typically
is handled on site, whether at the filling site or the fracking site, by a
forklift which lifts
the box-like container and moves to the desired location within the site.
A box-like container type of proppant storage container is filled via its top
fill opening with a conveyor typically of the inclined type which elevates the
material
from an intake location to a raised discharge location to transfer the
material from a
transport truck at ground level to the top of the box-like container.
At the fracking site, the box-like container is disposed vertically over a
feed conveyor so as to discharge material by gravity vertically downwardly
onto the
feed conveyor which is operatively communicated with the blender receiving the
proppant.
A second type of storage container predominant in the fracking industry
is a storage silo which is generally circular cylindrical in shape and is much
taller in
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height than the box-like type of container, typically being in the order of
about 40 to 50
feet. Accordingly the silo has a significantly greater capacity for storing
proppant than
the box-like container.
The silo has a top fill opening which opens upwardly so as to be fillable
therethrough but also typically includes a pneumatic filling system comprising
a plurality
of ducts extending upwardly along a height of the silo at angularly spaced
positions
about the silo and communicated with an interior of the silo at a plurality of
spaced
locations across the height of the silo. The pneumatic filling system thus is
arranged to
pneumatically convey particulate material substantially from ground level upon
receipt
from a transport truck and upwardly to the silo which has a raised bottom. The
silo is
supported with its bottom discharge raised above a planar base, with
upstanding legs
interconnecting the silo and base.
The silo is transported to the fracking site in an emptied state on a trailer
towed by a semi-tractor. During transport the silo is supported in a
substantially
horizontal orientation but upon arrival at or delivery to the fracking site
where the silo
will be used to temporarily store proppoant, the silo is raised by operation
of the
specially designed trailer from its horizontal transport condition to an
upstanding
condition in which the silo is rested on its base with which it was
transported.
At the fracking site the silo is arranged as part of an array of silos
relative
to a feed conveyor. Typically, the array comprises a pair of rows each of
adjacent silos
that are interrupted by a feed conveyor extending parallel to the rows. That
is, the feed
conveyor is located intermediate the rows and is oriented so as to convey
material in a
direction substantially parallel to the rows. The silos once arranged in the
array are
fillable on site, and thus discharge the material stored therein to the feed
conveyor
which is arranged to one side of each of the silos in the array. Each silo in
a common
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row of the array discharges material to the feed conveyor in a common
direction as the
other silos in that row. The feed conveyor then transfers the proppant
received from
the silos to the blender which is located generally longitudinally in-line
with the feed
conveyor.
The box-like types of containers are suitably sized in volumetric capacity
for storing the secondary types of proppant which are specialty proppants used
in
forming the proppant mixture delivered to the wellbore. Based on the amount of
specialty proppant typically used in a fracking operation, a silo is generally
too large for
its entire volumetric capacity to be used to store a specialty proppant and
thus if a silo
were used in this manner, the silo capacity would not be utilized to its
maximum
capacity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an aspect of the invention to provide a proppant delivery system for
use at a hydraulic fracturing site to prepare a proppant mixture for
subsequent delivery
to a wellbore at the hydraulic fracturing site, comprising:
a plurality of a first type of proppant storage container for storing a
primary
type of proppant for use in forming the proppant mixture;
the first type of proppant storage container comprising:
a silo having a cylindrical peripheral wall encompassing an
upstanding axis of the silo;
the silo defining a fill opening for receiving the primary type of
proppant in the silo;
the silo having a bottom discharge at a bottom of the silo for
releasing the primary type of proppant received in the silo;
the bottom discharge being arranged to convey the primary type of
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proppant towards one side of the silo so as to be discharged to said one side;
the silo being sized larger in height from the bottom discharge to a
top of the silo than in diameter of the cylindrical peripheral wall;
a planar base oriented substantially perpendicularly to the
.. upstanding axis of the container and spaced below the bottom discharge of
the silo for
resting on a ground surface; and
a plurality of upstanding legs interconnecting the silo and the base;
at least one of a second type of proppant storage container for storing a
secondary type of proppant for use in a lesser quantity as compared to the
primary type
of proppant in forming the proppant mixture;
the second type of proppant storage container comprising:
a rectanguloid container having a rectangular peripheral wall
encompassing an upstanding axis of the rectanguloid container;
the rectanguloid container being sized smaller in volume than the
.. silo;
the rectanguloid container defining a top fill opening at a top of the
rectanguloid container for receiving the secondary type of proppant therein;
the rectanguloid container having a bottom discharge at a bottom
of the rectanguloid container for releasing the second type of proppant
received in the
rectanguloid container;
a support frame connected to the rectanguloid container and
defining an annular base which is adapted for resting on the ground surface;
the annular base encompassing the bottom discharge of the
rectanguloid container and being disposed at substantially a common height
with a
.. terminus of the bottom discharge from which the second type of proppant is
arranged
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to exit the rectanguloid container;
the second type of proppant storage container being sized shorter in
height than the first type of proppant storage container;
the plurality of the first type of proppant storage container and the at least
one of the second type of proppant storage container being arranged in an
array
comprising a pair of substantially parallel rows;
a feed conveyor disposed between the rows of the array and arranged to
transfer particulate material in a direction which is substantially parallel
to the rows to a
discharge of the feed conveyor;
the feed conveyor being operatively coupled to receive the first and
second types of proppant stored in the first and second types of proppant
storage
containers;
a blender operatively coupled to the discharge of the feed conveyor so as
to receive the particulate material therefrom for mixing to form the proppant
mixture;
the at least one of the second type of proppant storage container that is
arranged in the array being located on a support stand, the support stand
defining at a
top thereof a platform which is connected to the support frame of the at least
one of the
second type of proppant storage container and further including a plurality of
upstanding
legs depending downwardly from the platform to bottoms of the legs which are
adapted
for resting on the ground surface such that the terminus of the bottom
discharge of the
at least one of the second type of proppant storage container is held at a
spaced height
above the ground surface so that the second type of proppant can be discharged
to the
feed conveyor.
This provides an arrangement for dispensing proppant at a hydraulic
fracturing site which combines two types of delivery systems each based on a
different
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type of storage container so as to maximize volumetric capacity of each
container type.
In the illustrated arrangement, the at least one of the second type of
proppant storage container carried on the support stand and arranged in the
array is
located more closely to the feed conveyor in a transverse direction to the
rows than a
respective one of the first type of proppant storage container.
In the illustrated arrangement, the terminus of the bottom discharge of the
second type of proppant storage container is raised relative to a terminus of
the bottom
discharge of the first type of proppant storage container from which the
primary type of
proppant is arranged to exit the first type of proppant storage container for
subsequent
.. receipt by the feed conveyor.
Preferably, the support stand further includes a chute mounted in fixed
location to the platform for interconnecting the terminus of the bottom
discharge of the
at least one of the second type of proppant storage container and an intake of
the feed
conveyor.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a support
stand for a storage container which is used to store a hydraulic fracturing
proppant, the
storage container having:
a rectanguloid container having a rectangular peripheral wall
encompassing an upstanding axis of the rectanguloid container;
the rectanguloid container defining a top fill opening at a top of the
rectanguloid container for receiving the proppant therein;
the rectanguloid container having a bottom discharge at a bottom of the
rectanguloid container for releasing the proppant received in the rectanguloid
container;
the bottom discharge defining a downwardly opening aperture such that
the proppant is released in a downward direction therefrom;
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a support frame connected to the rectanguloid container and defining an
annular base which is adapted for resting on a ground surface;
the annular base encompassing the bottom discharge of the rectanguloid
container and being disposed at substantially a common height with a terminus
of the
bottom discharge from which the second type of proppant is arranged to exit
the
rectanguloid container;
the support stand comprising:
a plurality of upstanding legs having bottoms which are adapted for
resting on the ground surface;
a platform connected to the legs at a spaced height above the bottoms of
the legs;
the platform defining a substantially horizontal support surface for
carrying the support frame of the storage container such that the bottom
discharge of
the storage container is held at a spaced height above the ground surface; and
a chute mounted in fixed location to the platform having an intake which
is communicable with the terminus of the bottom discharge of the storage
container,
the chute extending downwardly and horizontally from the intake to a discharge
of the
chute so as to guide the proppant towards a side of the support stand.
According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a
method of dispensing proppant at a hydraulic fracturing site to prepare a
proppant
mixture for subsequent delivery to a wellbore at the hydraulic fracturing
site, comprising:
providing a storage container storing a proppant for use in forming the
proppant mixture, the storage container comprising:
a rectanguloid container having a rectangular peripheral wall
encompassing an upstanding axis of the rectanguloid container;
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the rectanguloid container defining a top fill opening at a top of the
rectanguloid container for receiving the proppant therein;
the rectanguloid container having a bottom discharge at a bottom
of the rectanguloid container for releasing the proppant received in the
rectanguloid
container;
a support frame connected to the rectanguloid container and
defining an annular base which is adapted for resting on a ground surface;
the annular base encompassing the bottom discharge of the
rectanguloid container and being disposed at substantially a common height
with a
terminus of the bottom discharge from which the second type of proppant is
arranged
to exit the rectanguloid container;
providing a feed conveyor operable to receive the proppant from the
storage container and to transfer the proppant in a longitudinal direction
along the feed
conveyor;
providing a blender operable to receive the proppant from the feed
conveyor and to mix the proppant for forming the proppant mixture;
supporting the storage container to one side of the feed conveyor at a
spaced height above the ground surface so that the bottom discharge thereof is
transversely spaced from the feed conveyor and is spaced above the ground
surface;
and
transferring the proppant from the storage container to the feed conveyor
for subsequent delivery to the blender.
Preferably, supporting the storage container comprises:
providing a support stand which is distinct from the storage container for
supporting the storage container at the spaced height above the ground
surface;
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locating the support stand to said one side of the feed conveyor; and
locating the storage container on the support stand.
Preferably, the intake of the chute is raised above a substantially
horizontal support surface defined by the platform for engaging a bottom of
the annular
base of the at least one of the second type of proppant storage container.
Preferably, the chute is inclined downwardly and horizontally from the
intake of the chute, which is communicated with the terminus of the bottom
discharge
of the at least one of the second type of proppant storage container, to the
discharge
of the chute at an angle between 30 and 40 degrees below a horizontal plane.
Preferably, the at least one of the second type of proppant storage
container includes an annular member attached to the bottom discharge and
depending
downwardly beyond the terminus of the bottom discharge for substantially
sealing with
the intake of the chute which is in communication with the terminus of the
bottom
discharge.
Preferably, the intake of the chute is oversized relative to the terminus of
the bottom discharge so as to receive substantially therein an annular inner
portion of
the annular member which defines a downward extension of the terminus of the
bottom
discharge.
Preferably, the annular member includes an annular outer portion
extending downwardly from the bottom discharge at an outwardly spaced location
from
the terminus thereof so as to surround a periphery of the intake of the chute
for resisting
entrance of moisture at the intake of the chute.
In one arrangement, the annular inner portion is disposed in substantially
sealing contact within the intake of the chute and the annular outer portion
is disposed
at an external spaced location relative to the intake of the chute so as not
to be in
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contact therewith.
In one arrangement, the annular outer portion is inclined downwardly and
radially outwardly from the terminus of the bottom discharge so as to deflect
precipitation away from the intake of the chute.
In one arrangement, the chute is supported by a pair of spaced
substantially parallel and substantially horizontally extending beams
connected to the
platform such that the chute is disposed between the beams, the beams being
generally
tubular in shape and open at one or more ends thereof so as to be suited for
receiving
forks of a forklift for moving the support stand at the hydraulic fracturing
site.
Preferably, the chute extends from the intake of the chute to the discharge
thereof substantially parallel to the beams.
Preferably, the discharge of the chute is suspended from the platform so
that an area between the legs of the stand is substantially unobstructed
Preferably, the support stand includes a plurality of upstanding guide pins
projecting upwardly above the platform and located thereon at spaced locations
for
mating with the support frame of the at least one of the second type of
proppant storage
container so as to align the bottom discharge thereof relative to the support
stand.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an arrangement of proppant delivery
system according to the present invention, with one proppant storage silo
omitted for
clarity of illustration;
Figure 2 is an end view of the arrangement as shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a side view of the arrangement of Figure 1;
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Figure 4 is a top plan view of the arrangement of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along line 5-5 in Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of an arrangement of support stand
according to the present invention;
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the support stand arrangement of
Figure 6 as if it were taken along line 7-7 in Figure 6 but with a storage
container
mounted thereon; and
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view along line 8-8 in Figure 7.
In the drawings, like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Figures 1-5 show a proppant delivery system 10 for use at a hydraulic
fracturing site to prepare a proppant mixture for subsequent delivery to a
wellbore at
the hydraulic fracturing site. The system 10 includes two types of proppant
storage
container 12 and 14 each storing a different type of proppant for use in
forming the
proppant mixture; a feed conveyor 16 for receiving and transferring the
proppants away
from their respective storage containers 12 and 14; and a blender 18
(schematically
shown) for receiving the proppants from the feed conveyor 16 and for mixing
the
proppants to form the proppant mixture.
A first type of proppant storage container for storing a primary type of
proppant for use in a majority proportion in forming the proppant mixture is
indicated at
12 and comprises a silo 21 having a circular cylindrical peripheral wall 22
encompassing
an upstanding axis 23 of the silo (the latter shown in Figure 2). The silo 21
defines a
fill opening 25 for receiving the primary type of proppant in the silo.
Typically, this fill
opening 25 is defined at a top 26 of the silo and opens upwardly. Additionally
to the fill
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opening 25 which can be used to fill the silo with proppant, the first type of
storage
container includes a pneumatic filling system 27 comprising a plurality of
ducts 28
extending upwardly along a height of the silo 21 at angularly spaced positions
relative
to the silo axis 23 externally of the silo. The ducts 28 are communicated with
an interior
of the silo at a plurality of spaced locations across the height of the silo.
The pneumatic
filling system 27 thus is arranged to pneumatically convey particulate
material
substantially from ground level upon receipt from a transport truck and
upwardly to the
silo. The fill opening 25 and the pneumatic filling system 27 provide
alternative manners
of filling the silo with proppant.
The silo 21 has a bottom discharge 31 at a bottom of the silo for releasing
from the interior of the silo the primary type of proppant that is received in
the silo. The
bottom silo discharge 31 is arranged to convey the primary type of proppant
towards
one side of the silo so as to be discharged to this one side thereof out of a
terminus 32
of the bottom discharge of the first type of proppant storage container from
which the
primary type of proppant is arranged to exit the first type of proppant
storage container
12 for subsequent receipt by the feed conveyor 16. As more clearly shown in
Figures
2 and 5, the bottom silo discharge may be in the form of a centrally
downwardly tapering
hopper bottom 33 with a openable gate 35 selectively obstructing a downwardly
opening discharge aperture so that the material is discharged downwardly by
gravity at
a location within a periphery of the silo and onto a feeder conveyor 37 which
subsequently transfers the material to one side of a base 39 on which the silo
is carried,
and further to the feed conveyor 16. Alternatively, the bottom silo discharge
may be in
the form of a side-tapering hopper bottom 42 which conveys the proppant to one
side
of the silo by gravity.
The silo 21 is sized larger in height from the bottom discharge 31 to the
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top 26 of the silo than in diameter of the cylindrical peripheral silo wall
22. Typically,
the height of the silo is in the order of about 40 to 50 feet.
The first type of storage container 12 further includes a planar base 39 in
the form of a pad which is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the
upstanding silo
axis 23 and is spaced below the bottom discharge 31 of the silo for resting on
a ground
surface. Thus the silo 21 is supported generally above the base 39 and there
is
provided a clearance gap therebetween so that the proppant in the silo can be
conveyed to the periphery of the storage container 12, wherefrom the material
is
available to be received by another piece of equipment for further handling or
processing.
Furthermore, the first type of storage container 12 includes a plurality of
upstanding legs 45 interconnecting the silo 21 and the base 39. The legs 45
stand
upright from the base 39 and extend upwardly along the height of the
cylindrical
peripheral wall 22 where they connect to the silo.
A second type of storage container for storing a secondary type of
proppant for use in a lesser quantity as compared to the primary type of
proppant in
forming the proppant mixture is indicated at 14 and comprises a rectanguloid
container
48 having a rectangular peripheral wall 49 encompassing an upstanding axis 50
of the
rectanguloid container. The rectanguloid container 48 defines an upwardly-
opening top
fill opening 52 at a top 53 of the rectanguloid container for receiving the
secondary type
of proppant therein. Further, the rectanguloid container has a bottom
discharge 55 at a
bottom of the rectanguloid container for releasing the second type of proppant
received
in the rectanguloid container. As more clearly shown in Figure 5, the bottom
discharge
55 is in the form of a centrally downwardly tapering hopper bottom 57 and
defines a
centrally located downwardly opening aperture which is selectively obstructed
by an
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openable gate 59 such that the proppant is released in a downward direction
from the
container 48 to a location disposed within a periphery thereof defined by the
rectangular
peripheral wall 49.
Referring to Figures 1-5, the second type of storage container 14 further
includes a support frame 61 connected to the rectanguloid container 48 and
defining
an annular base 63 which is adapted for resting on the ground surface. More
specifically, the support frame 61 comprises a plurality of upstanding frame
members
66, one at each corner of the rectanguloid container 48, connected to the
peripheral
wall 49 and interconnected at their bottoms by a series of cross members 68
each one
extending between a pair of adjacent upstanding frame members 66 so as to form
a
ring substantially at the periphery of the rectanguloid container 48. The
cross-members
68 lie substantially in a common horizontal plane at the bottoms of the frame
upstanding
members 66. As such, the annular base 63 encompasses the bottom discharge 55
and
is disposed at substantially a common height with a terminus 69 of the bottom
discharge
from which the second type of proppant is arranged to exit the rectanguloid
container
48, such that when the annular base 63 is rested on the ground surface, the
terminus
69 of the bottom discharge 55 is basically located at the ground surface.
Additionally,
a pair of spaced substantially parallel and substantially horizontally
extending members
70 in the form of inverted channels or tubular beams with at least one open
end are
mounted above the annular base 63, one on either side of the terminus 69 of
the
discharge, for receiving forks of a forklift for moving the second type of
storage
container 14 at the hydraulic fracturing site.
In comparison of the two types of proppant storage container, the
rectanguloid container 48 is sized smaller in volume than the silo 21 such
that the
.. amount of proppant storable in the second type of storage container 14 is
less than a
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capacity of the first type 12, and overall the second type of proppant storage
container
14 is sized shorter in height, as measured from the base 39, 63 which is
adapted for
resting on the ground surface to the top 26, 53, than the first type of
proppant storage
container 12. Generally speaking, the rectanguloid container-style of
container is about
one-fifth to one-half the height of the silo-style of storage container.
The second type of storage container 14 is more suitably sized in
volumetric capacity for storing the secondary types of proppant which are
generally
specialty proppants used in forming the proppant mixture delivered to the
wellbore.
Based on the amount of specialty proppant typically used in a fracking
operation, the
first type of storage container 12 is generally too large for its entire
volumetric capacity
to be used to store a specialty proppant and thus if the silo 21 were used in
this manner,
the silo capacity would not be utilized to its maximum capacity.
Thus, the delivery system 10 provides an arrangement for dispensing
proppant at a hydraulic fracturing site which combines two types of delivery
systems
each based on a different type of storage container 12, 14 so as to maximize
volumetric
capacity of each container type. A plurality of the first type of proppant
storage
container 12 for containing the most commonly used proppant and at least one
of the
second type of proppant storage container 14 each for containing a secondary
proppant
used in lesser quantity than the primary proppant are arranged in an array
similar to
that used in a silo-only proppant delivery system in which there are formed a
pair of
substantially parallel rows 71, 72 as more clearly shown in Figure 4. The rows
71, 72
of the containers are spaced apart at a suitable distance to receive
therebetween a
conveying apparatus arranged to transfer material in a direction substantially
parallel to
the rows, as will be described in further detail shortly. Each row 71, 72
comprises a
series of adjacent storage containers located one next to the other of that
row. The
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containers in each row are arranged in a manner so as to be able to discharge
their
contents in a direction which is transverse to the row to a common central
area 73 of
the array which separates the rows, where the aforementioned conveying
apparatus
can be received. Typically, each row is formed by three or four storage
containers.
In order to discharge material from the second type of proppant storage
container 14 to the conveying apparatus to be located between the rows and
therefore
to one side of the storage container 14, there is provided a support stand 74
which
elevates the storage container of the second type 14 relative to the ground
surface such
that the terminus 69 of the bottom discharge 55 is held at a spaced height
above the
ground surface so as to be suitably accessible, as otherwise (when the support
frame
61 is rested on the ground surface) the bottom discharge's terminus 69 is
basically
located at the ground surface, and so that the proppant discharged therefrom
can be
properly guided to the receiving conveying apparatus of the proppant delivery
system
for subsequent delivery of the proppants to the blender.
Referring particularly to Figures 6-8, the support stand 74 comprises a
plurality of upstanding legs 76 having bottoms 78 which are adapted for
resting on the
ground surface, and a platform 81 connected to the legs 76 at a spaced height
above
the leg bottoms 78, and generally connected to tops of the legs so as to be at
a top of
the stand. The platform 81 defines a substantially horizontal support surface
82 for
connecting to the support frame 61 of the storage container of the second type
14. The
platform 81 is substantially formed by a plurality of cross members 83
collectively
arranged in an annulus sized and shaped to substantially correspond to the
annular
base 63 of the storage container 14, and each cross member 83 interconnects a
pair
of the legs 76.
The legs 76 are located at spaced positions on a periphery of the platform
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81 and depend vertically downwardly therefrom such that the platform and legs
are
vertically in-line with another, and substantially with the support frame 61
which itself is
box-shaped. The platform 81 is sized in a fore-and-aft direction so as to be
substantially
equal to a fore-and-aft dimension of the second type of storage container 14
measured
in a longitudinal direction of the forklift pockets 70, but is sized in a side-
to-side direction
slightly larger than a side-to-side dimension of the second type of storage
container 14
measured substantially perpendicularly transversely to the longitudinal
direction of the
forklift pocket 70. Therefore, the supporting base underlying the storage
container 14
that is defined by the support stand 74 is slightly larger than a footprint of
the storage
container 14 so as to provide increased stability while remaining of a
suitable overall
size so as to be movable into and out of position between a pair of the type
of storage
containers 12 one located on either side of the stand 74 supporting the
storage
container 14.
The bottoms 78 of the legs 76 are enlarged relative to bodies 84 of the
legs so as resist sinking into the ground surface, but the bottoms on the legs
76
disposed on the side of the stand 74 to be located adjacent the conveying
apparatus
are flush with the bodies 84 on the conveying apparatus-side of the stand.
Plates 85 mounted on tops of the cross members 83 have upper plate
surfaces 86 lying in a common plane so as to define the support surface 82 of
the
platform. The support surface 82 engages a bottom of the annular base 63 of
the
storage container support frame 61.
There are provided on the platform 81 a plurality of upstanding guide pins
87 mounted to the plates 84 which project upwardly above the support surface
82
defined by the platform 81 and are located thereon at spaced locations for
mating with
the support frame 61 of the second type of proppant storage container 14 so as
to align
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the bottom discharge 55 thereof relative to the support stand 74. That is, the
support
frame 61 of the storage container of the second type 14 defines at its bottom
a plurality
of downwardly-opening apertures (not visible in the figures) at predetermined
locations
thereon which can receive the guide pins 87 on the stand 74 so as to define a
prescribed
relative position of the container when received on the support stand.
Generally
speaking, the platform 81 is connected to the support frame 61 so as to be
held in fixed
relation thereto when the storage container 14 is rested on the support stand
74. This
may be facilitated at least in part by the guide pins 87 which resist relative
horizontal
movement between these components as weight of the proppant storage container
14
acts to anchor the storage container 14 to the stand 74 vertically.
The support stand 74 further includes a chute 90 mounted in fixed location
to the platform 81. The chute includes an intake 91 which is communicable with
the
terminus 69 of the bottom discharge of the second type of storage container so
as to
receive from the rectanguloid container 48 the second proppant stored therein,
and
from the chute intake 91 the chute extends downwardly and horizontally to a
discharge
94 of the chute 90 so as to guide the proppant towards a side of the support
stand 74.
The discharge 94 of the chute is located at the periphery of the stand so that
the
proppant is conveyed thereby to the side of the stand 74. The chute intake 91
is located
generally centrally of the platform 81 so as to register relative to a
substantially
horizontal plane with the centrally located bottom discharge terminus 69, and
as shown
in Figure 7 the intake 91 extends upwardly above the support surface 82 such
that a
top 96 of the intake 91 is spaced thereabove so as to bridge at least a
portion of a
clearance gap between a bottom of the annular base 63 and the terminus 69 of
the
bottom discharge 55.
The chute intake 91 is flared towards the top 96 and is oversized at the
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top 96 relative to the terminus 69 of the bottom discharge 55 such that the
intake 91
can substantially receive therein an annular member 99 which is attached to
the
terminus 69 of the bottom discharge 55 and depends downwardly beyond the
terminus
69 of the bottom discharge for substantially sealing with the intake 91 of the
chute when
disposed in operative communication therewith. The annular member 99 comprises
a
resilient annular inner portion 100 which extends vertically downwardly from
the
terminus 69 so as to define a downward extension thereof and an annular outer
portion
101 which extends downwardly from the bottom discharge 55 at an outwardly
spaced
location from the terminus 69 of the bottom discharge so as to surround a
periphery of
the intake 91 of the chute for resisting entrance of moisture at the intake
91. When the
second type of proppant container 14 is supported on the stand 74, a free
bottom edge
100A of the inner portion 100 is disposed in substantially sealing contact
with an interior
surface of the chute intake 91 at as spaced location below the top 96 of the
intake such
that the seal is formed within the intake 91 and a path for the proppant from
the bottom
discharge 55 to the chute 90 is substantially enclosed circumferentially
relative to a flow
direction of the proppant along this path. The outer portion 101 of the
annular member
is disposed at an external spaced location relative to the intake 91 of the
chute so as
not to be in contact therewith, and is inclined downwardly and radially
outwardly away
from the terminus 69 of the bottom discharge so as to act to deflect
precipitation away
from the intake 91. A bottom edge 101A of the outer portion 101 is located
below the
top 96 of the intake and is radially spaced from an exterior surface of the
intake so as
not to be in contact therewith nor with the intake top 96. Thus simply by
lowering the
storage container 14 onto the support stand 74 the seal may be formed between
the
bottom discharge 55 and the chute intake 91.
The chute 90 is inclined so as to extend along a linear path downwardly
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and horizontally from the intake 91 of the chute to the discharge 94 of the
chute at an
angle between 30 and 40 degrees below a horizontal plane so that the proppant
guided
therethrough by gravity and dispensed by gravity to the receiving conveying
apparatus
is suitably discharged.
The chute 90 is supported in fixed relation to the platform 81 by a pair of
spaced substantially parallel and substantially horizontally extending beams
102
connected to the platform 81 such that the chute is disposed between the beams
102.
The beams 102 span between a diametrically opposite pair of the platform cross
members 83 and are connected to undersides thereof. The beams 102 are
generally
tubular in shape and open at one or more ends thereof so as to be suited for
receiving
forks of a forklift for moving the support stand 74 at the hydraulic
fracturing site. Thus
the beams 102 act as forklift pockets. The chute 90 extends from its intake 91
to its
discharge 94 substantially parallel to the beams 102 so as to be disposed at a
location
relative to the forklift pockets where the chute 90 is less likely to be
inadvertently struck
by forks of a forklift.
Interconnecting each beam 102 and the chute 90 is an inclined beam
member 105 extending upwardly and horizontally from the beam to the chute
which has
its intake 91 held above the beam 102. These inclined beam members 105 form
with
the chute 90 a generally arch-shaped assembly bridging between the forklift
pocket
beams 102. A pair of parallel supplementary support members 107 depends at an
incline from one of the platform cross-members 83 to a top of the chute nearer
its
discharge 94 so as to support the chute thereat, such that the chute discharge
94 is
suspended from the platform 81. Thus there are no support members below the
chute
so as to leave an area between the stand legs 76 substantially unobstructed
for
operators to move around.
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Returning now to the arrangement of the storage container 14 on the
support stand 74 within the array, between the rows 71, 72 of the array is
located the
feed conveyor 16 which is operable to receive the proppant from the storage
containers
12, 14 and is arranged in a manner so as to transfer particulate material in
the form of
the proppants in a direction which is substantially parallel to the rows 71,
72 to a
discharge 75 of the feed conveyor. In this configuration, the array of
otherwise adjacent
rows is interrupted by the feed conveyor 16 disposed intermediate the rows 71,
72.
Each storage container and more generally each row of storage containers is
located
to one side of the feed conveyor.
Referring to Figures 2 and 4, in order to minimize height of the support
stand 74 (for example, so as to maintain a lowest possible center of gravity
of the
storage container 14) while providing a prescribed angle of inclination of the
chute 90
for suitable discharge of proppant by gravity, the second type of proppant
storage
container 14 carried on the support stand 74 is located more closely to the
feed
conveyor 16 in a transverse direction to the rows than the first type of
proppant storage
container 12. Thus, where at least one of the second type of storage container
14 is
located in a common row with at least one of the first type of proppant
storage container
12, a center of the second type of proppant storage container 14 carried on
the support
stand 74 and arranged in the array is offset from a center of the respective
one of the
first type of proppant storage container 12 in a direction towards the feed
conveyor so
as to be located more closely thereto.
Referring to Figure 5, the terminus 69 of the bottom discharge of the
second type of proppant storage container 14 disposed on the support stand 74
is
raised relative to the terminus 32 of the bottom discharge of the first type
of storage
container 12. This may enable suitable discharge of the proppant from the
second type
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of storage container when achieved by gravity through the chute 90.
Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the feed conveyor 16 generally comprises a
plurality of intakes 111 on sides of the feed conveyor 16 so as to accept
particulate
material transferred in a transverse substantially non-vertical direction to
the conveying
direction thereof. Each intake 111 is disposed in operative communication with
the
discharge of the respective one of the storage containers 12 or 14 in the
array such that
the feed conveyor 16 is operatively coupled to receive the first and second
types of
proppant stored in the first and second types of proppant storage containers
12, 14. In
the illustrated arrangement, the operative coupling is achieved by a bridging
conduit
113 which extends from the intake 111 defined by a housing 115 of the feed
conveyor
16 to the storage container discharge. The feed conveyor 16 includes a
conveying
member 118 supported within the housing 115 in a manner so as to be operable
to
transfer the received proppant from the intakes 111 in a longitudinal
direction along the
feed conveyor towards a common conveyor discharge 75 which releases the
proppant
to a discharge location located outside a footprint of the array of storage
containers.
The blender 18 is operatively coupled to the discharge 75 of the feed
conveyor 16 so as to receive the particulate material in the form of the
proppants
therefrom for mixing to form the proppant mixture. The blender 18 is in the
form of a
bin with an open top which is disposed at a location coinciding with the
discharge 75 of
the feed conveyor so as to be disposed in operative communication therewith to
receive
the proppants.
A hydraulic fracturing operation is designed to be portable so that
equipment can be readily moved from one site to the next so as to be reused.
As such, in use of the proppant delivery system 10, all of the storage
.. containers 12 and 14 to be used in the fracking operation are initially
transported to the
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site, as well as the feed conveyor 16 which is mounted on a towable frame and
the
blender 18 which typically also is mounted on a towable frame. The first, silo
type of
storage container 12 is transported to the fracking site in an emptied state
on a trailer
towed by a semi-tractor. During transport the first type of storage container
12 is
.. supported in a substantially horizontal orientation where its axis 23 is
substantially
horizontal, but upon arrival at or delivery to the fracking site where the
storage container
of the first type 12 will be used to temporarily store proppant, the storage
container 12
is raised by operation of the specially designed trailer from its horizontal
transport
condition to an upstanding condition in which the first type of storage
container 12 is
.. rested on its base 39 with which it was transported. When the storage
container 12 is
being disposed in its upstanding condition it is arranged at the desired
location on the
fracking site for placement upon raising of the storage container 12 as it is
not readily
portable when disposed in the upstanding condition. Once disposed in the
upstanding
operating condition, transport trucks carrying proppant for storage in the
first type of
storage container 12 are dispatched to the fracking site and the proppant is
transferred
therefrom to the storage container 12 locally at the fracking site.
In contrast, the second type of storage container 14 is filled with material
at a remote location to the fracking site and is loaded typically onto a flat
deck trailer
towed by a semi-tractor for transport to the fracking site. At the fracking
site, the storage
container of the second type 14 is handled by a forklift which lifts the
storage container
and moves to the desired location within the site.
Prior to arranging the storage container of the second type 14 in the array,
the support stand 74 which is distinct from the storage container is arranged
in the
array, basically at the location where the storage container 14 is to be
disposed, so as
to locate the support stand to one side of the feed conveyor 16 in accordance
with the
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array. The second type of storage container 14 is then located on the support
stand
74, so as to be supported to one side of the feed conveyor at a spaced height
above
the ground surface so that the bottom discharge 55 thereof is transversely
spaced from
the feed conveyor 16 and is spaced above the ground surface.
With the second type of storage container 14 supported on the support
stand 74 and arranged in the array, proppant from the storage container 14 is
then
transferred to the feed conveyor 16 for subsequent delivery to the blender 18.
Once the storage container 14 is emptied, it is transported back to the
remote filling site and replaced in the array by another like container which
is pre-filled.
If secondary types of proppants are no longer needed, then the used storage
container
14 can be replaced in the array by a storage container of the first type 12.
In this manner the secondary types of proppant which are stored in the
second type of proppant storage container 14 can be discharged to the feed
conveyor
16 which cannot otherwise receive the contents thereof as the feed conveyor is
not
arranged to support the storage container 14 vertically thereabove. This
provides the
advantage of using the feed conveyor 16 which typically is arranged with
measurement
devices to monitor quantities of the secondary types of proppant which are
dispensed
for use in the proppant mixture.
As described herein the present invention relates generally to adapting a
proppant storage container of the type comprising a rectanguloid container
with a
bottom discharge and a support frame forming an annular base for resting on a
ground
surface, where the annular base encompasses the bottom discharge and is
disposed
substantially at common height therewith, for use in proppant delivery system
typically
suited for a proppant storage container of the type comprising a silo mounted
in an
elevated condition above a planar base adapted for resting on the ground
surface by
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providing a support stand to raise the rectanguloid-type container above the
ground
surface, so that the bottom discharge of the container can be operatively
communicated
with a feed conveyor located to one side thereof so as to transfer stored
proppant
thereto. Preferably the support stand is distinct from the rectanguloid-type
container so
that the existing functionality thereof remains unchanged.
The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred
embodiments set forth in the examples but should be given the broadest
interpretation
consistent with the specification as a whole.
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