System and method for delivering proppant to a blender

• US 9,670,752 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SandBox Enterprises LLC (U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oren Technologies LLC (U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Oren, Joshua, Glynn, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): HESS, DOUGLAS A
• Application Number:
  US14/854,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20160355346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 41422201, 414287, 414334, 414406, 414522, 414523, 414813, 2221851, 222371, 198538, 198539, 198540, 198543, 198544
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/19 having means for controlling material flow, e.g. to prevent overloading
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/42 using belt or chain conveyors

Abstract

A system for conveying proppant includes a conveyor system having a conveyor belt, the conveyor belt receiving proppant from one or more containers having proppant stored therein distributed along the conveyor system and carrying the proppant away from the conveyors. The system also includes a conveyor assembly having one or more joints to enable expansion and collapse of the conveyor belt. The system further includes a proppant chute positioned at an end of the conveyor assembly, the proppant chute having an opening to direct the proppant from the conveyor belt into a blending hopper, the proppant chute being positioned at a higher elevation than an inlet of the blending hopper such that the proppant exits the proppant chute into the blending hopper via gravity feed.

Claims

1. A system for conveying proppant, the system comprising:

a conveyor system having a conveyor belt and a control system to measure the flow of proppant a blending hopper, the conveyor belt receiving proppant from one or more containers having proppant stored therein distributed along the conveyor system and carrying the proppant away from the conveyors system;

a conveyor assembly extending at an upward angle away from the one or more containers to thereby increase an elevation of the proppant positioned on the conveyor belt;

a proppant chute positioned at an end of the conveyor assembly, the proppant chute having an opening to direct the proppant from the conveyor belt into the blending hopper, the proppant chute being positioned at a higher elevation than an inlet of the blending hopper such that the proppant exits the proppant chute into the blending hopper via gravity feed; and

a tub positioned upstream of the inlet of the blending hopper to direct the proppant from the proppant chute into the blending hopper, wherein the tub is at a lower elevation than the proppant chute and is coupled to the blending hopper.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the tub is removable from the blending hopper to reduce the vertical height of the blending hopper to facilitate transportation of the blending hopper.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more containers comprise a plurality of containers arranged in a side-by-side configuration along a length of the conveyor system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises one or more sensors for measuring a weight of the proppant, a speed of the conveyor belt, a rate of discharge from the one or more containers, or a combination thereof.

5. A system to convey proppant, the system comprising:

a conveyor system to receive and support one or more containers having proppant stored therein;

a conveyor belt positioned beneath the one or more containers to receive the proppant dispensed from the one or more containers and to transport the proppant away from the one or more containers;

a conveyor assembly positioned at an end of the conveyor system, the conveyor assembly having an inclined section that increases a vertical position of the conveyor belt relative to a ground plane;

a proppant chute positioned at the end of the conveyor assembly, the proppant chute moveable to direct the proppant away from the conveyor belt;

a blending hopper positioned proximate the conveyor system to receive and mix the proppant with one or more proppant fluids for injection into a well; and

a tub positioned at and coupled to an inlet of the blending hopper between the blending hopper and the proppant chute, the tub being removable from the blending hopper and positioned at a lower elevation than the proppant chute when coupled to the blending hopper.

6. The system of claim 5, comprising a control system to measure a flow rate of proppant to the blending hopper via one or more sensors.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a conveyor belt speed, a container dispersion rate, or a combination thereof is adjusted via the control system based on an output from the one or more sensors indicative of the flow rate.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more sensors is a weight sensor positioned in the tub to monitor the weight of proppant in the tub as the proppant flows to the blending hopper.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more sensors is a level sensor positioned in the tub to monitor a quantity of proppant in the tub as the proppant flows to the blending hopper.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the control system adjusts one or more parameters of the conveyor system to maintain a substantially constant quantity of proppant in the tub during wellbore operations.

11. A method comprising:

dispensing proppant from a container positioned on a conveyor system onto a conveyor belt;

transporting the proppant, via the conveyor belt, away from the container and toward a conveyor assembly;

transferring the proppant to a proppant chute such that the elevation of the proppant on the conveyor belt is increased;

directing the proppant into a blending hopper via gravity feed; and

directing the proppant into a tub positioned between the proppant chute and the blending hopper, the tub being removably coupled to the blending hopper and having a lower elevation than the proppant on the conveyor belt.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising adjusting a flow rate of the proppant to the blending hopper via a control system based on feedback from a weight sensor positioned in the tub, the weight sensor outputting a signal to the control system indicative of a quantity of proppant flowing to the blending hopper.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising adjusting a flow rate of the proppant from the container via a control system based on feedback from one or more sensors positioned downstream of the container.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising adjusting a speed of the conveyor belt via feedback from the one or more sensors.