Proppant discharge system having a container and the process for providing proppant to a well site
First Claim
1. A process for providing fracking proppant to a well site, the process comprising:
- delivering the proppant to a loading station, the proppant having a substantially round, spherical shape and a tightly-graded particle distribution;
providing a plurality of proppant containers, each of the plurality of proppant containers comprising;
lateral sidewalls,a top,a bottom distal from the top,an outlet in the bottom,ramps extending upwardly at an angle from the bottom toward the lateral sidewalls and each ramp of the ramps terminating at a portion lower than a vertical extent of the lateral sidewalls, the ramps positioned to funnel the proppant toward the outlet along substantially smooth, planar surfaces and being surrounded by the sidewalls extending to the bottom;
an inner volume defined by the top, bottom and lateral sidewalls enclosing the ramps within the inner volume, anda gate adjacent the outlet, the gate being moveable between an open position and a closed position to enable the proppant to flow out of the inner volume;
loading each of the plurality of containers with the delivered proppant at the loading station, such that the inner volume is substantially filled with proppant, the proppant substantially being evenly distributed in the inner volume of each of the one or more containers upon loading completion;
transporting each of the plurality of containers to the well site;
positioning each of the plurality of containers on a top surface of a support structure positioned at the well site, the support structure having spaced apart rails extending continuously from a first end to a second end and being positioned to receive the plurality of the containers thereon at discrete cradles so that the plurality of containers are arranged in a side-by-side arrangement and separately moveable on and off of the support structure; and
discharging the loaded proppant from one or more of the plurality of containers positioned on the support structure by selectively moving the gate so that the proppant flows from within the inner volume through the outlet.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A proppant discharge system includes a container having an outlet formed at a bottom thereof, a gate affixed at the outlet and positioned on the floor of the container so as to be movable between a first position covering the outlet to a second position opening the outlet, a support structure having the container positioned on the top surface thereof. The support structure has at least one actuator affixed thereto. The actuator is positioned so as to move the gate between the first position and the second position. The container has a cage affixed on the floor thereof in a position over the outlet. The gate is positioned within the cage and is movable by the actuator so as to open the gate so as to allow proppant to be discharged therefrom.
466 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A process for providing fracking proppant to a well site, the process comprising:
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delivering the proppant to a loading station, the proppant having a substantially round, spherical shape and a tightly-graded particle distribution; providing a plurality of proppant containers, each of the plurality of proppant containers comprising; lateral sidewalls, a top, a bottom distal from the top, an outlet in the bottom, ramps extending upwardly at an angle from the bottom toward the lateral sidewalls and each ramp of the ramps terminating at a portion lower than a vertical extent of the lateral sidewalls, the ramps positioned to funnel the proppant toward the outlet along substantially smooth, planar surfaces and being surrounded by the sidewalls extending to the bottom; an inner volume defined by the top, bottom and lateral sidewalls enclosing the ramps within the inner volume, and a gate adjacent the outlet, the gate being moveable between an open position and a closed position to enable the proppant to flow out of the inner volume; loading each of the plurality of containers with the delivered proppant at the loading station, such that the inner volume is substantially filled with proppant, the proppant substantially being evenly distributed in the inner volume of each of the one or more containers upon loading completion; transporting each of the plurality of containers to the well site; positioning each of the plurality of containers on a top surface of a support structure positioned at the well site, the support structure having spaced apart rails extending continuously from a first end to a second end and being positioned to receive the plurality of the containers thereon at discrete cradles so that the plurality of containers are arranged in a side-by-side arrangement and separately moveable on and off of the support structure; and discharging the loaded proppant from one or more of the plurality of containers positioned on the support structure by selectively moving the gate so that the proppant flows from within the inner volume through the outlet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A process for providing fracking proppant to a well site, the process comprising:
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providing a plurality of proppant containers, each of the plurality of proppant containers comprising; lateral sidewalls, one or more of the lateral sidewalls having one or more lateral wall dividers, a top, a bottom distal from the top, an outlet in the bottom, ramps extending upwardly at an angle from the bottom toward the lateral sidewalls and each ramp of the ramps terminating at a portion lower than a vertical extent of the lateral sidewalls, the ramps positioned to funnel the proppant toward the outlet; an inner volume at least partially defined by the top, bottom and lateral sidewalls, and a gate adjacent the outlet, the gate being moveable between an open position and a closed position to enable the proppant to flow out of the inner volume; loading each of the plurality of containers with the delivered proppant at the loading station, such that the inner volume is substantially filled with proppant, the proppant substantially being evenly distributed in the inner volume of each of the one or more containers upon loading completion; positioning each of the plurality of containers on a top surface of a support structure positioned at the well site, the support structure having spaced apart rails extending continuously from a first end to a second end and being positioned to receive the plurality of the containers thereon so that the plurality of containers are arranged in a side-by-side arrangement and separately moveable on and off of the support structure; and discharging the loaded proppant from one or more of the plurality of containers positioned on the support structure by selectively moving the gate so that the proppant flows from within the inner volume through the outlet.
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Specification