Proppant discharge system and a container for use in such a proppant discharge system
First Claim
1. A method of providing fracking proppant to a well site for use when hydraulic fracking is to be performed, the method comprising:
- removing, by use of a forklift positioned at the well site, a series of a plurality of individual containers that each contains fracking proppant and when each is positioned on a separate trailer of a transport road vehicle, upon arrival to and when positioned adjacent a well site at a location where hydraulic fracking is to be performed, each of the separate trailers having a single one of the plurality of containers positioned thereon, each of the plurality of containers having an outlet positioned at a bottom thereof, a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, the pair of end walls and the pair of side walls forming a substantially rectangular upper section of the container, a plurality of ramps coupled to the pair of end walls and the pair of side walls and having an elevation lower than the substantially rectangular upper section extending downwardly and inwardly from the pair of end walls and from the pair of side walls toward the outlet, a gate positioned to prevent proppant from flowing from the outlet when in a closed position and to allow proppant to flow from the outlet when in an open position, one or more support bars positioned proximate the plurality of ramps and extending across the walls, and one or more fork receptacles positioned adjacent the bottom of the container to receive forks from the forklift therein thereby to lift the container;
transferring, after removal from each separate trailer of the road vehicle, each of the plurality of containers with the forklift to a support structure positioned at the well site, the support structure having a frame with a pair of spaced apart rails extending substantially in a horizontal plane and continuously from a first end of the support structure to a second end of the support structure so that each of the plurality of containers when positioned on the support structure overlays a conveyor positioned to underlie the pair of spaced apart rails of the frame of the support structure, the pair of spaced apart rails of the frame of the support structure including a plurality of cradles each positioned to receive one of the plurality of containers so that each of the plurality of containers is positioned in a side-by-side relationship along the pair of spaced apart rails of the support structure, the conveyor also being positioned to underlie each of the plurality of cradles;
actuating the gate of each of the plurality of containers to move the gate from the closed position to the open position in a substantially horizontal plane that is substantially parallel to the horizontally extending portions of the frame;
discharging, responsive to actuation of the gate of each of the plurality of containers, by gravity feed the fracking proppant contained within each of the plurality of containers after a respective one of the plurality of containers is positioned on the support structure and within a cradle of the plurality of cradles, the proppant within each of the plurality of containers flowing along the plurality of ramps and through the outlet positioned at the bottom of each container thereby to direct the proppant to the conveyor; and
conveying the fracking proppant received on the conveyor after the fracking proppant is discharged onto the conveyor to a desired location at the well site to be used in the hydraulic fracking operation.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A proppant discharge system has a container with an outlet positioned in a bottom thereof and a gate affixed adjacent the outlet so as to be movable between a first position covering the outlet to a second position opening the outlet, and a support structure having an actuator thereon. The container is removably positioned on the top surface of the support structure. The actuator is engageable with gate so as to move the gate from the first position to the second position. A conveyor underlies the container so as to receive proppant as discharged from the container through the outlet. The container can be a ten foot ISO container.
463 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of providing fracking proppant to a well site for use when hydraulic fracking is to be performed, the method comprising:
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removing, by use of a forklift positioned at the well site, a series of a plurality of individual containers that each contains fracking proppant and when each is positioned on a separate trailer of a transport road vehicle, upon arrival to and when positioned adjacent a well site at a location where hydraulic fracking is to be performed, each of the separate trailers having a single one of the plurality of containers positioned thereon, each of the plurality of containers having an outlet positioned at a bottom thereof, a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, the pair of end walls and the pair of side walls forming a substantially rectangular upper section of the container, a plurality of ramps coupled to the pair of end walls and the pair of side walls and having an elevation lower than the substantially rectangular upper section extending downwardly and inwardly from the pair of end walls and from the pair of side walls toward the outlet, a gate positioned to prevent proppant from flowing from the outlet when in a closed position and to allow proppant to flow from the outlet when in an open position, one or more support bars positioned proximate the plurality of ramps and extending across the walls, and one or more fork receptacles positioned adjacent the bottom of the container to receive forks from the forklift therein thereby to lift the container; transferring, after removal from each separate trailer of the road vehicle, each of the plurality of containers with the forklift to a support structure positioned at the well site, the support structure having a frame with a pair of spaced apart rails extending substantially in a horizontal plane and continuously from a first end of the support structure to a second end of the support structure so that each of the plurality of containers when positioned on the support structure overlays a conveyor positioned to underlie the pair of spaced apart rails of the frame of the support structure, the pair of spaced apart rails of the frame of the support structure including a plurality of cradles each positioned to receive one of the plurality of containers so that each of the plurality of containers is positioned in a side-by-side relationship along the pair of spaced apart rails of the support structure, the conveyor also being positioned to underlie each of the plurality of cradles; actuating the gate of each of the plurality of containers to move the gate from the closed position to the open position in a substantially horizontal plane that is substantially parallel to the horizontally extending portions of the frame; discharging, responsive to actuation of the gate of each of the plurality of containers, by gravity feed the fracking proppant contained within each of the plurality of containers after a respective one of the plurality of containers is positioned on the support structure and within a cradle of the plurality of cradles, the proppant within each of the plurality of containers flowing along the plurality of ramps and through the outlet positioned at the bottom of each container thereby to direct the proppant to the conveyor; and conveying the fracking proppant received on the conveyor after the fracking proppant is discharged onto the conveyor to a desired location at the well site to be used in the hydraulic fracking operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for storing and unloading of fracking proppant at a well site for use when hydraulic fracking is to be performed, comprising:
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removing a plurality of containers that contain fracking proppant therein from a trailer of one or more transport vehicles adjacent to a well site, each of the plurality of containers having an outlet positioned at a bottom thereof, an upper substantially rectangular portion formed by a pair of end walls and a pair of side walls, a plurality of structural support members arranged in a substantially vertical orientation to extend between the bottom and a top, and a lower portion coupled to the upper portion having a ramped section proximate the bottom and at an elevation lower than a vertical extent of the pair of end walls and the pair of side walls forming the upper substantially rectangular portion; arranging a first container of the plurality of containers in a stacked orientation with a second container of the plurality of containers such that the respective structural support members of the first and second containers are aligned and in contact with one another while the first and second containers are stacked in the stacked orientation; transferring the first container onto a support structure from the stacked orientation, the first container being positioned on top of the second container before being moved to the support structure and the first container being removed from the stacked orientation via a forklift; and selectively opening the outlet of the first container to direct the fracking proppant out of the container and onto a conveyor positioned below the support structure, the conveyor carrying the fracking proppant away from the first container. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for storing and unloading of fracking proppant at a well site for use when hydraulic fracking is to be performed, comprising:
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loading a plurality of containers filled with fracking proppant onto a trailer of at least one transport vehicle, each container of the plurality of containers having an upper portion defined by a pair of end walls and a pair of side walls, a top, a bottom having an outlet, a plurality of structural support members positioned at intersections between the pair of end walls and the pair of side walls, and a lower portion extending from the upper portion to the bottom shaped to direct the fracking proppant out of the container, the lower portion being supported by a plurality of ramp supports extending upwardly from the bottom to the lower portion and being positioned at a lower elevation than the lower portion, and a vertical extent of the pair of side walls and the pair of end walls; transporting the plurality of containers via the at least one transport vehicle to a well site adjacent an area where hydraulic fracturing is to be performed; removing the plurality of containers from the trailer of the at least one transport vehicle when the at least one transport vehicle is proximate the well site, the well site having a staging area to store the plurality of containers until hydraulic fracturing is to be performed; arranging the plurality of containers in a stacked configuration in the staging area such that one or more containers of the plurality of containers are stacked on top of one another and the plurality of structural support members of each of the one or more containers are substantially aligned; removing a container of the plurality of containers from the stacked configuration and positioning the container onto a support structure, the support structure being positioned proximate the well site and arranged to receive the plurality of containers in a side by side arrangement; and dispensing the fracking proppant from the container such that the fracking proppant flows out of the outlet via gravity feed to direct it away from the container. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification