Proppant discharge system and a container for use in such a proppant discharge system

• US 9,834,373 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2014
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2012
• 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, John, Oren, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): SNELTING, JONATHAN D
• Application Number:
  US14/485,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20150003955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,179 Days
• Field of Search: 410 68, 414328, 414329, 414332, 414810
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/56 the load-transporting element having bottom discharging openings
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2231/008 integral with the container wall
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2547/04 Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2588/12 specially adapted for transport
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2590/664 actuating mechanism other than manual, e.g. pneumatic, electropneumatic, hydraulic, electromagnetic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 7/00 Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of metal specially constructed to be opened by cutting, piercing, or tearing of wall portions B65D17/00; pallets B65D19/00; tanks for domestic water storage heaters F24H1/181
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/06 for dispensing powdered or granular material B65D83/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/02 rigid B65D88/34 - B65D88/78 take precedence; hoppers B65D88/26; special vessels for collecting or storing rain-water for use in the household E03B3/03; cesspools E03F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/022 in multiple arrangement, e.g. stackable, nestable, connected or joined together side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/12 specially adapted for transport associated with vehicles, see the relevant subclasses of B60 - B64
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/121 ISO containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/129 Transporter frames for containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/26 Hoppers, i.e. containers having funnel-shaped discharge sections B65D88/34 - B65D88/78 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/28 Construction or shape of discharge section
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/30 specially adapted to facilitate transportation from one utilisation site to another collapsible hoppers B65D88/52
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/32 in multiple arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/38 with surface water receiver, e.g. drain
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/54 characterised by means facilitating filling or emptying filling or emptying features for flexible large containers B65B69/0075; construction or shape of discharge section of hoppers B65D88/28; gates or closures B65D90/54; filling or emptying bunkers, hoppers, or like containers B65G65/30
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/542 Ramps forming part of the container ramps per se B65G69/28; for ambulances A61G3/061; for vehicles in general B60P1/43
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/20 Frames or nets, e.g. for flexible containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/54 : Gates or closures for manholes B65D90/10; covers or similar closure members, for pressure vessels in general F16J13/00; valves per se F16K; doors for containers B65D90/008
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/58 : having closure members sliding in the plane of the opening
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/587 : having a linear motion
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/66 : Operating devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/042 : Granular material
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2814/0319 : through a closable or non-closable outlet opening
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2814/032 : using a belt or chain conveyor in or beneath the opening
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/30 : Methods or devices for filling or emptying bunkers, hoppers, tanks, or like containers, of interest apart from their use in particular chemical or physical processes or their application in particular machines, e.g. not covered by a single other subclass devices for tilting and emptying containers B65G65/23; such containers having means facilitating filling or emptying B65D88/54
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/40 : Devices for emptying otherwise than from the top
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/42 : using belt or chain conveyors

Abstract

A proppant discharge system has a container with an outlet formed at a bottom thereof and a gate slidably affixed at 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 is a ten foot ISO container.

Claims

1. A process for delivering proppant to a fracturing site, the process comprising:

providing a container having an interior suitable for receiving the proppant therein, the container having a pair of sidewalls, a pair of end walls, and a bottom region, the container further having an outlet positioned in the bottom region thereof and a gate adjacent the outlet of the container, and a ramp connected to each of the sidewalls and each of the end walls at a substantially equal height, each ramp positioned to extend to the outlet adjacent the bottom region of the container to form a funnel-like shape;

filling the container with the proppant;

moving the filled container along a roadway on a vehicle to the fracturing site;

placing the filled container upon a conveyor structure, the conveyor structure positioned to include a hopper positioned below a top surface thereof, the hopper positioned to include a metering gate positioned adjacent a bottom region thereof, the metering gate positioned at an elevation above a conveyor of the conveyor structure, and the filled container positioned at an elevation directly above the hopper of the conveyor structure;

discharging the proppant from the outlet of the container onto the conveyor;

actuating the gate with an actuator so as to move the gate from a first position closing the outlet to a second position opening the outlet; and

conveying the discharged proppant to a desired location at the fracturing site.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of providing further comprises:

providing the container so as to have a length of approximately ten feet.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the conveyor structure has the actuator thereon, the actuator being connected to a receptacle.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of discharging comprises:

discharging the proppant from the outlet of the container into the hopper of the conveyor structure; and

metering the proppant through the metering gate at a controlled flow rate so as to be discharged therefrom onto the conveyor.

5. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

placing the filled container upon a train;

transporting the filled container on the train to a location;

removing the filled container from the train; and

placing the removed filled container onto the vehicle.

6. A process for delivering proppant to a fracturing site, the process comprising:

filling each of a plurality of proppant containers with proppant so as to define a plurality of filled proppant containers;

transporting each of the filled proppant containers along a roadway on a different vehicle to the fracturing site;

placing the plurality of filled proppant containers upon a conveyor structure, each of the plurality of containers having a pair of sidewalls, a pair of end walls, and a bottom region, each container further having an outlet positioned in the bottom region thereof and a gate adjacent the outlet of each container, and a ramp connected to each of the sidewalls and each of the end walls at a substantially equal height, each ramp positioned to extend to the outlet adjacent the bottom region of the container to form a funnel-like shape;

discharging the proppant from the outlet of each of the plurality of containers onto the conveyor structure;

actuating the gate with an actuator so as to move the gate from a first position closing the outlet of each container to a second position opening the outlet of each container;

conveying the discharged proppant to a desired location at the fracturing site; and

transporting a plurality of emptied proppant containers from the fracturing site so that a plurality of emptied proppant containers are positioned on each of the different vehicles.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the step of providing further comprises:

providing the plurality of containers so as each to have a length of approximately ten feet.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein providing the plurality of containers includes each container having an interior suitable for receiving the proppant therein;

and wherein at least a portion of the funnel-like shape of each of the plurality of containers has visibility from an exterior of the container through open regions in the container.