MOBILE MATERIAL HANDLING AND METERING SYSTEM

• US 20120099954A1
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nextier Completion Solutions Inc. (Patterson-Uti Energy Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ty-Crop Manufacturing Limited
• Inventors: Teichrob, Gary, Easden, James, Mason, Scott, Keck, Dave
• Granted Patent: US 8,944,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/332
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 63/008 for bulk material
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 67/36 endwise
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/132 Vehicle-carried storage member, e.g. portable silo and means for erecting member from attitude during transport to position of intended use

Abstract

A method and system for handling granular material, such as proppant used in hydraulic fracturing in well drilling, is provided. In an operational configuration, a delivery module having conveyors receives and conveys granular material to a delivery location, and one or more mobile storage modules receive, hold and dispense granular material downward to the delivery module. The mobile storage modules comprise a raised, angular container portion for holding granular material. Each module may comprise a rock-over chassis for support against ground. In a transportation configuration, each of the delivery modules and mobile storage modules are separately transportable as semi-trailers. System redundancy features such as hydraulic power packs are also provided for.

Claims

1. A system for handling granular material, the system comprising:

a. a delivery module configured, in a delivery module operational configuration, to receive said granular material and to convey said granular material to a predetermined delivery location; and

b. one or more mobile storage modules adjacent to the delivery module, each of the one or more mobile storage modules configured, in a mobile storage module operational configuration, to hold and dispense said granular material downward to the delivery module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more storage modules are reconfigurable between said mobile storage module operational configuration and a mobile storage module transportation configuration, the mobile storage modules towable as separately transportable trailers in the mobile storage module transportation configuration.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of mobile storage modules comprises:

a. a frame;

b. a container portion supported by the frame and pivotably coupled thereto, the container portion configured to store said granular material and comprising an input port for receiving said granular material and an output port for dispensing said granular material; and

c. an actuating system configured to pivot the container between a lowered position and a raised position, wherein, in the raised position, the input is located above the output.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of mobile storage modules further comprises a loading system configured to convey said granular material thereto.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery module is reconfigurable between said delivery module operational configuration and a delivery module transportation configuration, the delivery module towable as a separately transportable trailer in the delivery module transportation configuration.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery module comprises one or more powered conveyor systems.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery module comprises two or more powered conveyor systems and a crossover conveyor system, the crossover conveyor system configurable to bypass one of the two or more powered conveyor systems.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein two or more mobile storage modules are stationed along one or more opposing sides of the delivery module in the mobile storage module operational configurations.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein two or more mobile storage modules comprise interchangeable components.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the delivery module and the one or more mobile storage modules comprises a chassis, the chassis reconfigurable between a semi-trailer chassis for transportation and a bearing surface for support against ground during operation.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the chassis is a rock-over chassis.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the chassis comprises a wheeled portion movable relative to a bearing surface portion between a first position and a second position, the wheeled portion configured to engage ground in the first position for transportation, the wheeled portion configured to retract from ground in the second position to facilitate engagement of ground by the bearing surface portion.

13. A delivery module for handling granular material, the delivery module configured, in a delivery module operational configuration, to receive said granular material from one or more mobile storage modules and to convey said granular material to a predetermined delivery location, the one or more mobile storage modules adjacent to the delivery module, each of the one or more mobile storage modules configured, in a mobile storage module operational configuration, to hold and dispense said granular material downward to the delivery module.

14. A mobile storage module for handling granular material, the mobile storage module configured, in a mobile storage module operational configuration, to hold and dispense said granular material downward to an adjacent delivery module, the delivery module configured, in a delivery module operational configuration, to receive said granular material from the mobile storage module and to convey said granular material to a predetermined delivery location.

15. The mobile storage module of claim 14, wherein the mobile storage module is reconfigurable between said mobile storage module operational configuration and a mobile storage module transportation configuration, the mobile storage module towable as a trailer in the mobile storage module transportation configuration.

16. The mobile storage module of claim 14, the mobile storage module comprising:

a. a frame;

b. a container portion supported by the frame and pivotably coupled thereto, the container portion configured to store said granular material and comprising an input port for receiving said granular material and an output port for dispensing said granular material; and

c. an actuating system configured to pivot the container between a lowered position and a raised position, wherein, in the raised position, the input is located above the output.

17. The mobile storage module of claim 14, the mobile storage module comprising a loading system configured to convey said granular material thereto.

18. The mobile storage module of claim 14, the mobile storage module comprising a chassis, the chassis reconfigurable between a semi-trailer chassis for transportation and a bearing surface for support against ground during operation.

19. The mobile storage module of claim 18, wherein the chassis is a rock-over chassis.

20. The mobile storage module of claim 18, wherein the chassis comprises a wheeled portion movable relative to a bearing surface portion between a first position and a second position, the wheeled portion configured to engage ground in the first position for transportation, the wheeled portion configured to retract from ground in the second position to facilitate engagement of ground by the bearing surface portion.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein each of the one or more storage modules are reconfigurable between a mobile storage module operational configuration and a mobile storage module transportation configuration, the mobile storage modules towable as separately transportable trailers in the mobile storage module transportation configuration, the method further comprising:

a. transporting the one or more mobile storage modules to positions adjacent to the delivery module in the mobile storage module transportation configurations; and

b. reconfiguring the one or more mobile storage modules to the mobile storage module operational configurations;

21. A method for handling granular material, the method comprising:

a. providing a delivery module configured to receive said granular material and to convey said granular material to a predetermined delivery location; and

b. providing one or more mobile storage modules adjacent to the delivery module, each of the one or more mobile storage modules configured to hold and dispense said granular material downward to the delivery module.