Mobile material handling and metering system

• US 8,944,740 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• 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, Mason, Scott, Keck, Dave, Easden, James
• Primary Examiner(s): KEENAN, JAMES W
• Application Number:
  US12/909,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20120099954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 414/268, 414/332, 414/355, 414/356, 414/474, 414/476, 414/482, 414/483, 414573-575, 414/582, 414/919
• 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 via a continuous belt conveyor;

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 and to receive said granular material for holding via a continuous belt loading system operatively coupled to an input port, the continuous belt loading system being separated from the continuous belt conveyor by the mobile storage module;

wherein the delivery module is mobile and reconfigurable between said delivery module operational configuration and a delivery module transportation configuration and wherein each of the one or more mobile storage modules comprises an integrated actuating system for moving a container portion thereof between a lowered position and a raised position, the raised position corresponding to the mobile storage module operational configuration, and

wherein each of the one or more mobile storage modules further comprises;

a. a frame;

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

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

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more mobile storage modules are reconfigurable between said mobile storage module operational configuration and a mobile storage module transportation configuration, the one or more 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 one or more mobile storage modules further comprises a loading system configured to convey said granular material thereto.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery module is towable as a separately transportable trailer in the delivery module transportation configuration.

5. 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.

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

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more mobile storage modules includes two or more mobile storage modules which comprise interchangeable components.

8. 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.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein reconfiguration of the chassis comprises lowering of a front portion of the chassis to contact the ground.

10. The system of claim 8, 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 the ground in the first position for transportation, the wheeled portion configured to retract from the ground in the second position to facilitate engagement of the ground by the bearing surface portion.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said granular material flows continuously downward from the input port to the output port, wherein each of the one or more mobile storage modules are reconfigurable between said mobile storage module operational configuration and a mobile storage module transportation configuration, said reconfiguring including said pivoting of the container portion between the lowered position and the raised position, and wherein reconfiguration of the mobile storage module from the transportation configuration to the operational configuration refrains from elevation of the output port.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the integrated actuating system comprises a hydraulic cylinder coupled at a first end to the frame and at a second end to the container portion at a location distal from the frame, thereby orienting the hydraulic cylinder at an angle away from horizontal in both the lowered position and the raised position of the container portion.

13. A mobile storage module for providing granular material to an adjacent delivery module, the mobile storage module configured, in a mobile storage module operational configuration, to hold and dispense said granular material downward to the adjacent delivery module, and to receive said granular material for holding via a continuous belt loading system operatively coupled to an input port, the continuous belt loading system being separated from the adjacent delivery module, wherein the mobile storage module comprises an integrated actuating system for moving a container portion thereof between a lowered position and a raised position, the raised position corresponding to the mobile storage module operational configuration, the mobile storage unit comprising:

a. a frame;

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

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

14. The mobile storage module of claim 13, 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.

15. The mobile storage module of claim 13, the mobile storage module comprising a loading system configured to convey said granular material thereto.

16. The mobile storage module of claim 13, 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.

17. The mobile storage module of claim 16, wherein reconfiguration of the chassis comprises lowering of a front portion of the chassis to contact the ground.

18. The mobile storage module of claim 16, 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 the ground in the first position for transportation, the wheeled portion configured to retract from the ground in the second position to facilitate engagement of the ground by the bearing surface portion.

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

a. providing a delivery module configured in a delivery module operational configuration, to receive granular material and to convey said granular material to a predetermined delivery location via a continuous belt conveyor; and

b. providing 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, and to receive said granular material for holding via a continuous belt loading system operatively coupled to an input port, the continuous belt loading system being separated from the continuous belt conveyor by the mobile storage module;

wherein the delivery module is mobile and reconfigurable between said delivery module operational configuration and a delivery module transportation configuration and wherein each of the one or more mobile storage modules comprises an integrated actuating system for moving a container portion thereof between a lowered position and a raised position, the raised position corresponding to the mobile storage module operational configuration, and

wherein each of the one or more mobile storage modules comprises

a. a frame;

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

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

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein each of the one or more mobile storage modules are reconfigurable between a mobile storage module operational configuration and a mobile storage module transportation configuration, the one or more 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 configuration; and

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