Mobile support structure for bulk material containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11939152-B2
Application number	US-201916686553-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2019
Priority date	Jul 22, 2015
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods for efficiently managing bulk material are provided. The disclosure is directed to a portable support structure used to receive one or more portable containers of bulk material and output bulk material from the containers directly into the blender hopper. The portable support structure may include a frame for receiving and holding the one or more portable bulk material containers in an elevated position proximate the blender hopper, as well as one or more gravity feed outlets for routing the bulk material from the containers directly into the blender hopper. In some embodiments, the portable support structure may be transported to the well site on a trailer, unloaded from the trailer, and positioned proximate the blender unit. In other embodiments, the portable support structure may be a mobile support structure that is integrated into a trailer unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving a plurality of portable containers of bulk material onto a portable support structure disposed proximate a blender inlet, wherein the portable support structure comprises a plurality of frames, each configured to support one of the plurality of portable containers, wherein one of the plurality of frames comprises an open space therein configured to receive the blender inlet of a blender, wherein, with the plurality of portable containers each supported by the corresponding frame, each portable container is configured to discharge bulk material into the corresponding frame, wherein each of the plurality of frames comprises a gravity feed outlet configured to direct bulk material from the corresponding portable container supported thereon to the blender inlet in the open space without routing the bulk material onto a conveyor, wherein the portable containers are selectively removable from the corresponding frame and replaceable by another portable container; and
feeding the bulk material from the plurality of portable containers directly into the blender inlet via the gravity feed outlets.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising positioning a blender unit having the blender inlet underneath the portable support structure after positioning the portable support structure.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising positioning the portable support structure over a blender unit having the blender inlet such that one end of each gravity feed outlets is disposed in the blender inlet after positioning the blender unit.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the portable support structure from a trailer via a hoisting mechanism and positioning the portable support structure at a site.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transporting the portable support structure to a site via a trailer unit, wherein the portable support structure is integrated with the trailer unit.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
releasing the bulk material from one or more of the portable containers by actuating a discharge gate of the portable containers via an actuator disposed on the portable support structure.

7. A method, comprising:
providing a portable support structure at a well job site;
positioning the portable support structure and a blender unit relative to one another; and
delivering bulk material from a plurality of portable containers directly into a blender hopper of the blender unit via gravity feed outlets of the portable support structure;
wherein the portable support structure comprises a plurality of frames, each configured to support one of the plurality of portable containers, wherein one of the plurality of frames comprises an open space therein configured to receive the blender hopper, wherein the gravity feed outlet for each frame is configured to route the bulk material released from the corresponding portable container directly into the blender hopper disposed within the open space, and wherein the plurality of portable containers are selectively removable from the corresponding frame and replaceable by another portable container.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the portable support structure is configured to receive up to three portable containers at one time, and wherein the portable containers are substantially at the same elevation when received onto the frames of the portable support structure.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the portable support structure is adapted for receiving the blender hopper proximate an open-space end of each gravity feed outlets.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising positioning the blender unit having the blender hopper underneath the portable support structure after positioning the portable support structure.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising positioning the portable support structure over the blender unit having the blender hopper such that an open-space end of each gravity feed outlet is disposed in the blender hopper after positioning the blender unit.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising removing the portable support structure from a trailer via a hoisting mechanism and positioning the portable support structure at a site.

13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising transporting the portable support structure to a site via a trailer unit, wherein the portable support structure is integrated with the trailer unit.

14. The method of claim 7 , further comprising delivering the bulk material from the plurality of portable containers directly into the blender hopper via the gravity feed outlets; mixing the bulk material to produce a treating fluid; and pumping the treating fluid into a well.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the bulk material comprises sand, the treating fluid comprisesis a fracing fluid, and the well is a hydrocarbon recovery well.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the bulk material comprises cement, the treating fluid comprises a cement slurry, and the well is a hydrocarbon recovery well.

17. The method of claim 7 , further comprising using the bulk material in drilling and/or completing a well.

18. The method of claim 7 , wherein the bulk material comprises a liquid.

19. The method of claim 7 , wherein the bulk material for each portable container is selected from the group consisting of sand, proppant, gel particulate, diverting agent, dry-gel particulate, and liquid additives.

20. The method of claim 7 , further comprising metering flow of the bulk material from the blender hopper to a mixer of the blender unit having the blender hopper.

21. The method of claim 7 , further comprising using the bulk material to produce a treating fluid; and pumping the treating fluid into a well.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the treating fluid is a fracing fluid, a mixture combining multiple types of proppant, a proppant/dry-gel particulate mixture, a sand/sand-diverting agents mixture, a cement slurry, a drilling mud, a mortar, or a concrete mixture.

23. The method of claim 7 , further comprising using the bulk material for diversion or a conductor-frac application in a hydrocarbon recovery well.

24. The method of claim 7 , wherein the portable support structure is configured to receive up to three portable containers at one time.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the portable containers are at substantially the same elevation when received onto the frame of the portable support structure at the same time.

26. The method of claim 7 , further comprising selectively placing and removing one of the plurality of portable containers on the portable support structure.

27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising lifting one of the plurality of portable containers via a hoisting mechanism.

28. The method of claim 7 , wherein the portable support structure further comprises a plurality of beams that form the plurality of frames, and wherein the plurality of frames comprises a continuous group of cubic or rectangular shaped frames coupled end to end.

29. The method of claim 7 , wherein the portable support structure further comprises a continuous, elongated rectangular body broken into three distinct cubic/rectangular frames, and wherein each cubic/rectangular frame is adapted to support one of the portable containers.

30. The method of claim

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Hawkins Thomas W
• Lewis Bryan John
• Miller Tori H
• Warren Wesley John
• Schaffner Austin Carl
• Fowler Glenn Ray
• Lucas Bryan Chapman
• Stegemoeller Calvin L

Classifications

• B65D90/125 Primary

  Docking stations, i.e. for the temporary support of the container · CPC title

• B62D63/06

  Trailers (vehicles comprising living accommodation for people, e.g. caravans, camping or like vehicles B60P3/32) · CPC title

• B65D88/1612

  Flexible intermediate bulk containers [FIBC] · CPC title

• B65D88/26

  Hoppers, i.e. containers having funnel-shaped discharge sections (B65D88/34 - B65D88/78 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D90/20

  Frames or nets, e.g. for flexible containers · CPC title