Dual gas trailer with sliding piston

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12553571-B2
Application number	US-202217938541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2022
Priority date	Oct 6, 2022
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

In some implementations, a dual gas transport system includes a trailer, one or more tanks mounted on the trailer, wherein each of the one or more tanks includes a first compartment and a second compartment, the first and second compartments being separated from each other by a sliding piston, and an electronic control module configured to control operations of the one or more tanks.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of dual gas transport with a trailer having one or more tanks, comprising sequentially:
receiving natural gas, at a first site, into a first compartment of each of the one or more tanks; transporting the trailer from the first site to a second site; delivering the natural gas, at the second site, out of the first compartment of each of the one or more tanks; receiving CO 2 , at the second site, into a second compartment of each of the one or more tanks; transporting the trailer from the second site to a third site; and delivering the CO 2 , at the third site, out of the second compartment of each of the one or more tanks, wherein controlling actuation of one or more valves associated with the first and second compartments is based on location information from a global positioning system on-board the trailer.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the first site includes a natural gas source, wherein the second site includes at least one of a hydraulic fracturing site or a drilling site, and wherein the third site includes a CO 2 injection well.

3 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more tanks include a plurality of tanks, wherein the plurality of tanks are in fluid communication with a manifold mounted on the trailer, and wherein flow of natural gas and CO 2 into and out of each of the one or more tanks is routed through: at least one field-side port in a body of the manifold; and a plurality of tank-side ports in the body, wherein a separate port of the plurality of tank-side ports is in fluid communication with a corresponding tank of the plurality of tanks.

4 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the trailer includes an electronic control module, and wherein flow of natural gas and CO 2 into and out of each of the one or more tanks is controlled based on actuation of a first valve, of the one or more valves, in fluid communication with each first compartment and a second valve, of the one or more valves, in fluid communication with each second compartment.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the second site further includes a CO 2 capture system, and wherein receiving the CO 2 at the second site further includes receiving the CO 2 from the CO 2 capture system.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the natural gas at a first site further includes controlling actuation of a first valve, of the one or more valves, in fluid communication with the first compartment of each of the one or more tanks, to receive the natural gas into the first compartment of each of the one or more tanks.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein delivering the natural gas at the second site further includes controlling actuation of the first valve to deliver the natural gas out of the first compartment of each of the one or more tanks.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving CO 2 at the second site further includes controlling actuation of a second valve, of the one or more valves, in fluid communication with a second compartment of each of the one or more tanks, to receive the CO 2 into the second compartment of each of the one or more tanks.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein delivering the CO 2 at the third site further includes controlling actuation of the second valve to deliver the CO 2 out of the second compartment of each of the one or more tanks.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling actuation of the one or more valves associated with the first and second compartments for is further based on operation information from a data connection associated with the dual gas transport system.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling actuation of the one or more valves associated with the first and second compartments is further based on at least one of:
pressure information from one or more pressure sensors associated with the one or more tanks, or temperature information from one or more temperature sensors associated with the one or more tanks.

12 . A method of dual gas transport with a trailer having one or more tanks, comprising sequentially:
receiving natural gas, at a first site, into a first compartment of each of the one or more tanks; transporting the trailer from the first site to a second site; delivering the natural gas, at the second site, out of the first compartment of each of the one or more tanks; and receiving CO 2 , at the second site, into a second compartment of each of the one or more tanks, wherein controlling actuation of one or more valves associated with the first and second compartments is based on location information from a global positioning system on-board the trailer.

13 . The method of claim 12 ,
wherein the first site includes a natural gas source, and wherein the second site includes at least one of a hydraulic fracturing site or a drilling site.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the second site further includes a CO 2 capture system, and wherein receiving the CO 2 at the second site further includes receiving the CO 2 from the CO 2 capture system.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein controlling actuation of the one or more valves associated with the first and second compartments is further based on pressure information from one or more pressure sensors associated with the one or more tanks.

16 . A method of dual gas transport with a trailer having one or more tanks, comprising sequentially:
delivering natural gas, at a first site, out of a first compartment of each of the one or more tanks; receiving CO 2 , at the first site, into a second compartment of each of the one or more tanks; transporting the trailer from the first site to a second site; and delivering the CO 2 , at the second site, out of the second compartment of each of the one or more tanks, wherein controlling actuation of one or more valves associated with the first and second compartments is based on location information from a global positioning system on-board the trailer.

17 . The method of claim 16 ,
wherein the first site includes at least one of a hydraulic fracturing site or a drilling site, and wherein the second site includes a CO 2 injection well.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first site further includes a CO 2 capture system, and wherein receiving the CO 2 at the first site further includes receiving the CO 2 from the CO 2 capture system.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein controlling actuation of the one or more valves associated with the first and second compartments is further based on pressure information from one or more pressure sensors associated with the one or more tanks.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Wilks Zachary J
• Deckard Mitchel R

Classifications

• B60P3/24

  compartmented · CPC title

• F17C2270/0171

  Trucks · CPC title

• F17C2201/054

  medium (>1 m3) · CPC title

• F17C2201/0109

  with exteriorly curved end-piece · CPC title

• F17C2205/0332

  Safety valves or pressure relief valves · CPC title