Bulk material unloading systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023174326-A1
Application number	US-202117543080-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 6, 2021
Priority date	Dec 6, 2021
Publication date	Jun 8, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

The disclosure provides a bulk material unloading system and method. The system includes a bulk material container containing a bulk material and an unloading device. The unloading device is configured to engage the bulk material container and at least partially invert the bulk material container. The method includes engaging a bulk material container containing a bulk material with an unloading device and emptying the bulk material container. Emptying the bulk material into the hopper includes lifting the bulk material container using the unloading device and rotating the bulk material container using the unloading device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A bulk material unloading system, comprising:
a bulk material container containing a bulk material; and an unloading device; wherein the unloading device is configured to engage the bulk material container, to lift the bulk material container above a hopper, and to at least partially invert the bulk material container.

2 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 1 , wherein:
the bulk material container includes one or more engagement elements; the unloading device includes one or more engagement elements; and the one or more engagement elements of the unloading device are configured to engage the one or more engagement elements of the bulk material container.

3 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 1 , wherein the unloading device comprises:
a pivot arm; one or more engagement elements; a first connector coupled between the pivot arm and the one or more engagement elements of the unloading device; and a second connector coupled to the pivot arm.

4 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 3 , wherein:
the pivot arm is configured to rotate about the second connector between a first position and a second position; in the first position, the unloading device is configured to receive and engage with the bulk material container; and in the second position, the bulk material container is disposed above a hopper.

5 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 3 , wherein:
the one or more engagement elements of the unloading device are configured to rotate about the first connector between a third position and a fourth position; and the fourth position is substantially perpendicular to the third position.

6 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 3 , wherein the unloading device further comprises:
a base, wherein the pivot arm is coupled to the base by way of the second connector; and a vibration device, wherein the vibration device is coupled to one of the pivot arm, the one or more engagement elements of the unloading device, or the base, and wherein the vibration device is configured to vibrate the bulk material container.

7 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 3 , wherein the unloading device further comprises:
a receiving station, wherein the receiving station is disposed on a ground adjacent to one of the one or more engagement elements of the unloading device when the pivot arm is in the first position; and a sensor configured to measure a weight of the bulk material container and the bulk material disposed therein, wherein the sensor is coupled to the receiving station.

8 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 1 , wherein:
the unloading device comprises:
one or more engagement elements;
an engagement element connector; and
a base, wherein the one or more engagement elements are coupled to the base by way of the engagement element connector, and wherein the one or more engagement elements are configured to rotate about the base by way of the engagement elements connector.

9 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hopper; a delivery device; and a blender, wherein the hopper is configured to receive the bulk material from the bulk material container, wherein the hopper is configured to dispense the bulk material into the delivery device, and wherein the delivery device is configured to move the bulk material into the blender.

10 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 9 , wherein the hopper includes a release mechanism, and wherein the release mechanism is one of a valve or a gate.

11 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 9 , wherein the hopper includes an additive dispensing device, wherein the additive dispensing device is configured to dispense one or more additives into the bulk material.

12 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 9 , wherein the hopper includes one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure one or more parameters of the bulk material.

13 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 9 , wherein the hopper includes a vibration device, wherein the vibration device is configured to vibrate the hopper.

14 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 9 , wherein the delivery device is one of a conveyor belt, a gravity chute, or an auger.

15 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 9 , wherein the delivery device comprises:
a bulk material rate measurement system configured to measure a rate at which the bulk material is dispensed by the delivery device to the blender; and a control system configured to control the rate at which the bulk material is dispensed by the delivery device to the blender.

16 . The bulk material unloading system of claim 1 , wherein the bulk material is a wet proppant.

17 . A method, comprising:
engaging a bulk material container containing a bulk material with an unloading device; emptying the bulk material from the bulk material container, wherein emptying the bulk material container comprises:
lifting the bulk material container using the unloading device; and
rotating the bulk material container using the unloading device.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein engaging the bulk material container with the unloading device comprises:
transporting the bulk material container to the unloading device; and disposing the bulk material container adjacent to the unloading device.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein:
transporting the bulk material container to the unloading device comprises:
engaging one or more first engagement elements of the bulk material container, one or more second engagement elements of the bulk material container, or one or more third engagement elements of the bulk material container using a transportation device;
lifting the bulk material container; and
moving the bulk material container; and
disposing the bulk material container adjacent to the unloading device comprises:
engaging one or more engagement elements of the unloading device with one of the one or more first engagement elements of the bulk material container, the one or more second engagement elements of the bulk material container, or the one or more third engagement elements of the bulk material container.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the unloading device comprises:
a pivot arm;
one or more engagement elements;
a first connector coupled between the pivot arm and the one or more engagement elements of the unloading device; and
a second connector coupled to the pivot arm; lifting the bulk material container using the unloading device comprises:
lifting the bulk material container above a hopper; and rotating the bulk material container using the unloading device comprises:
rotating the pivot arm of the unloading device about the second connector; and
rotating the one or more engagement elements of the unloading device about the first connector,
wherein the bulk material container is rotated at least 90 degrees by the unloading device.

21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein emptying the bulk material container into the hopper further comprises:
jarring the bulk material container.

22 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
metering the bulk material into a blender, wherein metering the bulk material into the blender comprises:
dispensing the bulk material from the hopper into a delivery device; and
moving the bulk material into the blender using

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Warren Wesley John
• Fisher Chad A
• Schaffner Austin Carl
• Kramer Cameron Michael

Classifications

• B65G69/20

  Auxiliary treatments, e.g. aerating, heating, humidifying, deaerating, cooling, de-watering or drying, during loading or unloading; Loading or unloading in a fluid medium other than air · CPC title

• B01F35/71705

  using belts · CPC title

• B01F35/71775

  using helical screws · CPC title

• B01F35/2211

  Amount of delivered fluid during a period · CPC title

• B01F35/7173

  using gravity, e.g. from a hopper · CPC title