Methods and systems to transfer proppant for fracking with reduced risk of production and release of silica dust at a well site

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9862551-B2
Application number	US-201514927614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Jul 23, 2012
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments of methods and systems of transferring proppant for fracking to reduce risk of production and release of silica dust at a well site are provided. An embodiment of a method can include positioning a plurality of containers each having proppant for fracking contained therein onto a conveyor at a well site, downwardly discharging proppant from each respective container of the plurality of containers, funneling proppant from the one or more outlets of each of the plurality of containers through a plurality of conveyor hoppers, receiving proppant onto the conveyor belt, conveying proppant on the conveyor to a chute, and depositing the proppant into the chute for use in a blender or other location at the well site.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of transferring proppant for fracking at a well site, the method comprising:
positioning a plurality of containers each having proppant for fracking contained therein onto a container cradle at the well site, each of the plurality of containers overlaying a conveyor belt and positioned within a respective compartment formed on the container cradle and at least partially defined by a respective receptacle coupled to the container cradle;
downwardly discharging proppant from each respective container of the plurality of containers, each respective container further having inclined lower inner portions and one or more outlets positioned at a bottom of each respective container, the inclined lower inner portions being supported by one or more inclined lower inner portion supports extending toward an outer surface of the inclined lower inner portions from a frame of the containers, the inclined lower inner portion supports shaped to conform to an outer surface of the inclined lower inner portions and extending radially inward toward the one or more outlets, such that as proppant flows by gravity feed along the inclined lower inner portions to and through the one or more outlets, risk of production and release of silica dust into the air is thereby reduced, and the respective container is substantially emptied of proppant;
funneling proppant from the one or more outlets of each of the plurality of containers, such that as proppant flows by gravity feed to the conveyor belt, risk of production and release of silica dust into the air is thereby reduced;
receiving proppant onto the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt arranged to reduce the risk of production and release of silica dust into the air as the proppant contacts and is carried by the conveyor belt;
conveying proppant on the conveyor belt to a chute, the conveyor belt having a first end portion and a second end portion;
depositing the proppant from the second end portion of the conveyor belt into the chute; and
after proppant has been discharged from a respective container of the plurality of containers, removing the respective container from the conveyor for replacement with another respective container filled with proppant, such that the conveyor belt continuously conveys proppant at the well site from the plurality of containers to the chute.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling the rate of proppant as it flows through the one or more outlets of each respective container using a flow gate positioned at the one or more outlets to reduce the risk of production and release of silica dust into the air through the one or more outlets, the flow gate optionally controlled by hydraulics or electronics to enhance opening and closing of the flow gate, and wherein the container cradle includes a plurality of conveyor hoppers positioned side-by-side and are substantially aligned with the plurality of containers.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inclined lower inner portions of each respective container are inclined inwardly from inner walls of the respective container toward the respective bottoms of the plurality of containers at an angle of about 31 degrees to about 37 degrees relative to a horizontal plane of the bottom of each respective container when each respective container is level.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
controlling the rate of proppant as it flows from one or more controllable openings of each respective conveyor hopper to reduce the risk of production and release of silica dust into the air through the one or more controllable openings, the one or more controllable openings having a hopper gate and a hopper gate actuator, the hopper gate actuator being controlled by: (a) hydraulics, or (b) electronics; and
wherein a plurality of inclined side portions of the conveyor hopper further comprise a pair of short side portions of the conveyor hopper having a funnel angle or slope of approximately 35 to 40 degrees relative to a horizontal plane, and a pair of long side portions of the conveyor hopper having a funnel angle or slope of approximately 28 to 33 degrees relative to a horizontal plane, to maximize the capacity of the conveyor hopper and the flow of proppant from the conveyor hopper.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second end portion includes a shrouded portion positioned between a last respective container on the container cradle and the chute at an angle of approximately 30 to 60 degrees from a horizontal plane when the container cradle is level, and the respective receptacles comprise walls fixed to the container cradle and extending upwards from a top surface of the container cradle, the walls directing the plurality of containers to the respective compartments.

6. A method for reducing risk of production and release of silica dust at a well site during the transport of proppant for fracking, the method comprising:
utilizing a plurality of containers having proppant for fracking contained therein, each respective container having a plurality of inclined lower inner portions, each respective container further having an outlet, a top positioned to reduce risk of release of silica dust associated with proppant from the top of each respective container, structurally supported sidewalls extending between corners posts to thereby at least partially define an interior volume of each respective container of the plurality of containers, and support braces arranged along the sidewalls in a cage-like configuration to support the container when proppant is contained therein, the support braces shaped to conform to an outer surface of the inclined lower inner portions and extend radially inward toward the outlet;
positioning each respective container on a conveyor at the well site, the conveyor having a plurality of hoppers arranged below a top surface of the conveyor and each of the plurality of hoppers having a controllable opening that is in fluid communication with a conveyor belt that underlies the conveyor to reduce risk of production and release of silica dust associated with proppant as the proppant flows from each respective container;
downwardly discharging the proppant from each respective container through each respective opening of each respective hopper onto the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt having a first end portion and a second end portion;
conveying the proppant to a blender hopper; and
depositing the proppant into the blender hopper by gravity feed.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of inclined lower inner portions are each inclined at an angle of about 31 degrees to about 37 degrees relative to a horizontal plane of a bottom of each respective container when each respective container is level, such that proppant downwardly flows by gravity feed along the plurality of inclined lower inner portions to reduce risk of production and release of silica dust associated with proppant into the air at the outlet of each respective container until each respective container is substantially empty of proppant, and wherein the support members are substantially parallel to one or more of the corner posts.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
after proppant has been downwardly discharged from each respective container, removing each respective container from the conveyor at the well site with a forklift via engagement of one or more slots coupled to a frame for replacement with a second respective container filled with proppant for fracking contained therein such that the conveyor belt is continuously conveying proppant to the blender hopper.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
controlling the rate of proppant flowing from each respective container using

Assignees

• Oren Tech Llc

Inventors

• Oren John
• Oren Joshua

Classifications

• B65D90/587

  having a linear motion · CPC title

• B65G15/42

  having ribs, ridges, or other surface projections · CPC title

• B65G69/181

  by means of sealed systems · CPC title

• B65G65/30

  Methods or devices for filling or emptying bunkers, hoppers, tanks, or like containers, of interest apart from their use in particular chemical or physical processes or their application in particular machines, e.g. not covered by a single other subclass (devices for tilting and emptying containers B65G65/23; such containers having means facilitating filling or emptying B65D88/54) · CPC title

• B65D2588/54

  characterised by means facilitating filling or emptying · CPC title