Automatic electric driven spiral sand conveying and storage device

Abstract

The present invention discloses an automatic electric-driven spiral sand conveying and storage device, comprising a frame (13), a crane (1) and a sand hopper (2), wherein a horizontal screw conveyor A (3) connected to a sand outlet of the sand hopper (2) is provided at the left bottom of the frame (13), a vertical screw conveyor B (5) connected to the horizontal screw conveyor A (3) is provided at the left top of the frame (13), a horizontal screw conveyor B (6) connected to the vertical screw conveyor B (5) is provided at the right top of the frame (13), a plurality of sand tanks (11) are provided at the right middle part of the frame (13), the sand inlets at the tops of the plurality of sand tanks (11) are connected to the corresponding sand outlets of the horizontal screw conveyor B (6), a sand outlet screw conveyor (9) is provided at the right bottom of the frame (13), and the sand outlet at the bottom of the sand tank (11) is connected to the sand outlet screw conveyor (9). The present invention has the characteristics of being able to continuously convey and store sand in a closed manner, accurately discharge sand, and occupying a small area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of shale gas fracturing operation equipment, in particular to an automatic electric-driven spiral sand conveying and storage device. Background Art

[0002] In unconventional oil and gas exploration operations, due to unique geological conditions, most oil and gas reservoirs have extremely low porosity and permeability, necessitating fracturing to generate industrial oil and gas flows. Fracturing equipment is essential for implementing the reservoir fracturing process and consists of a fracturing pump, a sand mixing skid, a high-pressure manifold, an instrument skid, and auxiliary equipment. During operation, sand is supplied to the sand mixing skid via a sand tank. Proppant is mixed with the fracturing fluid in the mixing tank before being supplied to the fracturing pump. The sand-carrying fracturing fluid is then pumped to high pressure by the fracturing plunger pump on the fracturing pump and injected into the wellhead through the high-pressure manifold system.

[0003] With the continuous development of fracturing technology for unconventional oil and gas development, the scale of fracturing operations is getting larger and larger, and the amount of fracturing proppant required during fracturing construction is increasing. Generally, the amount of sand added in a single stage reaches nearly 80 cubic meters.

[0004] Currently, the sand transportation and storage processes used in unconventional oil and gas development abroad primarily utilize pneumatic or bucket-lift sand conveying. These storage devices are large in size and cannot meet the practical requirements of shale gas production in China. Furthermore, the methods used to transport sand from the factory to the well site differ from those used in China, resulting in poor compatibility and difficulty in adapting these methods to domestic use. The sand storage devices used in domestic unconventional oil and gas development primarily utilize stacked sand tanks. The widely used sand transportation method involves using a crane to lift sand bags from transport trucks directly to the top of vertical sand tanks, where sand is then added. This method has the following problems: 1. The labor cost of sand adding operation is high. Three operators are required to work together at the same time. 1-2 operators are needed to operate the sand unloading port of the sand tank to open and close the sand unloading port. The operator of the sand mixing skid can effectively understand the working status of the sand unloading port of the sand tank in real time. There is a problem of improper communication between the sand mixing skid and the sand tank operator, which is prone to operational errors; 2. When the operator assisting the operation stands on the vertical sand pile to perform the operation; 3. The lifting height is high (more than 10 meters), and there are great safety hazards in severe weather conditions; 4. The operation efficiency is low, which brings many difficulties to the fracturing construction unit to improve the operation efficiency and safety; 5. The sand conveying process and the sand tank are open, and there is a problem of proppant contamination, which affects the normal operation of the fracturing pump and reduces the service life of the equipment; 6. The bag is broken on the top of the sand tank, and there is a problem of high-altitude dust, which does not meet the relevant HSE requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an automatic electric-driven spiral sand conveying and storage device that can continuously convey and store sand in a closed manner, accurately produce sand, and occupy a small area.

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] An automatic electric-driven spiral sand conveying and storage device comprises a frame, a crane and a sand bucket, wherein the frame (13) is provided with a horizontal screw conveyor A connected to a sand outlet of the sand bucket at the left bottom, a vertical screw conveyor B connected to the horizontal screw conveyor A is provided at the left top of the frame on the right side of the horizontal screw conveyor A, a horizontal screw conveyor B connected to the vertical screw conveyor B is provided at the right top of the frame on the right side, a plurality of sand tanks are provided at the right middle part of the frame, the sand inlets at the top of the plurality of sand tanks are connected to the corresponding sand outlets of the horizontal screw conveyor B, a sand outlet screw conveyor is provided at the right bottom of the frame, and the sand outlet at the bottom of the sand tank is connected to the sand outlet screw conveyor.

[0008] Furthermore, a PLC controller is also provided on the frame, and the PLC controller is electrically connected to the crane, the horizontal screw conveyor A, the vertical screw conveyor B, the horizontal screw conveyor B and the sand-discharging screw conveyor respectively.

[0009] Furthermore, a vertical screw conveyor A is provided at the left middle portion of the frame and is connected to the horizontal screw conveyor A and the vertical screw conveyor B respectively, and the vertical screw conveyor A is electrically connected to the PLC controller.

[0010] Furthermore, sand inlet valves are provided at the sand inlets on the tops of the multiple sand tanks, and the sand inlet valves are electrically connected to the PLC controller.

[0011] Furthermore, sand outlet valves are provided at the sand outlets at the bottom of the multiple sand tanks, and the sand outlet valves are electrically connected to the PLC controller.

[0012] Furthermore, an ultrasonic sensor is provided on the top of the sand tank to detect the amount of sand stored.

[0013] Furthermore, a canopy for protecting the crane and the sand bucket from rain is fixedly connected to the frame.

[0014] Furthermore, the crane is a combined suspension crane.

[0015] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0016] 1. The present invention provides a horizontal screw conveyor A, which ensures that the raw materials in the hopper have an initial horizontal velocity when entering. As the proppant flows along the slide of the screw conveyor, the proppant can be dispersed, thereby preventing the problem of proppant agglomeration. At the same time, the raw materials can maintain a fast flow state and disperse into the sand tank, thereby improving the conveying efficiency.

[0017] 2. Based on the characteristics of unconventional oil and gas development fracturing technology, the present invention utilizes automatic control technology to free up operators at heights, avoid the risks of high-altitude operations, and achieve safe, efficient, and low-cost fracturing sand transportation operations;

[0018] 3. From the perspective of environmental protection and occupational health, the present invention adopts closed management of the equipment's sand conveying system, sand storage system, and sand output system to avoid proppant contamination and dust generation, thereby extending the service life of subsequent fracturing process equipment such as fracturing pumps and sand mixing skids in subsequent processes.

[0019] 4. The present invention innovatively uses vertical sand transportation. The transportation height is increased or decreased according to the demand by the number of vertical screw conveyors. Different types of sand can be transported to the designated location, realizing seamless connection with the sand storage equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the sand tank;

[0022] In the figure: 1-crane, 2-sand bucket, 3-horizontal screw conveyor A, 4-vertical screw conveyor A, 5-vertical screw conveyor B, 6-horizontal screw conveyor B, 7-canopy, 8-sand inlet valve, 9-sand outlet screw conveyor, 10-sand outlet valve, 11-sand tank, 12-PLC controller, 13-rack, 14-ultrasonic sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the following description.

[0024] like Figure 1-2As shown, the automatic electric-driven spiral sand conveying and storage device includes a frame 13, a crane 1 and a sand hopper 2. Preferably, the crane 1 is a combined suspended crane; a horizontal screw conveyor A3 connected to the sand outlet of the sand hopper 2 is provided at the left bottom of the frame 13, and a vertical screw conveyor B5 connected to the horizontal screw conveyor A3 is provided at the left top of the frame 13 on the right side of the horizontal screw conveyor A3. On the right side of the vertical screw conveyor B5, a horizontal screw conveyor B6 connected to the vertical screw conveyor B5 is provided at the right top of the frame 13. Four sand pots 11 are provided in the right middle part of the frame 13, and the sand inlets at the top of the four sand pots 11 are connected to the corresponding sand outlets of the horizontal screw conveyor B6. A sand-discharging screw conveyor 9 is provided at the right bottom of the frame 13, and the sand outlet at the bottom of the sand pot 11 is connected to the sand-discharging screw conveyor 9. The number of sand-discharging screw conveyors 9 can also be set according to the sand-discharging demand. In this embodiment, the number of sand-discharging screw conveyors 9 is two, which are respectively connected to the two sand pots 11.

[0025] The sand-discharging screw conveyor 9 is preferably a horizontal screw conveying mechanism. At the same time, in order to facilitate sand collection, the sand outlet of the sand-discharging screw conveyor 9 can be tilted upward at a certain angle. In this embodiment, the tilt angle is preferably 25°.

[0026] The frame 13 is further provided with a PLC controller 12 , which is electrically connected to the crane 1 , the horizontal screw conveyor A3 , the vertical screw conveyor B5 , the horizontal screw conveyor B6 and the sand-discharging screw conveyor 9 , respectively.

[0027] In order to achieve the sand conveying height, a vertical screw conveyor A4 is provided at the left middle part of the frame 13, which is connected to the horizontal screw conveyor A3 and the vertical screw conveyor B5 respectively, and the vertical screw conveyor A4 is electrically connected to the PLC controller 12. It should be noted that when production requires a higher sand conveying height, the number of vertical screw conveyors can be increased.

[0028] Sand inlet valves 8 are provided at the sand inlets on the tops of the four sand pots 11 , and the sand inlet valves 8 are electrically connected to the PLC controller 12 .

[0029] Sand outlet valves 10 are provided at the sand outlets at the bottom of the four sand tanks 11 , and the sand outlet valves 10 are electrically connected to a PLC controller 12 .

[0030] Inside the sand tank 11, an ultrasonic sensor 14 is provided at the top for detecting the amount of sand stored.

[0031] In order to adapt to rainy weather, a canopy 7 is fixedly connected to the frame 13 to protect the crane 1 and the sand bucket 2 from rain.

[0032] The working process of the present invention is as follows: the crane 1 hoists the sand transported by the sand truck into the sand hopper 2, and the sand in the sand hopper 2 passes through the horizontal screw conveyor A3, and then passes through the vertical screw conveyor A4 and the vertical screw conveyor B5 in sequence, and then reaches the horizontal screw conveyor B6. Different sand inlet valves 8 can be opened by the PLC controller as needed to transport the sand into different sand tanks 11 for storage. The ultrasonic sensor 14 provided in the sand tank 11 can monitor the storage amount in the sand tank 11 in real time. When sand needs to be discharged, different sand discharge valves 10 are opened by the PLC controller according to the sand discharge demand, and sand is discharged through the sand discharge screw conveyor 9.

Claims

1. An automatic electric-driven spiral sand conveying and storage device, comprising a frame (13), a crane (1) and a sand bucket (2), characterized in that: A horizontal screw conveyor A (3) communicating with the sand outlet of the sand hopper (2) is provided at the left bottom of the frame (13); a vertical screw conveyor B (5) communicating with the horizontal screw conveyor A (3) is provided at the left top of the frame (13) on the right side of the horizontal screw conveyor A (3); a horizontal screw conveyor B (6) communicating with the vertical screw conveyor B (5) is provided at the right top of the frame (13) on the right side of the vertical screw conveyor B (5); a plurality of sand pots (11) are provided at the right middle of the frame (13); the sand inlets at the tops of the plurality of sand pots (11) are communicated with the corresponding sand outlets of the horizontal screw conveyor B (6); a sand outlet screw conveyor (9) is provided at the right bottom of the frame (13); the sand outlet at the bottom of the sand pots (11) is communicated with the sand outlet screw conveyor (9); The horizontal screw conveyor A (3) is provided so that the raw materials in the hopper (2) have an initial velocity in the horizontal direction when entering, and the proppant can be dispersed during the flow of the proppant along the slide of the screw conveyor, thereby avoiding the problem of agglomeration in the proppant, and at the same time, the raw materials can maintain a fast flow state and disperse into the sand tank (11), thereby improving the conveying efficiency; The sand outlet of the sand-exporting screw conveyor (9) is tilted upward by 25°; A PLC controller (12) is also provided on the frame (13), and the PLC controller (12) is electrically connected to the crane (1), the horizontal screw conveyor A (3), the vertical screw conveyor B (5), the horizontal screw conveyor B (6) and the sand-discharging screw conveyor (9) respectively; A vertical screw conveyor A (4) is provided at the left middle portion of the frame (13) and is connected to the horizontal screw conveyor A (3) and the vertical screw conveyor B (5) respectively, and the vertical screw conveyor A (4) is electrically connected to the PLC controller (12); Sand inlet valves (8) are provided at the sand inlets on the tops of the plurality of sand tanks (11), and the sand inlet valves (8) are electrically connected to a PLC controller (12); Sand outlets at the bottoms of the multiple sand tanks (11) are provided with sand outlet valves (10), and the sand outlet valves (10) are electrically connected to a PLC controller (12); An ultrasonic sensor (14) is provided on the top of the sand tank (11) for detecting the amount of sand stored; A canopy (7) for shielding the crane (1) and the sand bucket (2) from rain is fixedly connected to the frame (13).

2. The automatic electric-driven spiral sand conveying and storage device according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The crane (1) is a combined suspension crane.

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