Gravity Feed Bulk Material Transfer System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic conveying of bulk materials in well operations is time-consuming, generates excessive dust and noise, and incurs high detention costs due to limited accessibility and equipment usage, with existing systems requiring complex dust control measures.
Innovation Solution
A stackable container system using pre-filled, portable containers with gravity feed outlets to directly transfer bulk materials into a blender receptacle, eliminating the need for pneumatic transfer and reducing dust and noise generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If pneumatic conveying is used to transfer bulk material from tank truck to storage/delivery system, then bulk material can be transferred, but the process is time-consuming and leads to dead time of equipment usage and high detention costs
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the bulk material storage into multiple separate hoppers instead of using a single large storage/delivery system. Each hopper can be independently filled and emptied, allowing parallel operations where one hopper is being used while another is being filled, thereby eliminating dead time and improving equipment utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-fills multiple hoppers with bulk material before well site operations begin. This preliminary action ensures that hoppers are ready for immediate use, eliminating the time-consuming pneumatic conveying process during actual operations and reducing equipment detention time.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If pneumatic conveying is used to move bulk material, then bulk material transfer is achieved, but large amounts of dust and noise are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the bulk material transfer process from the pneumatic conveying system and implements it through direct gravitational flow from hoppers to the blender. This removes the source of dust and noise generation (the pneumatic conveying process) while maintaining bulk material transfer functionality through a quieter, dust-free gravitational flow method.
Solution Approach 2:
The hoppers serve as intermediary storage devices between the bulk material source and the blender. They enable controlled, gravity-driven discharge of material, acting as a mediator that eliminates the need for pneumatic conveying and its associated dust and noise problems while maintaining efficient material transfer.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If dust control measures such as dust collectors and duct work are implemented, then dust during conveying can be controlled, but cost to the material handling operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system removes the need for dust control equipment by eliminating the pneumatic conveying process that generates dust. By using gravity-driven flow from hoppers, the system extracts the dust generation mechanism from the material handling process, making dust collectors and duct work unnecessary and reducing device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The stackable container system reduces detention costs, minimizes dust and noise, and simplifies dust control equipment requirements, enabling quicker and more efficient bulk material handling at well sites.
Implementation Method 1
The container stack (12) may utilize a gravity feed to provide a controlled, i.e. metered, flow of bulk material at an outlet (14)
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for using one or more pre-filled, portable containers, instead of pneumatic transfer, to move bulk material from a transportation unit to a blender receptacle of a blender are provided. A transportation unit may deliver one or more containers of bulk material to the well site, where the containers may be disposed in an elevated position around the blender receptacle. A gravity feed outlet may extend from one or more containers to route bulk material from the one or more containers directly into the blender receptacle. Since the transportation unit is able to unload the portable containers of bulk material without pneumatic transfer, the stackable containers may enable a cleaner and more efficient bulk material transfer at the site.