Portable Fluid Treatment Apparatus with Flexible Hopper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional frac tanks face challenges in efficiently and cost-effectively removing solids from liquids due to their fixed installation and limited adaptability to different tank sizes, leading to inefficient sediment collection and removal, especially in tanks with flat bottoms where sediment tends to collect and solidify.
Innovation Solution
A portable fluid treatment apparatus with an upper portion featuring adjustable settler plates and a lower portion with a flexible hopper, allowing for secure attachment to various tank sizes, efficient sediment collection, and vibration-assisted sediment withdrawal, facilitating easy transfer between tanks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional frac tanks with flat bottoms are used, then solids can be collected at the bottom, but sediment tends to collect and solidify making removal difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the flat tank bottom with a conical bottom that tapers downward toward a collection point. This curved geometry prevents sediment from settling uniformly across the bottom, instead directing all accumulated solids toward a single discharge location at the apex, making removal more efficient and preventing solidification issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vertical conical dimension to the tank bottom, transforming the two-dimensional flat surface into a three-dimensional sloped surface. This dimensional change creates a continuous downward gradient that actively directs sediment flow toward the discharge point rather than allowing passive accumulation on a flat plane.
2Productivity
If fixed installation systems are used, then solids separation can be performed, but adaptability to different tank sizes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a portable apparatus that can be installed in multiple tank sizes and configurations. The system includes adjustable components such as variable-depth hoppers and repositionable clarifier sections that can be configured to fit different tank geometries, allowing the same apparatus to serve multiple tank types without requiring custom designs for each size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates adjustable and repositionable components within the apparatus, including movable clarifier sections and variable-depth hopper configurations. These dynamic elements allow the system to adapt its internal geometry to match different tank sizes and shapes while maintaining effective solids separation performance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If portable apparatus with adjustable attachment members are used, then adaptability to different tank sizes is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the apparatus into distinct modular sections including an upper clarifier portion, a middle hopper section, and a lower collection chamber. Each section can be independently adjusted or repositioned, allowing the system to adapt to different tank configurations while keeping individual components simple and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs adjustable parameters such as variable attachment positions, repositionable clarifier sections, and variable-depth hopper configurations. These adjustable parameters allow the apparatus to adapt to different tank sizes and geometries by simply changing positional parameters rather than requiring complex redesigns.
4Adaptability or versatility
If flexible hopper is used, then the apparatus can fit in different sizes of tanks, but sediment break-up and removal becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a vibration mechanism that activates during sediment withdrawal to agitate the flexible hopper contents. This vibration disrupts sediment compaction and adhesion to the hopper walls, preventing solidification and facilitating easier discharge of accumulated solids through the discharge point.
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 apparatus enables efficient and cost-effective separation and removal of solids from liquids in frac tanks of varying sizes, improving sediment handling and reducing maintenance by allowing for independent cleaning and adaptation to different tank configurations.
Implementation Method 1
an array of settler plates disposed within the frame in a parallel arrangement that are configured to direct fluid upward toward an effluent outlet and to precipitate sediment from the fluid
Implementation Method 2
The separated solids may be removed from the liquid using the clarifier, and clean liquid effluent may flow out of the tanks
Implementation Method 3
The flexible hopper may be configured to vibrate in response to operation of the sediment withdrawal pump, and vibration of the flexible hopper may serve to break up sediment collected in the flexible hopper and facilitate withdrawal of the sediment from the hopper
Implementation Method 4
A sediment withdrawal pump may be provided that is configured to remove the precipitated sediment from the lower portion
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile fluid treatment system and portable fluid treatment apparatus are described. The portable apparatus is configured to be placed within a mobile tank of fluid for separating solids from the fluid and includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and a number of adjustable attachment members that can removably secure the apparatus to the side walls of the tank, thus allowing the apparatus to be moved from one tank to another. Furthermore, the lower portion of the apparatus can include a flexible hopper that funnels solids separated from the fluid toward a sediment outlet. The flexibility of the hopper allows the apparatus to fit in different sizes of tanks and further facilitates the break-up and removal of sediment from the apparatus, such as through vibration of the hopper due to the action of a sediment withdrawal pump.