Prism Hopper Bridge Breaker for Wet Sand Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
The handling of wet frac sand in the oil and gas industry is inefficient due to moisture causing clumping and bridging, leading to slow unloading and increased costs, as existing methods require drying and specialized equipment to prevent moisture exposure.
Innovation Solution
A bridge breaker array with a prism-shaped component, internal vibrator, and vibration enhancers is integrated into a hopper system to manage the discharge of wet frac sand, using vibrators to break cohesion bonds and facilitate consistent flow without the need for drying, allowing for efficient transportation and use in fracturing operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If wet frac sand is handled using traditional methods, then drying equipment and specialized handling systems are required, but this increases cost, time, and operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of moisture (which causes bridging and clumping) into a beneficial feature by designing the hopper and vibration system specifically to handle wet sand. The moisture that previously required expensive drying equipment is now accepted as a normal condition, and the system is optimized to work with wet sand's properties through controlled vibration and geometric design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the drying function from the sand handling system entirely. Instead of removing moisture through drying equipment, the system extracts only the necessary function of moving wet sand through the hopper using vibration and gravity, eliminating the need for thermal processing and associated equipment.
2Loss of time
If wet frac sand is transported without drying, then transportation time and costs are reduced, but sand clumping and bridging occur causing discharge problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration through a vibratory motor mounted on the hopper to prevent sand bridging and ensure consistent discharge. The vibration frequency and amplitude are controlled to break up clumps and maintain flow without requiring drying the sand first, thus eliminating drying time while maintaining reliable discharge.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies specific local areas of the hopper (the discharge zone and internal surfaces) with particular geometric features and vibration application points to address bridging locally where it occurs, rather than requiring global changes to the entire sand handling process.
3Productivity
If traditional hopper designs are used for wet sand, then equipment simplicity is maintained, but discharge flow rate and completeness are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic elements to the hopper system, including a vibratory motor that can be activated during discharge to enhance flow rate. The hopper geometry itself is designed to dynamically adapt the sand flow path, ensuring complete and rapid discharge of wet sand without requiring overly complex mechanical additions.
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
This solution enables reliable and efficient unloading of wet frac sand, reducing labor and costs by allowing for the use of wet sand in fracturing operations without specialized drying equipment, while minimizing operator errors and adapting to varying moisture levels and sand properties.
Implementation Method 1
an internal vibrator affixed to a bottom surface of the prism-shaped component
Implementation Method 2
one or more vibration enhancers... disposed between the prism-shaped component and the hopper
Data Source
AI summary
A bridge breaker array includes: a prism-shaped component disposed into a hopper; an internal vibrator affixed to a bottom surface of the prism-shaped component, in which the internal vibrator is positioned above a discharge gate of the hopper; and a plurality of vibration enhancers between the prism-shaped component and the hopper.