Reinforced Trailer Coupling for Higher Sand Payload Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transportation of fracking sand to remote oil and gas well sites is burdensome due to its high density and volume, often exceeding weight limits on public and private highways, requiring efficient and flexible trailer systems to manage weight distribution and compliance with varying regulations.
Innovation Solution
A trailer system designed to minimize its own weight while maintaining strength, allowing for increased sand capacity, and featuring a connector system that enables linking of multiple trailers to optimize sand transport, with reinforced components and a tow hook configuration for efficient coupling and weight distribution across multiple axles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the trailer uses a traditional heavy-duty connector system, then the strength and reliability of the connection is improved, but the overall weight of the trailer increases, reducing sand capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The connector system utilizes a composite structure combining a steel plate with box structures formed from metal beams. This composite design provides high strength-to-weight ratio, maintaining connection reliability while minimizing added weight. The steel plate (e.g., 3/8" thick) provides a rigid mounting surface, while the box structures (formed by beams like 4x4x1/4" or 6x6x5/16") provide structural support with optimized material usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement is applied locally at the connection point rather than throughout the entire trailer frame. The steel plate and box structures are concentrated specifically at the rear section where the connector system is needed, providing maximum strength where required while keeping the rest of the trailer lightweight for optimal sand capacity.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple trailers are linked together, then the sand transport capacity is improved, but the complexity of the connector system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector system is designed with universal functionality to accommodate multiple trailers. The standardized steel plate and box structure configuration allows any trailer in the system to serve as either a lead or trailing unit. The tow hook and dolly interface are designed to work consistently across all trailers, enabling flexible linking configurations without requiring different connector designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector system is segmented into modular components: a steel plate base, box structures formed by metal beams, a tow hook, and a dolly interface. This segmentation allows for easy assembly, disassembly, and maintenance while maintaining consistent connection points that enable multiple trailers to be linked in various configurations.
3Strength
If the trailer chassis is reinforced throughout, then the overall strength and stability is improved, but the weight increases significantly, reducing payload capacity
Solution Approach 1:
Reinforcement is applied locally at the rear section of the trailer where the connector system is mounted, rather than reinforcing the entire chassis. The steel plate and box structures provide concentrated strength at the connection point, maintaining chassis integrity where needed while keeping the overall trailer weight low to maximize sand payload capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The local reinforcement uses a composite approach combining a steel plate with box structures formed from metal beams. This provides high strength-to-weight ratio reinforcement that strengthens the chassis at the critical connection point without adding excessive weight that would reduce payload capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
A trailer for transporting a granular material that includes a front section configured to couple to a truck. The trailer further includes a storage section configured to hold the granular material and a back section that includes a connector system. The connector system includes a reinforced component coupled to a chassis of the trailer, where the reinforced component increases the rigidity of the chassis. The reinforced component includes a steel plate and a box structure that includes rearward metal beams coupled to the chassis and extending in a rearward direction and a metal beam coupled between the rearward metal beams and coupled to the steel plate to extend a tow hook from the chassis. The connector system also includes a tow hook coupled to the reinforced component, where the first tow hook is configured to couple to a second trailer.