Rotary Container Handling System for Bulk Material Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inefficient arrangement, retrieval, and receipt of bulk material containers in oil and gas well drilling operations lead to delays and hazardous conditions due to high container elevations, which affect the pressure and composition of materials pumped downhole.
Innovation Solution
A container support structure that elevates containers to a safer and more accessible height, allowing direct discharge of materials into a blender inlet or hopper, while a rotary table and motor mechanism facilitate efficient positioning and replacement of containers to maintain the required mixture and pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If containers are elevated to a higher position for material discharge, then material flow and gravity feed are improved, but safety hazards increase due to height placement
Solution Approach 1:
The container handling system is divided into multiple levels: an elevated discharge level for gravity feed and a ground-level operational level for safe container replacement. This segmentation allows material discharge to occur from height while operators remain at ground level, resolving the contradiction between discharge efficiency and operator safety.
Solution Approach 2:
A robotic arm or automated handling mechanism acts as an intermediary between the elevated container position and the ground-level receiving area. This intermediary handles the material transfer and container positioning, eliminating the need for operators to work at hazardous heights while maintaining efficient material flow.
2Ease of operation
If containers are manually handled and repositioned, then flexibility in container arrangement is maintained, but operation time and efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamically adjustable container supports and movable positioning mechanisms that can adapt to different container types and sizes. The automated handling system can dynamically reposition containers between discharge positions and storage areas, maintaining operational flexibility while significantly reducing the time required for container replacement compared to manual handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates self-positioning features where containers are automatically guided and aligned during the transfer process. The robotic handling mechanism autonomously manages container placement without requiring manual intervention for alignment or positioning, reducing operational time while maintaining arrangement flexibility.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple containers are stored at ground level, then safety is improved by reducing elevation hazards, but material discharge efficiency decreases due to reduced gravity feed
Solution Approach 1:
The system resolves the contradiction by utilizing the vertical dimension for material discharge while keeping containers horizontally positioned at ground level. Containers are placed on elevated supports or platforms that raise only the discharge point, not the entire container storage area. This allows gravity feed to operate effectively from height while containers remain at ground level for safe handling.
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 enhances the efficiency and safety of container management, reducing the time required for container replacement and minimizing safety hazards by allowing for lower elevation handling and precise coordination of transport devices.
Implementation Method 1
material from the containers may be discharged through an opening to a mixing system
Data Source
AI summary
A site may require that multiple containers, such as bulk material containers, may be utilized to provide a required composition or mixture of materials at a required discharge rate. An arrangement of four or more containers on a frame disposed on a support platform where two faces of each container proximate or adjacent to a face of two other containers to form a rectangle provides a configuration that allows for safe and efficient removal and replacement of containers A rotary table coupled to a motor disposed on the support platform rotates the frame such that each container transitions to different positions. The containers discharge material through an opening of support platform. Containers may be retrieved from one position and replaced at another position or retrieved and replaced from a single position. Such a configuration allows for multiple transport devices to operate without interfering with the operations of each other.