Rotatable Proppant Container for Wet Sand Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bulk material handling systems face challenges in efficiently dispensing wet bulk materials, such as sand, due to water content inhibiting flowability, and existing vibration-based solutions can cause structural damage and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable container, or sand cube, with a modified shape and trunnions for lifting and dispensing, coupled with a cube manipulator to oscillate and dislodge material, allowing direct dispensing into a hopper or blender inlet.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If vibration devices are used to discharge wet bulk materials from portable containers, then the material discharge is improved, but additional weight is added to the containers and the entire structure vibrates causing damage to ancillary equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration through a vibratory tray positioned at the discharge outlet of the portable container. The tray receives vibratory energy from an external source (not from the container itself), causing the wet bulk material to discharge more easily without adding weight to the container or causing structural vibration. This resolves the contradiction by achieving improved material discharge while avoiding the harmful effects of whole-container vibration.
2Productivity
If vibration devices are used to discharge wet bulk materials from portable containers, then the material discharge is improved, but the structure and ancillary equipment are subjected to damaging vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the vibratory function from the container structure itself and relocates it to a separate vibratory tray at the discharge outlet. The tray is positioned to receive vibratory energy externally, isolating the vibration source from the container's structural components and ancillary equipment. This prevents damaging vibrations while maintaining improved material discharge capability.
3Quantity of substance
If traditional portable containers are used for wet bulk materials, then material storage is achieved, but water content inhibits material discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vibratory tray as an intermediary device at the discharge outlet. This tray acts as a mediator between the stored wet bulk material and the discharge process, using vibratory energy to reduce the adhesion and friction effects caused by water content. The intermediary tray enables easy discharge of wet materials without compromising the storage capability of the container.
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
Enhances efficiency by using all or most of the bulk material, reduces material spillage, and simplifies operations by enabling direct transfer to a blender inlet, lowering costs and minimizing dust generation.
Implementation Method 1
a cube manipulator to oscillate and dislodge material
Implementation Method 2
allowing direct dispensing into a hopper or blender inlet
Data Source
AI summary
A storage cube for transporting bulk materials from a supply location to a wellsite comprising a generally cube shape of sidewalls with a left positioning device, a right positioning device, and a discharge gate coupled to an outlet portal configured to an open position or a meter position. The storage cube includes an angled dispenser formed with a first angled corner, a second angled corner, the back side, and the front side. The dispensing angle formed by each side of the angled dispenser is a function of the position of the storage cube. The storage cube is configured to deliver a volume of bulk material greater than a comparable volume of a portable container.