Climatic protection of fracking hydro tanks
View Patent ↗The present invention provides cold climatic protection to the hydro tanks and associated fluid conduits present on a frac pad. A modular endoskeleton is provided and covered by a plurality of rip resistant tarps. A heat entrapment canopy results which maintains an inner temperature above freezing even in extreme cold outside temperatures.
1. A frac pad containing a plurality of fracking hydro tanks positioned side-by-side in a rectangular configuration on said pad, and a temporary modular endoskeleton enclosed by rip resistant fabric sheets and positioned so that at least the ends of each tank, at least a portion of exposed sides of said hydro tanks and at least a portion of the top of each hydro tank are enclosed by the fabric sheets, and wherein the modular endoskeleton comprises a module comprising at least one rafter spaced apart from and continuously extending from a first location above the top of a hydro tank to a second location in front of and spaced apart from an end of the hydro tank, a first short leg positioned on said hydro tank and extending vertically from the top of the hydro tank and connected to the rafter at said first location and a first long leg extending vertically from the ground to connect to the rafter at said second location.
2. The frac pad of claim 1 wherein said module additionally comprises a second rafter co-extensive with said at least one rafter and spaced apart from a side of an end unit hydro tank, a second long leg extending vertically from the ground and connected to the second rafter at a location to the side of the hydro tank across from the first short leg and at a height substantially equal to the height of the tank and the height of the first short leg and a third long leg positioned to the side of the tank and directly across from and at substantially the same distance from a tank end as the first long leg and extending vertically from the ground and connected to an end of said second rafter.
3. The frac pad of claim 2 wherein the first short leg and the first, second and third long legs substantially form a rectangle.
4. The frac pad of claim 3 wherein each of said legs is approximately perpendicular to the ground.
5. The frac pad of claim 4 wherein a module of claim 4 is positioned at each of the two opposite exposed sides of end hydro tank units.
6. The frac pad of claim 1 wherein a module of claim 1 is positioned at the end of each centrally positioned hydro tank.
7. The frac pad of claim 4 wherein said first short leg rises about at least four feet above the top of the hydro tank.
8. The frac pad of claim 4 wherein the internal angle between said first short leg and said first rafter is about 82 degrees.
9. The frac pad of claim 4 wherein the internal angle between said first long leg and said first rafter is about 97.5 degrees.
10. The frac pad of claim 4 comprising a plurality of cross beams connecting adjacent pairs of rafters.
11. The frac pad of claim 4 comprising a cross beam connecting adjacent first and third or pairs of first long legs.
12. The frac pad of claim 11 comprising two rigid sheets extending downwardly from said cross beam and forming an entrance way there between.
13. The frac pad of claim 4 comprising pairs of modules, one module of each pair being positioned at each end of each hydro tank, said module pairs being connected to each other by means of rafters extending across the roof of each hydro tank.
14. The frac pad of claim 13 wherein said rafters are formed of a plurality of shorter rafter segments connected to one another end to end.
15. The frac pad of claim 13 wherein adjacent rafters are connected to each other by at least one cross beam.
16. The frac pad of claim 2 wherein each rafter is formed of at least two rafter segments.
17. The frac pad of claim 16 wherein an upper segment of each short leg and of each first long leg is integral with its adjoining rafter segment.
18. The frac pad of claim 16 wherein an upper segment of each second and of each third long leg is integral with its adjoining rafter segment.
19. The frac pad of claim 12 wherein a plurality of vertically positioned rigid plastic strips form said entrance way.
20. The frac pad of claim 2 wherein at least one of said short and long legs comprises a lower extendible leg segment attached at its bottom to a sleeve attached to a base plate.
21. The frac pad of claim 4 wherein each module is secured to its associated hydro tank by means of cord or cable so that the weight of the hydro tank anchors the module.
22. The frac pad of claim 21 wherein individual fabric sheets are attached to the endoskeleton by means of cord or cable.