Rapid Deployment Frac Water Transfer System
A method of and apparatus for the rapid deployment of a fracturing water transferring system, along with the rapid picking up and storage of such system after use. In different embodiments the method in includes the use of a tensioning system to retrieve one or more segments of lay flat hose.
1 - 37 . (canceled)
38 . Apparatus for taking up a lay flat hose including
a plurality of joints of lay flat hose,
the lay flat hose containing at least some fluid, comprising:
(a) a mobile chassis having
a power unit that enables the chassis to travel over a selected terrain,
the chassis having
first and second opposed working end portions;
(b) a deck on the chassis
that is sized and shaped
to selectively hold at least one of a plurality of hose reels
in a position which is
closer to the first opposed working end portion
compared to the second opposed working end portion,
each hose reel having
a supportive reel base,
wherein each reel is rotatable upon its supporting reel base;
(c) the first working end portion having
one or more lifting arms
that are each pivotally attached to the chassis,
the lifting arms being configured
to lift a selected reel from the plurality of reels
from a position off of the chassis
to a position on the deck of the chassis
and also
from a position on the deck of the chassis
to a position off of the deck of the chassis;
(d) a selected reel from the plurality of hose reels
being supported on the deck; and
(e) a tensioning system
being rotationally connected to the selected reel
when the reel is supported on the deck,
the tensioning system comprising
at least one roller
which is in a position which is
closer to the second opposed working end portion
compared to the first opposed working end portion,
the tensioning system selectively activated
to pull portions of the lay flat hose
across the at least one roller winding
such pulled hose portions onto the selected reel
when the mobile chassis
is moving generally in the direction
of the second opposed working end portion of the chassis.
39 . The apparatus of claim 38 ,
wherein the tensioning system includes
a plurality of rollers selectively engaging the lay flat hose.
40 . The apparatus of claim 39 ,
wherein the plurality of rollers
apply tension to the lay flat hose
when the hose is wound upon the hose reel.
41 . The apparatus of claim 38 ,
wherein the selected reel from the plurality of reels
has an axis of rotation, and
there are three adjacent rollers,
a front,
a middle, and
a rear roller,
each roller having
an axis of rotation
parallel to the axes of rotation of the other rollers, and
each being parallel
to the selectively held reel's axis of rotation, and
the axis of rotation of the middle roller being
selectively adjustable
to be out of parallel with
the axes of rotation of the other rollers, and
selectively adjustable
to be back in a parallel relationship.
42 . The apparatus of claim 38 ,
wherein the tensioning system
substantially removes water from the lay flat hose.
43 . The apparatus of claim 38 ,
wherein
the speed at which the tensioning system
winds up the lay flat hose on the selected reel
varies with
the speed of mobile chassis
relative to the ground.
44 . The apparatus of claim 38 ,
wherein
during a pickup of the lay flat hose,
the tensioning system
consistently applies an over torque on the selected reel
from the plurality of reels
to keep the section of lay flat hose
between the selectively held reel and the at least one roller
in tension.
45 . The apparatus of claim 38 ,
wherein the selected reel
is removably attached to the deck
for enabling the at least one lifting arm
to unload the selected reel
after the selected reel is filled with a length of lay flat hose,
the selected reel
being lifted by the one or more lifting arms
from the deck of the chassis and
placed in a position
off of the deck of the chassis, and
subsequently
a second empty selected reel
being lifted by the one or more lifting arms
from a position off of the chassis and
placed
on the deck, and
the tensioning system being
rotationally connected to the second reel
when the second reel is on the deck and
selectively activated
to pull additional portions of the lay flat hose
across the at least one roller winding
when the mobile chassis
is moving generally in the direction of
the second opposed working end portion of the chassis.
46 . The apparatus of claim 38 ,
wherein there are first and second spaced apart lifting arms
which are respectively rotatably about first and second pivot axes, and
each of the first and second spaced apart lifting arms includes
telescoping sections
that are selectively extendable and retractable.
47 . A method of picking up a fluid flow line comprised of
multiple lengths of lay flat hose connected end to end, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a mobile chassis having
opposed first and second working end portions, and
a power unit that enables the chassis to travel over a selected terrain,
the chassis having
a deck that is sized and shaped to hold a selected hose reel assembly and base,
the assembly including
a spool rotatable upon the base and
a tensioning system
which can be rotatively connected to the spool,
the tensioning system comprising
at least one pickup roller
which is located in a position which is
closer to the opposed second working end portion
compared to the first opposed working end portion;
(b) the first opposed working end portion having
at least one lifting arm
pivotally attached to the chassis,
the at least one lifting arm being configured
to lift selected reel assemblies
from positions off the chassis
to the deck,
and
from the deck
to positions off of the chassis;
(c) the at least one lifting arm
picking up the first reel assembly
from a position off of the chassis and
placing the first reel assembly
on the deck, and
rotationally connecting
the tensioning system
to the spool of the first reel assembly;
(d) after step “c”,
connecting the lay flay hose
to the spool of the first reel assembly, and
the tensioning system
being selectively activated
to wind the spool,
wherein such winding
pulls portions of the lay flat hose
across the at least one roller;
(e) moving the chassis
while simultaneously winding the lay flat hose
from the ground
onto the spool of the first reel assembly;
(f) after the spool of the first reel assembly
has filled with wound up lay flat hose,
the at least one arm
removing the first reel assembly
from the chassis deck;
(g) after step “f”,
the at least one arm
loading a second reel assembly including a spool
on the deck and
the tensioning system
being rotationally connected to the spool of the second reel assembly, and
moving the chassis
while simultaneously winding up the lay flat hose
from the ground
onto the spool of the second reel assembly
while the tensioning system
being selectively activated
to pull portions of the lay flat hose
across the at least one roller; and
(h) wherein in steps “d” through “g”,
the lay flat hose
is raised from the ground surface
at a position which is
closer to the opposed second working end portion
compared to the first opposed working end portion of the chassis.
48 . The method of claim 47 ,
wherein in step “a”,
the tensioning system includes
a plurality of rollers selectively engaging the lay flat hose.
49 . The method of claim 48 ,
wherein in step “e”,
the plurality of rollers
apply tension to the lay flat hose
when the lay flat hose is wound upon the hose reel.
50 . The method of claim 47 ,
wherein in step “e”
during a pickup of the lay flat hose,
the tensioning system
consistently applies an over torque on the selected spool
to keep the section of lay flat hose between
the spool and
the at least one roller in tension.
51 . The method of claim 47 , wherein in step “c”,
a drive axle is rotationally connected to the spool via a shaft, the shaft being movable between extended and retracted positions, wherein in the extended position, the shaft connects with the spool, and in step “f” the shaft is moved to the retracted position to disconnect with the spool.
52 . The method of claim 47 , wherein in step “c” there are first and second spaced apart lifting arms that are respectively rotatably about first and second pivot axes, and each of the first and second spaced lifting arms includes telescoping sections that are selectively extendable and retractable.
53 . The method of claim 47 , wherein in step “c” the tensioning system is rotationally connected to the spool with a retractable shaft that moves between retracted and extended positions.
54 . The method of claim 47 , wherein the shaft retracts before the end of step “c”, and extends to rotationally connect the spool to the tensioning system.
55 . A system for transferring frac water between
a source of the frac water and
a frac water destination, the system comprising:
(a) a portable frac water delivery subsystem, the portable frac water delivery subsystem comprising
a plurality of segments of a lay flat hose and
at least one tracked carrier for transporting the lay flat hose;
(b) the at least one tracked carrier each comprising
a hose tensioning subsystem
for flattening the plurality of segments of the lay flat hose
to be wound onto at least one of a plurality of spools,
the plurality of segments of the lay flat hose
connected in series
to assemble a pipeline for transferring the frac water
from the source of the frac water
to the frac water destination,
the hose tensioning system further comprising
a drive subsystem for
rotating at least one of the plurality of spools,
the drive subsystem including:
(i) a plurality of rollers on the tracked carrier
selectively engaging
at least one of the plurality of segments of the lay flat hose;
(ii) the drive subsystem
being selectively activated
to wind the at least one of the plurality of segments of lay flat hose
onto at least one of the plurality of spools; and
(iii) at least one of the plurality of segments of the lay flat hose
engaging the plurality of rollers
wherein the lay flat hose
travels in between two of the rollers.
56 . The system of claim 55 ,
wherein the at least one tracked carrier includes
a spool lifting subsystem for
lifting individual spools
from the plurality of spools onto the tracked carrier and/or
offloading the individual spools
from the tracked carrier,
the spool lifting system comprising:
(a) an arm,
(b) the arm selectively engaging the spools;
(c) a linkage system connecting the arm to the tracked carrier; and
(d) one or more hydraulic cylinders for controlling the movement of the linkage system.
57 . The system of claim 55 ,
the tensioning subsystem
substantially removing water
from the one or more segments of the lay flat hose.