IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,488,141
Granted Patent B2
US 7,488,141 · App. 10/890,671 · Granted Feb 10, 2009

Automated control methods for dry bulk material transfer

Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,488,141
App. No.
10/890,671
Granted
Feb 10, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for blending dry material in a plant comprises automatically controlling fluidization of the dry material, transfer of the material, or both. In various embodiments, the automatically controlling comprises optimizing an amount of time that the dry material is fluidized prior to transfer, optimizing the transfer rate of the dry material, detecting and eliminating a developing plug of the dry material, estimating the weight of the dry material in the transfer line, minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material, and combinations thereof.

Claims (49)

1. A method for blending dry material in a plant, comprising:

measuring a transfer rate of the dry material; and

automatically modulating based on the transfer rate a quantity of gas injected into the dry material during transfer of the dry material to maximize the transfer rate of the dry material, the gas injected into the dry material providing at least a portion of the motive force to promote transfer of the dry material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plant is a cement blending plant.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the dry material comprises cement, sand, salt, bentonite, silica flour, or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically modulating comprises determining an amount of time to fluidize the dry material prior to transfer and fluidizing the dry material for the amount of time prior to transfer.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the determining comprises minimizing moisture introduced to the dry material.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the determining is based on a length of time having past since the dry material was last fluidized.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the automatically modulating comprises maximizing the transfer rate of the dry material.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the automatically modulating comprises detecting a developing plug of the dry material during transfer.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the automatically modulating comprises estimating the weight of the dry material in a transfer line.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the automatically modulating comprises estimating the weight of the dry material in a transfer line.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

15. The method of claim 4 wherein the automatically modulating comprises detecting a developing plug of the dry material during transfer.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the automatically modulating comprises estimating the weight of the dry material in a transfer line.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

19. The method of claim 4 wherein the automatically modulating comprises estimating the weight of the dry material in a transfer line.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

21. The method of claim 4 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the modulating comprises continually adjusting the quantity of gas injected.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein when a maximum transfer rate of the dry materials obtained, the modulating ceases until the transfer rate falls below a setpoint material transfer rate.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein when a maximum transfer rate of the dry materials obtained, the modulating comprises finely adjusting the quantity of the gas injected.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically modulating comprises detecting a developing plug of the dry material during transfer.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the detecting a developing plug comprises measuring an increase in a vacuum pressure and a decrease in a transfer rate of the dry material.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the automatically modulating comprises eliminating the developing plug.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the automatically modulating comprises estimating the weight of the dry material in a transfer line.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically modulating comprises detecting a developing plug of the dry material during transfer.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the automatically modulating comprises eliminating the developing plug via modulating a quantity of gas injected into the dry material during transfer.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the automatically modulating comprises estimating the weight of the dry material in a transfer line.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

36. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically modulating comprises estimating the weight of the dry material in a transfer line.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the estimating comprises averaging a plurality of measured weights of the dry material in the transfer line over time.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the estimating comprises averaging a measured weight of the dry material in the transfer line with an expected weight of the dry material in the transfer line.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

40. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically modulating comprises estimating the weight of the dry material in a transfer line.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

42. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the minimizing dribbling comprises limiting dribbling to transfer of a final portion of the dry material.

44. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically modulating comprises minimizing dribbling during transfer of the dry material.

45. The method of claim 1 wherein the transfer of the dry materials is from a first tank to a second tank through a transfer line.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein a time lag occurs between modulating the quantity of gas injected and a corresponding change in the transfer rate.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the time lag is greater than about 5 seconds.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2004
From: BIVENS, JASON D.; HEATON, JOHN G.
To: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 015783/0101 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20060013061A1 · Jan 19, 2006