IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,077,372
Granted Patent B2
US 12,077,372 · App. 17/250,838 · Granted Sep 3, 2024

Proppant supply system

Inventors: Sandor Weaver Grimes (Bryan, TX); Travis Adair Anderson (Seguin, TX); Clayton Thomas Martin (Bryan, TX); Tiffany Louis Matthews (Bryan, TX); Scott Allen Toler (College Station, TX)
Assignee: NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, L.P.
B65D88/30B65D88/32B65G3/04B60P1/16B65G65/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,077,372
App. No.
17/250,838
Granted
Sep 3, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A mobile proppant delivery system may include a system for unloading proppant transport trailers, storing proppant in silos, and feeding proppant to frac operations. The system may include drive-over conveyors, swiveling distribution heads, internal silo bucket elevators, gravity feed, choke filling, and bases designed with internal conveying systems.

Claims (24)

1. A proppant supply system, comprising:

a base;

a plurality of silos each having an integrated bucket elevator and being arranged on the base;

a drive-over loader configured for gravity feeding of proppant by transports and for conveying the proppant to the plurality of silos, the drive-over loader being pivotable while maintaining feed lines in simultaneous communication with each of the plurality of silos, wherein:

the base comprises a proppant conveying system arranged below the silo; and

the proppant conveying system on the base is configured for gravity choke feeding from the silo, and for carrying the proppant laterally out from under the silo and upward to a blender-feeding hopper.

2. The proppant supply system of claim 1 , wherein the drive-over loader comprises a gravity feed point from which the drive-over loader gravity feeds the plurality of silos.

3. The proppant supply system of claim 1 , wherein the drive-over loader is configured for gravity choke feeding the proppant from the transport.

4. A storage system for proppant, the system comprising:

two bases arranged adjacent one another each comprising a conveying system arranged on a respective base;

a plurality of silos configured for storing the proppant, arranged on the base, having integrated bucket elevators and configured for selective delivery of the proppant to a respective conveyor below the silo and the conveyor on the adjacent base; and

a conveying system arranged on the base and below the silos for delivering the proppant to a blender.

5. A method of supplying proppant to a frac spread, the method comprising:

receiving proppant with a loader from a transport via a gravity feed;

conveying the proppant with the loader along an incline conveyor to a swiveling distribution head arranged at a top of the incline conveyor, the swiveling distribution head configured to swivel relative to the incline conveyor;

selectively delivering the proppant to a selected silo;

receiving the proppant from the loader and bucket conveying the proppant into the silo;

feeding the proppant from the silo to a conveyor; and

conveying the proppant laterally out from under the silo and upward to a hopper.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein feeding the proppant from the silo to a conveyor comprises feeding a conveyor arranged below the silo.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein feeding the proppant from the silo to a conveyor comprises feeding a conveyor arranged below an adjacent silo.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein feeding the proppant from the silo to a conveyor comprise gravity choke feeding the proppant from the silo to a conveyor.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein gravity choke feeding the proppant from the silo to a conveyor comprises gravity choke feeding a conveyor arranged below the silo.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein gravity choke feeding the proppant from the silo to a conveyor comprises gravity choke feeding a conveyor arranged below an adjacent silo.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 18, 2021
From: GRIMES, SANDOR WEAVER; ANDERSON, TRAVIS ADAIR; MARTIN, CLAYTON THOMAS; MATTHEWS, TIFFANY LOUIS; TOLER, SCOTT ALLEN
To: NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, L.P.
Reel/Frame 055637/0631 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62731435 · Sep 14, 2018
Related Publication 20210354910A1 · Nov 18, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,715,704