PORTABLE SILO ASSEMBLY
A portable silo assembly includes two or more telescopic silos. Each of the telescopic silos are multi-stage structures that are vertically movable from a collapsed transport position to a telescopically expanded operative position. A rigid underlying base structure is provided upon which the two or more telescopic silos are mounted. A jacking assembly is provided for jacking the two or more telescopic silos from the collapsed transport position to the expanded operative position. A rigidifying truss system provided rigidity between the two or more telescopic silos during transport and as the two or more telescopic silos are jacked from the collapsed transport position to the expanded operative position.
There is described a portable silo assembly developed for use in the oil and gas industry to store sand required for an operation known as “fracing”. It will be appreciated that the portable silo assembly can be used in any application where temporary use of a silo is required.
BACKGROUNDIn the oil and gas industry, a formation fracturing operation. known as “fracing” is performed that requires large quantities of sand. In preparation for “fracing” a portable silo needed to store the large quantities of sand is transported to a remote well site. The portable silos currently in use are large cylinders which are transported on a truck in a substantially horizontal orientation due to highway height restrictions and are then placed in a vertical orientation at the well site. There will hereinafter be described a portable silo assembly.
SUMMARYThere is provided a portable silo assembly which includes two or more telescopic silos. Each of the telescopic silos are multi-stage structures that are vertically movable from a collapsed transport position to a telescopically expanded operative position. A rigid underlying base structure is provided upon which the two or more telescopic silos are mounted. A jacking assembly is provided for jacking the two or more telescopic silos from the collapsed transport position to the expanded operative position. A rigidifying truss system provided rigidity between the two or more telescopic silos during transport and as the two or more telescopic silos are jacked from the collapsed transport position to the expanded operative position.
The above described portable silo assembly is an alternative to portable silos currently in use. The portable silo assembly that will hereinafter be described uses four telescopic silos. This configuration provides a capacity in excess of any portable silo that is currently in use.
There are a number of optional features that have been added to the portable silo assembly, as will hereinafter be further described. A skid is used as the underlying base structure to facilitate winching the underlying base structure on and off transport trailers. A plurality of multi-stage hydraulic cylinders are used for the jacking assembly. Stabilizer columns are provided which telescopically extend to provide resistance against deflection when raising and lowering the portable silo assembly. Stabilizer legs are provided to stabilize the two or more telescopic silos in the expanded operative position and provide a back up to the multi-stage hydraulic cylinders in the event of hydraulic failure. The stabilizer legs are pivotally mounted at an upper end of the two or more telescopic silos. The stabilizer legs slide in tracks positioned on the underlying base structure from a transport position to a support position as the two or more telescopic silos are moved by the jacking assembly from the collapsed transport position to the expanded operative position. Outriggers are provided that are capable of being extended outwardly from the underlying base structure. Guy wires may be secured from the top of the two or more telescopic silos to remote ends of the outriggers for further stability. Each of the two or more telescopic silos has a coned bottom with an underlying conveyor which retracts when the two or more telescopic silos are in the collapsed transport position and extends when the two or more telescopic silos are in the expanded operative position.
These and other features will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting, wherein:
A portable silo assembly will now be described with reference to
100 Safety Rail around perimeter of structure, (Hinged attachment allowing railings to be “folded” down for transport.
101 (6) Retractable stabilizers to resist any deflection while raising and lowering the silo.
102 Collapsing caged ladder
103 Guyed wires to be connected to lower outriggers upon operational height
101 Multi-stage Hydraulic Cylinders to support structure
105 Lower Outriggers complete with connection to support guy wires
106 Hydraulic Power pack
107 External Conveyor
108 internal Conveyor, on a track to slide in for transport and out for operation
109 Silo Support legs
110 Collapsing Silo assembly (5 Aluminum Cylinders complete with 1 coned cylinder)
111 Silo base with skid plate
112 Stabilizer legs that will swing down on a track to be locked in place with assembly is at operational height.
113 Plates with “pin” connection to allow stabilizer arms to swing freely down as the unit is erected.
114 Truss system along entire unit and between each cylinder to ensure structure is rigid as well as ensure no deflection while being loaded or unloaded. Truss system will be tied into base under transport at 5 points (2 at each end and 3 in-between silos)
115 Hatch to allow for material to enter the silos
Structure and Relationship of Parts:Referring to
There are a number of optional features that have been added to the portable silo assembly. Referring to
Referring to
1. Legal Road transportable Storage Silo (when Collapsed)
2. A large Volume Storage once erected
3. Built on a skid to be winched on and off trailers with winch tractor trucks
4. Silo is designed with 2 main factors enabling it to move off and on the trailers without buckling; engineered skid & structure base, as well as the truss system that ties into the skid creating a rigid, low deflection structure that acts as 1 unit.
5. Takes up less square footage on site due to vertical capability's
6. Due to the large capacity of the Silo, the savings of plus or minus 7 truckloads will take place.
7. Silo is trucked onto site with Winch Tractor
8. Silo is lowered off trailer in Collapsed position to level ground
9. Stabilizers are extended out and the multistage multi silos are jacked up to full storage capacity.
10. Each cylinder has different diameters enabling the cylinders to create a large storage hold capable of holding approx. 1200 tons of sand when fully extended, while also having the ability to be transported with just 1 vehicle.
11. With multiple silos you must have a truss system to tie them all raise in lower together, resisting any binding or buckling.
12. The truss system holding the multiple silos on the skid is raised and lowered by 2 multi stage hydraulics at each end.
13. Hydraulics are operated with a diesel power pack at the end of the silo
14. Each aluminum cylinder has welded rings with rubber seals to catch the next cylinder & to create a leak-free seal
15. Silo product loading done through top hatch by conveyor or pneumatic.
16. Discharge of the product takes place through coned bottom valve dropping onto a conveyor of which is on a track.
In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.
The scope of the claims should not be limited by the illustrated embodiments set forth as examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with a purposive construction of the claims in view of the description as a whole.
Claims
1. A portable silo assembly, comprising:
- two or more telescopic silos, each of the telescopic silo being multi-stage structures that are vertically movable from a collapsed transport position to a telescopically expanded operative position;
- a rigid underlying base structure upon which the two or more telescopic silos are mounted:
- a jacking assembly for jacking the two or more telescopic silos from the collapsed transport position to the expanded operative position; and
- a rigidifying truss system providing rigidity between the two or more telescopic silos during transport and as the two or more telescopic silos are jacked from the collapsed transport position to the expanded operative position.
2. The portable silo assembly of claim 1, wherein the underlying base structure is a skid for facilitating winching the underlying base structure on and off transport trailers.
3. The portable silo assembly of claim 1, wherein the jacking assembly is comprised of a plurality of multi-stage hydraulic cylinders.
4. The portable silo assembly of claim 3, wherein there is provided stabilizer legs to stabilize the two or more telescopic silos in the expanded operative position and provide a back up to the multi-stage hydraulic cylinders in the event of hydraulic failure.
5. The portable silo assembly of claim 4, wherein the stabilizer legs at pivotally mounted at an upper end of the two or more telescopic silos, the stabilizer legs sliding in tracks positioned on the underlying base structure from a transport position to a support position as the two or more telescopic silos are moved by the jacking assembly from the collapsed transport position to the expanded operative position.
6. The portable silo assembly of claim 1, wherein stabilizer columns telescopically extend to provide resistance against deflection when raising and lowering the portable silo assembly.
7. The portable silo assembly of claim 1, wherein the underlying base structure has outriggers that extend outwardly from the underlying base structure.
8. The portable silo assembly of claim 7, wherein guy wires are secured from the top of the two or more telescopic silos to remote ends of the outriggers.
9. The portable silo assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the two or more telescopic silos has a coned bottom with an underlying conveyor.
10. The portable silo assembly of claim 8, wherein each underlying conveyor retracts when the two or more telescopic silos are in the collapsed transport position and extends when the two or more telescopic silos are in the expanded operative position.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 4, 2016
Publication Date: Sep 1, 2016
Inventor: Daryl A. KRUPA (Victoria)
Application Number: 15/015,443