Patent Application
20140166649
The present disclosure is directed to a modular above-ground (MAG) tank designed to store large quantities of fluids produced or required by a variety of industries and technologies.
Many industries either produce or require large quantities of water and other liquids. This is particularly true of unconventional oil and natural gas operations that use hydraulic fracturing in combination with horizontal drilling to extract oil and natural gas. The process of hydraulic fracturing requires millions of gallons of water that are mixed with sand and other lubricating agents and injected into hydrocarbon formations under controlled high pressure to break open the rock, expand and hold open the fractures, thereby allowing oil and natural gas to flow to the well head. Following hydraulic fracturing, some of the fluids that are injected along with fluids that are naturally resident in the formation are returned to the surface. These fluids need to be managed in a responsible and cost-effective manner. Storing and disposing of these fluids in an environmentally safe manner present significant challenges. Many commercial operations use tanker trucks, rail cars or pipelines to haul waste fluids away for disposal. This greatly increases costs if the amount of waste liquid is large and the disposal facility is remote. Transporting fluids also created hazards and increases road or rail traffic.
To support industrial processes that require or produce large quantities of water or other liquids, many operators build temporary modular above-ground (MAG) fluid storage tanks to hold wastewater or other fluids. Such tanks may be deployed in, for example, an oilfield. Oilfield operators and similar industries that use MAG tanks constantly seek to improve logistics, increase safety, increase flexibility, lower costs, and expedite the set-up and take-down times of the MAG tanks
To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, it is a primary object to provide a modular tank comprising a plurality of panels positioned on a ground surface to form sides of a containment wall. Each panel comprises: i) a side wall section having a trapezoidal shape; and ii) a frame assembly connected to the side wall section and configured to support the side wall section such that a first base of the trapezoid shape is disposed proximate a base of the containment wall and a second base of the trapezoid shape is supported in an elevated position to form part of an upper perimeter of the containment wall.
In one embodiment, the side wall section comprises a grid having holes therein.
In another embodiment, the side wall section comprises a solid surface.
In still another embodiment, the modular tank further comprises a liner configured to be disposed on at least one of the containment wall and the ground surface to thereby form a barrier for containing fluid in the modular tank.
In yet another embodiment, a first one of the plurality of panels is configured such that the first base of the trapezoidal shape is wider than the second base of the trapezoidal shape.
In a further embodiment, a side wall section of the first panel is removably attached to a frame assembly of the first panel.
In a still further embodiment, a second one of the plurality of panels is configured such that the second base of the trapezoidal shape is wider than the first base of the trapezoidal shape.
In a yet further embodiment, a side wall section of the second panel is removably attached to a frame assembly of the second panel.
Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term “or,” is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like. Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.
For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts:
A modular above-ground (MAG) tank according to the principles of the present disclosure may be used in a number of industries including, but not limited to: 1) oil and gas exploration, 2) hydraulic fracturing, 3) industrial fluid treatment, 4) water recycling, and 5) municipal water treatment. The fluids that the disclosed MAG tank may store include, but are not limited to: 1) fresh water, 2) rain water, 3) salt water, 4) brine, 5) waste water, 6) storm water, 7) oil and gas drilling fluid (mud), 8) frack water, 9) industrial water, 10) reuse water, 11) recycled water, 12) oil, 13) any fluid with a weight of less than 50 lbs/gallon, and 14) secondary containment for any product.
A MAG tank system according to the principles of the present disclosure may be installed in a virtually unlimited number of configurations. The trapezoidal geometry of the component panels of the MAG tank allows each panel to be installed in two different configurations allowing for walls of the tank to be made in straight lines or curves. This unique design allows the MAG Tank to be a circle, a square, a rectangular, or virtually any polygon or free-form shape.
The disclosed MAG tank is designed on the principles of a cofferdam, which provides a transfer of weight to the perpendicular plane, thereby eliminating hoop stresses. This allows for a variety of fluids to be used in the system, including high-density fluids.
Straight sides 201-204 are formed by assembling alternating “A” panels and “B” panels in a row. The concave curved corners between sides 201-204 are formed by using consecutive “A” panels. However, in an alternate configuration (not shown), a convex curved corner can be formed by using consecutive “B” panels. By positioning the panels as shown in
Side wall section 350 may comprise a grid 350 that forms a section of the side of the MAG tank. Grid 350 is attached to I-beam frame 305 to form the side section surface of component panel 300 on which a liner may be attached. In an advantageous embodiment, grid 350 may be a grill or grating having holes therein and made of steel or another metal in order to save weight. However, in an alternate embodiment, grid 350 may be replaced by a solid plate or similar surface.
In addition, the disclosed MAG tank system is designed to be reusable and portable with a system being set up or taken down in a matter of hours. This is much faster than, for example, a bolted tank. The design of the MAG tank panel allows it to be fully self-supporting, not requiring a connection to an adjacent panel. This allows for less precise installation criteria (e.g., uneven ground) and creates a faster installation time. However, in some configurations, it may be desirable to connect adjacent panels to each other.
A geotextile fabric (or liner) may be unrolled and put in place on the tank walls and on the ground within the tank to provide containment of the fluid. When the tank is filled, the more fluid in the tank the greater the down-force placed on the geotextile membrane creating an even higher force to keep a panel from slipping.
Another feature to prevent slipping is the offset nature of the base assembly. It is designed to allow for minimum site disturbance, requiring a smaller ground area to be cleared. The inner portion of the tank does not have to be completely level. Although a 1% grade is preferred, it is not required. This allows for a small level trench to be the only site preparation required in some cases.
Although the present disclosure has been described with an exemplary embodiment, various changes and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the present disclosure encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.
The present application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent No. 61/737,604, filed Dec. 14, 2012, entitled “Modular Above-Ground Tank”. Provisional Patent No. 61/737,604 is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application as if fully set forth herein. The present application hereby claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent No. 61/737,604.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61737604 | Dec 2012 | US |
