Portable silo with solar powered actuators

A portable storage silo comprising a tank has a peripheral wall, a top wall and a bottom wall. There is provided a filling opening at or adjacent a top of the tank and a discharge opening at or adjacent a bottom of the tank. A support assembly for holding the tank with the bottom wall raised from the ground such that the discharge opening is raised for discharge into a receptacle at the ground. The support assembly includes a base for resting on the ground. The base including a plurality of arms connected to the base and located at spaced positions around the base. The discharge opening has an electrically actuated gate arrangement. The filling opening has an electrically actuated lid. The actuators at the discharge opening and the filling opening are solar powered.

This invention relates to a portable silo for storing particulate material which is portable so that it can be moved to a temporary location and includes solar powered actuators at a discharge chute and silo lid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In Canadian application Serial No: 2,600,216 of Herman published Mar. 4, 2009 is disclosed a silo or tank which is cylindrical and stands up from a base to a raised upper end at which it can be filled. Such tanks can hold up to 250 tons of a particulate material such as sand. The main point concerning the Herman tank is that it is portable and includes a coupling for attachment to a trailer so that it can be moved to a temporary location.

Often such tanks are mounted on rig mats at a work site or on other unstable base support. As the mounting is temporary, there is no possibility for foundation work to hold the tank stable.

As such tanks contain large amounts of material they apply significant force to the base on which they stand and also the consequences of instability leading to toppling are severe.

In Canadian Application 2,732,170 published Aug. 16, 2012 is disclosed a silo of this type where there is provided a mounting base which better supports the structure.

Another issue is that the silo is often required to be located at remote positions where there are little facilities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one object of the present invention to provide a silo of this type which is modified for improved operation.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a portable storage silo comprising:

a tank having a peripheral wall, a top wall and a bottom wall;

a filling opening at or adjacent a top of the tank;

a discharge opening at or adjacent a bottom of the tank;

a support assembly for holding the tank with the bottom wall raised from the ground such that the discharge opening is raised for discharge into a receptacle at the ground;

the support assembly including a base for resting on the ground;

wherein the discharge opening has an electrically actuated gate arrangement;

wherein the filling opening has an electrically actuated lid;

the actuators at the discharge opening and the filling opening are operated with power from solar panels.

Preferably the solar panels which are mounted on the silo on one side adjacent an upper end of the silo.

Preferably the battery pack charged by the solar panels where the battery pack is located at the base underneath the silo.

Preferably there is provided a manual override lever on the discharge opening.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The portable storage silo includes a cylindrical tank10having a peripheral wall11, a top wall12with a filler opening12A and a bottom wall13with a discharge opening at or adjacent a bottom of the tank.

The tank has a height greater than 30 feet and preferably greater than 40 feet and a diameter less than 15 feet and preferably of the order of thirteen feet which allows it to be portable on a flat bed trailer which is the maximum allowing road transport.

A support assembly14is provided for holding the tank with the bottom wall raised from the ground such that the discharge opening is raised for discharge into a receptacle at the ground. Thus when standing it is relatively unstable due to the high weight contained and the great height relative to width.

The support assembly14includes a base15for resting on the ground. The base defines a ring15with an outer peripheral edge16with a transverse dimension approximately equal to that of the tank so that is also transportable as part of the same dimension.

The base includes a plurality of upstanding support legs40extending from the ring15at the ground to the peripheral wall of the tank to support the tank raised from the ring. The support legs are connected to and extend along the peripheral wall of the tank to a position adjacent the top of the tank to provide additional connection to and structural strength for the tank.

The ring carries a plurality, preferably four, of stabilizer arms17connected to the base and located at spaced positions around the base. The ring has four diagonal side edges15B and each stabilizer arm is attached at a respective one of the diagonal side edges so as to be spaced at 90 degrees around the periphery of the tank.

Each stabilizer arms is mounted on a pivot bracket18so that it is movable by pivotal movement about a horizontal axis19into a first retracted position20shown inFIG. 4where it is raised from the base vertically upwardly so as to lie in the common periphery of the base and tank for transport. Each stabilizer arms is movable to a second extended position21shown inFIG. 2extending outwardly to respective side of the base for stabilizing the base against tilting. Each arm is also mounted on a second pivot bracket23so as to be movable about an upstanding axis24at the base so as to move the arm so that its angle around the base is adjustable. Thus each arm is movable from a position in which the arm is radial to a central vertical axis of the base as shown inFIG. 1and is movable through an angle of 90 degrees from a first position in the arm17X is parallel to an arm17Y on one side as shown inFIG. 3to a second position in which it is parallel to an arm17Z on the other side.

Each arm includes a brace25extending from the base at a pivot point26to a bottom pivot point17at the arm17, the brace being movable from a position lifting the arm to the retracted position shown inFIG. 4to the position extending downwardly and outwardly to locate the arm in the extended position shown inFIG. 1. In order to effect this motion, the brace includes an elbow25A allowing it to be folded at the elbow by an actuator or hydraulic cylinder25B extending along the brace from the upper end to a crank (not shown) at the elbow for driving folding of the brace to effect movement of the arm. The upper end of the brace is also mounted on pivot bracket23A aligned with the bracket23and defining the common axis24therewith so that both the brace and the arm17pivot around the axis24to provide the angular adjustment of the arm.

As illustrated inFIG. 6, a discharge chute31is located at a bottom end of the silo10. The discharge chute is arranged to allow the contents of the silo be emptied into a transport vehicle. The chute extends beyond the outer wall of the silo for access by a transport vehicle. Connecting the chute to the silo is a clam shell gate33. The clam shell gate can be opened such that the contents of the silo can be released down the chute31to a transport vehicle. The clam shell gate33has an electrically controlled actuator35arranged to electronically open and close the gate. A manual gate override lever37is attached to an end35A of the actuator35so that pivotal movement of the lever27is arranged such that the gate can be manually opened and closed.

On a top end of the silo, as illustrated inFIGS. 7,8and9, is an electrically controlled silo lid39. The lid39is a circular body with downturned side flange and is arranged to cover an opening41on the top of the silo where the contents of the silo are loaded by an auger or the like. An electric actuator43is arranged to open and close the lid by raising the lid on a pivot45. The lid is located at a centralize location on the top end of the silo.

Each of the actuators in the chute and top opening are powered by a battery pack48located at the base underneath the silo, which is charged by a solar panel arrangement49mounted on the side wall of the silo adjacent the top end. The battery pack is charged when solar power is available and this power is arranged to be sufficient to drive the actuators of the silo. The operation of the actuators and the control of the charging system is controlled by a control panel59located at the battery pack on the base. The control unit communicates by cables to switches47at the actuators.

The silo lid has a circular shaped panel51having downwardly extending flanges53arranged to enclose on the opening. The opening has upwardly extending flanges55arranged to fit within the flanges of the lid.

The lid is pivoted at a pivot point57located at an end of the lid. The actuator has a elongated arm59extending from a hinged mount61directly behind the pivot on the lid such that retraction of a cylinder within the arm pivots the lid up. Extension of the cylinder closes the lid.