Abstract:
A thermal treatment system for receiving liquid from drill cuttings material in which a metering screw system feeds material to a vessel of a thermal reactor. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims, 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field Of The Invention 
         [0002]    This invention is directed to systems and methods for separating hydrocarbons from drill cuttings from a wellbore being drilled in the earth; and, in certain particular aspects, to such systems and methods which employ a screw feed apparatus for feeding drilled cuttings material to a thermal reactor. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    The prior art discloses a variety of systems and methods for the thermal treatment of material and thermal treatment of drilled cuttings material. For example, and not by way of limitation, the following U.S. patents present exemplary material treatment systems: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,914,027; 5,724,751; and 6,165,349—all these patents incorporated fully herein for all purposes. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention, in certain aspects, discloses a thermal treatment system for removing liquid from drill cuttings material, the thermal treatment system having a metering screw apparatus for receiving and feeding drill cuttings material to a reactor system, including apparatus and a control system for controlling the metering screw apparatus and for insuring that the metering screw apparatus is maintained full or nearly full of material and/or for controlling the mass flow rate into a reactor of the thermal treatment system by adjusting the speed of the metering screw apparatus. 
         [0006]    The present invention, in certain aspects, discloses a thermal treatment system for treating drill cuttings material in which apparatus and a control system are provided to maintain an airlock at a material inlet to a thermal reactor of the thermal treatment system by maintaining a desired amount of material in a container above a feeder system that feeds material into the thermal reactor. In one aspect in such a system apparatus and a control system provide for control of temperature in the thermal reactor by controlling the mass flow rate of material into the thermal reactor by controlling a metering screw system that feeds material into the thermal reactor. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, the present invention includes features and advantages which are believed to enable it to advance thermal drill cuttings treatment technology. Characteristics and advantages of the present invention described above and additional features and benefits will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and referring to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0008]    Certain embodiments of this invention are not limited to any particular individual feature disclosed here, but include combinations of them distinguished from the prior art in their structures, functions, and/or results achieved. Features of the invention have been broadly described so that the detailed descriptions that follow may be better understood, and in order that the contributions of this invention to the arts may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional aspects of the invention described below and which may be included in the subject matter of the claims to this invention. Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this invention, its teachings, and suggestions will appreciate that the conceptions of this disclosure may be used as a creative basis for designing other structures, methods and systems for carrying out and practicing the present invention. The claims of this invention are to be read to include any legally equivalent devices or methods which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0009]    What follows are some of, but not all, the objects of this invention. In addition to the specific objects stated below for at least certain preferred embodiments of the invention, there are other objects and purposes which will be readily apparent to one of skill in this art who has the benefit of this invention&#39;s teachings and disclosures. It is, therefore, an object of at least certain preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide: 
         [0010]    New, useful, unique, efficient, non-obvious thermal drilled cuttings treatment systems; and 
         [0011]    Such systems with a screw feed for feeding drilled cuttings material to a thermal reactor. 
         [0012]    The present invention recognizes and addresses the problems and needs in this area and provides a solution to those problems and a satisfactory meeting of those needs in its various possible embodiments and equivalents thereof. To one of skill in this art who has the benefits of this invention&#39;s realizations, teachings, disclosures, and suggestions, other purposes and advantages will be appreciated from the following description of certain preferred embodiments, given for the purpose of disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detail in these descriptions is not intended to thwart this patent&#39;s object to claim this invention no matter how others may later attempt to disguise it by variations in form, changes, or additions of further improvements. 
         [0013]    The Abstract that is part hereof is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and scientists, engineers, researchers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent terms or legal terms of phraseology to determine quickly from a cursory inspection or review the nature and general area of the disclosure of this invention. The Abstract is neither intended to define the invention, which is done by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting of the scope of the invention in any way. 
         [0014]    It will be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention may include one, some, or all of the disclosed, described, and/or enumerated improvements and/or technical advantages and/or elements in claims to this invention. 
         [0015]    Certain aspects, certain embodiments, and certain preferable features of the invention are set out herein. Any combination of aspects or features shown in any aspect or embodiment can be used except where such aspects or features are mutually exclusive. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    A more particular description of embodiments of the invention briefly summarized above may be had by references to the embodiments which are shown in the drawings which form a part of this specification. These drawings illustrate certain preferred embodiments and are not to be used to improperly limit the scope of the invention which may have other equally effective or equivalent embodiments. 
           [0017]      FIG. 1A  is a schematic view of a system according to the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 1B  is a top view of the system of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0019]      FIG. 1C  is a partial side view of part of the system of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0020]      FIG. 1D  is a cross-section view of a feeder system of the system of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0021]      FIG. 1E  is a cross-section view of a feeder system useful in a system like the system of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0022]      FIG. 1F  is a cross-section view of a container of a feeder system according to the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 2A  is a side cross-section view of a feeder system according to the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2B  is an end view of the system of  FIG. 2A . 
           [0025]      FIG. 2C  is a top view of the system of  FIG. 2A . 
           [0026]      FIG. 2D  is a top view of part of the system of  FIG. 2A . 
           [0027]      FIG. 2E  is an end view of a slide of the system of  FIG. 2A . 
           [0028]      FIG. 3  is a top view of a system according to the present invention. 
           [0029]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a system according to the present invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a system according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0031]    Presently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the above-identified figures and described in detail below. Various aspects and features of embodiments of the invention are described below and some are set out in the dependent claims. Any combination of aspects and/or features described below or shown in the dependent claims can be used except where such aspects and/or features are mutually exclusive. It should be understood that the appended drawings and description herein are of preferred embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention or the appended claims. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In showing and describing the preferred embodiments, like or identical reference numerals are used to identify common or similar elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic in the interest of clarity and conciseness. 
         [0032]    As used herein and throughout all the various portions (and headings) of this patent, the terms “invention”, “present invention” and variations thereof mean one or more embodiment, and are not intended to mean the claimed invention of any particular appended claim(s) or all of the appended claims. Accordingly, the subject or topic of each such reference is not automatically or necessarily part of, or required by, any particular claim(s) merely because of such reference. So long as they are not mutually exclusive or contradictory any aspect or feature or combination of aspects or features of any embodiment disclosed herein may be used in any other embodiment disclosed herein. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0033]      FIGS. 1A-1D  illustrate a system  10  according to the present invention which has a thermal reactor section  12  and a feeder system  40  according to the present invention. Drill cuttings material M is fed from the feeder system  40  into a reactor vessel  14  (mounted on supports  18 ) of the thermal reactor section  12  through an inlet  13 . Treated material exits the vessel  14  through a discharge outlet  15 . An engine section  16  has an engine  17  that rotates internal rotors (or friction elements)  8  in the vessel  14 . The vessel  14  has, optionally, a plurality of inlets  7  into which drill cuttings material for treatment can be fed. Load cell apparatuses  3  in communication with a control system CS indicate the amount of material in the vessel  14 . 
         [0034]      FIGS. 1C and 1D  illustrate the feeder system  40  which has a base  42  with sides  44 ,  44   a , and  44   b , and a bottom  45  within which is mounted a container  46  for holding drill cuttings material to be fed to the vessel  14 . It is within the scope of the present invention to have a container  46  with a substantially horizontal level bottom with a metering screw system beneath it which is also substantially horizontal; or, as shown in  FIG. 1D , the container  46  has an inclined bottom  48  with a trough  47  and a metering screw system  60 , which receives material from the container  46 . The system  60  inclined to correspond to the incline of the bottom  48 . Material falls into a trough  3  at the bottom of the container  46  (in which a screw  62  of the system  60  is located). The bottom of the container  46  may be any suitable shape to facilitate the flow and movement of material to the system  60 ; e.g. as shown in  FIG. 1F , walls  46   w  of a container  46   a  are inclined above a trough  47   a.    
         [0035]    Drill cuttings material from a wellbore drilling operation indicated by an arrow  49  is fed by an auger apparatus  50  through an inlet  51  into the container  46 . The drill cuttings material may come from any suitable apparatus or equipment, including, but not limited to, from shale shaker(s), centrifuge(s), tank(s), cuttings storage apparatus, vortex dryer(s), hydrocyclone(s), or any solids control equipment that produces a stream or discharge of drill cuttings material. 
         [0036]    Optionally drill cuttings material is introduced into the container  46  through a line  53  from a system  54  (not directly from drilling operation equipment, like shale shakers or centrifuges) that transfers and/or transports drill cuttings material (e.g., but not limited to, the known BRANDT FREE FLOW (TRADEMARK) cuttings transfer and transportation system). Optionally, the material is fed to a vortex dryer VD for processing and the solids output of the vortex dryer is fed to the container  46 . 
         [0037]    A valve assembly  56  is used to selectively control the flow of free flowing material (e.g. liquids) from the system  60  into the vessel  14  as described below. Such liquids are not moved so much by the screw  62  as they flow freely past the screw  62  to the valve  56  through the system  60 . 
         [0038]    Optionally, (especially for material that may be easily compacted) if additional lubricant is needed for the material to be introduced into the vessel  14 , the lubricant is injected into material in the system  60  through injection ports or nozzles  57  from a lubricant system  58  (e.g., but not limited to, a lubricant that is base oil, an oil component of a drilling fluid). In one aspect, if a load on a motor  52  which rotates the screw  62  (e.g. an hydraulic motor) is increased beyond a pre-selected set point, lubricant is injected through the nozzles  57  to facilitate material flow within the system  60  and lessen the load on the motor  52 . 
         [0039]    Optionally, a pump  70  in fluid communication with the interior of the container  46  pumps free liquid from within the container  46  to reduce the liquid content of the material. This can optimize the performance of the system by insuring that the feed to the vessel  14  has a reduced amount of free liquid. Optionally, as shown in dotted line in  FIG. 1D , a pump  70   a  may be located within the container  46  (in one aspect, in the material M). 
         [0040]    As shown in  FIG. 1E , a conveyor apparatus for conveying material to a vessel like the vessel  14  can have a constant pitch screw  62   s ; or, as shown in  FIG. 1D , the screw  62  of the system  60  has areas of different pitch, e.g. areas  62   a ,  62   b , (with the tightest pitch at the end near the motor  52 ) and  62   c  which reduce the likelihood of material compaction in the system  60  and facilitates material flow in the system  60 . In one particular aspect, the system  60  is about ten inches in diameter; the container  46  has a volume of about eighteen cubic meters; and the bottom  45  is about four meters long. In certain aspects, the container  46  has therein, at any given time, between three to sixteen cubic meters of material and, in one particular aspect, about sixteen cubic meters. The screw may have two, four or more areas of different pitch. 
         [0041]    In one aspect, during operation of the system  10 , an amount of material is maintained in the container  46  (e.g. in one aspect, a minimum of about three cubic meters) so that an airlock is maintained at the inlet  13 . By insuring, using the control system CS as described below, that a sufficient amount of material is within the vessel  14 , an airlock is maintained at the discharge outlet  15  of the system  12 . 
         [0042]    Load cell apparatuses  72  (one, two, or more) indicate how much material (by weight) is in the container  46 . This correlates with the level of the material so that, as shown in  FIG. 1C , a level “a” can be maintained indicative of the volume of material sufficient to maintain the airlock at the inlet  13  described above. The load cell(s) is also used with the control system CS to calculate the rate of metering of material into the vessel  14  and to set and control maximum and minimum levels of material in the container  46 . In one aspect the level “a” is between 50 mm and 1000 mm and, in one particular aspect, is 500 mm. Optionally, or in addition to the load sensor(s)  72 , a level indicating apparatus  79  is used to obtain data to determine the amount of material in the container  46  and its level. In one aspect, the apparatus  79  is an ultrasonic distance measuring apparatus. 
         [0043]    Personnel P can, optionally, remove free liquid from the top of material in the container  46  (e.g. from the top thereof) by manually placing an end  75   a  of a pipe  75  within a conduit  77  connected to the container  46  to pump free liquid (e.g. drilling fluid and some water, inter alia); from the container  46  thereby reducing the liquid content of material introduced into the vessel  14 . In one aspect the pipe  75  is connected to the pump  70 ; or some other pump is used. In one aspect a pump system is placed within the container  46 . 
         [0044]    A control system CS controls the various operational parts and apparatuses of the system  10  as shown schematically in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B, and  1 D. In particular aspects, the control system CS receives information from the load cell(s)  72 , and from sensors  2  on the engine  17  (e.g. torque and/or speed in rpm&#39;s) and from sensor(s)  52   a  on the motor  52  (e.g. motor speed in rpm&#39;s). The control system CS controls the operation of the engine  17 , the motor  52 , the valve  56 , the auger apparatus  50 , the system  60 , the system  58 , the system  54 , the pump  70 , and an hydraulic power supply HPP which supplies power to the motor  52  and any other hydraulically powered item. In one aspect, sensing of the load on the motor  52  is done using a pressure sensor  52   a  (shown schematically). In one aspect, thus monitoring the pressure of hydraulic fluid applied to the motor  52  provides the information needed to activate the injection of additional lubricant via the nozzles  57 . Via sensing of the temperature within the vessel  14  (using a sensor or sensors; e.g., in one aspect three sensors along the top of the vessel  14 ), the control system CS maintains the flow of material into the vessel  14  by controlling the system  00  at a sufficient rate that the temperature within the vessel  14  is maintained at a sufficiently high level (without exceeding a pre-set maximum) to effectively heat liquid phase(s) in the drill cuttings material to vaporize the liquid phase(s). The motor  52 , engine  17 , pump  70  and/or other powered items in these systems can be powered electrically, pneumatically, or hydraulically. 
         [0045]    In certain particular aspects, the oil content of feed into the container  46  is maintained between 15% to 30% by weight and the water content is maintained between 8% to 20% by weight. 
         [0046]    In other aspects, the solids content of the material introduced into the container  46  is, preferably, at least 70% solids by weight; and the liquid content of the material fed into the vessel  14  is 30% or less (liquid includes oil and water). A pump or pumps (e.g., but not limited to, the pump  70 ) reduces (and, in certain aspects, minimizes) the amount of free liquid fed to the vessel  14 . If too much liquid is fed into the vessel  14 , undesirable “wash out” may occur, a sufficient amount of solids will not be present, and, therefore, sufficient friction will not be developed to achieve a desired temperature within the vessel  14  for effective operation. In certain aspects, the temperature within the vessel  14  is maintained by the control system between 250 and 400 degrees Centigrade. 
         [0047]    It is also desirable for efficient operation that the engine  17  operate at an optimal loading, e.g. at 95% of its rated capacity. If the control system CS learns, via a speed sensor  2  on the engine  17  that the RPM&#39;s of the engine  17  are dropping off from a known maximum, this may indicate too much material is being fed into the vessel  14 . The control system CS then reduces the mass transfer rate into the vessel  14  (by controlling the system  60 ). Power generated typically drops off as the RPM&#39;s drop off, as can be seen on a typical performance curve. Insuring that the power generated is maximized provides the maximum energy available to generate the heat required within the vessel  14 . 
         [0048]    Initially at start up, in one aspect, the valve  56  is opened slowly. As free flowing liquid and material flow into the vessel  14 , the temperature is maintained. If there is no dramatic drop in temperature, this indicates that the flow of material has an appropriate liquid content so that a desired operational temperature and effective operation can be achieved. Then the valve  56  is fully opened as the system  60  is controlled by the control system CS and full flow commences. 
         [0049]    The container  46  may be filled continuously or in batches. 
         [0050]      FIG. 1E  shows a system  10   a , like the system  10  described above, and like numerals indicate like parts. The initial feed of drill cuttings material to the container  46  is from one or more shale shakers SS (or other processing equipment) whose drill cuttings material output (e.g. off the tops of the shaker screens or from a centrifuge) is fed to a buffer apparatus BA to maintain a desired liquid content of the material in the container  46 , and, in one aspect, to minimize this liquid content. The buffer apparatus BA can be any suitable system or apparatus; e.g., but not limited to: a system according to the present invention (e.g., but not limited to a system as in  FIGS. 1A ,  2 A, or  3 ); a storage system for drill cuttings material; a skip system; a cuttings containment and transfer system (e.g., but not limited to, a known system as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,195,084, co-owned with the present invention); or a transfer/transport system, e.g., but not limited to, the BRANDT FREE FLOW (TRADEMARK) systems. 
         [0051]      FIG. 2A  shows a system lob like the system  10  described above and like numerals indicate like parts. 
         [0052]    The system lob has a slider system  80  with a slider frame  82  selectively movable by a piston mechanism  84  with one part connected to the slider frame  82  and controlled by the control system CS. Power for the piston mechanism  84  is provided by an hydraulic power pack HPP (which also provides power to the motor  52 ). The slider frame  82  moves material on the bottom  48  of the container  46  to facilitate the flow of material down to the screw  62  of the system  60 . A slider frame may be used as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,195,084. 
         [0053]    The slider frame  82  has a central beam  86 , and, optionally, bevelled end edges  88 . The slide  82  moves material facilitating its entry into a trough  47  in which is located the screw  62 . Optionally, the slider frame  82  is smaller than shown with no central beam  86  and is movable to and from the trough  47  on both sides thereof. 
         [0054]      FIG. 3  illustrates a system  10   c , like the system  10 , and like numerals indicate like parts The reactor section  12   c  has multiple material inlets  13   c  into which material is introducible into a vessel  14   c . One feeder system may be used at one inlet  13   c  or multiple feeder systems  40   c  may be used (three shown in  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0055]      FIG. 4  illustrates improvements to systems of U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,027 (fully incorporated herein for all purposes) and shows a system  200  with a feeder system  210  (like any feeder system disclosed herein according to the present invention) which feeds material into a reactor chamber or vessel  201  with a rotor  202  including friction elements  203 . The rotor  202  further includes a shaft  204  sealed in the reactor with mechanical seals  205 . The friction elements  203  are pivotably mounted in rotor plates  207  (as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,027). Each pair of adjacent rotor plates  207  carries a number of friction elements  203 . The friction elements  203  are staggered relative to each other. The staggered arrangement may achieve turbulent action in a bed of grained solids in the vessel. The friction elements  203  are pivotably mounted in between adjacent rotor plates  207  by rods extending over the length of the rotor  202  (as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,027). 
         [0056]    The rotor  202  is driven by a rotating source  209  which can be an electrical motor, a diesel engine, a gas or steam turbine or the like. The material is brought to the reactor from the feeder system  210  via a line  211 . Water and/or oil (e.g., base oil) can be added to the flow from the pipe  212 . Cracked hydrocarbon gases (and, in one aspect, over-saturated steam) leaves the reactor via a line  213  and, in one aspect, flows to a cyclone  214  and proceed to a condenser unit  215  which can be a baffle tray condenser, a tubular condenser or a distillation tower. The different fractions of the oil can be separated directly from the recovered hydrocarbon gases. The heat from condensation is removed by an oil cooler  216  cooled either by water or air. The recovered oil is discharged from the condenser by a pipe  217  to a tank  218 . 
         [0057]    Solids leave the reactor via a rotating valve  219  and a transport device  220  which can be a screw or belt conveyor or an air transportation pipe system to a container  221 . The solids separated from the cyclone  214  are transported via a rotating valve  222  to the container  221  either by being connected to the transport device  220  or directly to the container  221  by a cyclone transport device  223 . 
         [0058]    Non-condensable gases exit in a pipe  224  and can flow from the pipe  224  to a filter unit or to a flare tower or are accumulated in a pressure tank—not shown. The system  200  may be operated in any way described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,027. The items downstream of the vessel  201  may be used with any system according to the present invention. 
         [0059]      FIG. 5  illustrates that the present invention provides improvements to the systems and methods of U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,751 (fully incorporated herein for all purposes) and shows a system  300  according to the present invention with a process chamber with a rotor  302  and blades  303  driven by an engine  304 . A mass of material is fed into the process chamber by a feeder system  320  (any feeder system disclosed herein according to the present invention). The mass in the process chamber is whipped by the blades and subjected to energy or vibrations from the said blades and ribs  308 , which are sufficiently closely spaced to each other to cause turbulence during the rotation of the blades. Additional energy may be supplied in some form of heated gas from a combustion engine  309 . Gases, mist and vapors leave the process chamber  301  via an output opening via a vent fan  311  and on to either open air or to a condenser. Dried material is led through an output opening  312  via a rotating gate  313 . The system  300  may be operated in any way described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,751. The items downstream of the process chamber of the system  300  may be used with any system according to the present invention. 
         [0060]    The present invention, therefore, provides in some, but not in necessarily all, embodiments a thermal treatment system for removing liquid from drill cuttings material, the thermal treatment system having a metering screw apparatus for receiving and feeding drill cuttings material to a reactor system, including apparatus and a control system for controlling the metering screw apparatus and for insuring that the metering screw apparatus is maintained full or nearly full of material and/or for controlling the mass flow rate into a reactor of the thermal treatment system by adjusting the speed of the metering screw apparatus. 
         [0061]    The present invention, therefore, provides in some, but not in necessarily all, embodiments a thermal treatment system for treating drill cuttings material in which apparatus and a control system are provided to maintain an airlock at a material inlet to a thermal reactor of the thermal treatment system by maintaining a desired amount of material in a container above a feeder system that feeds material into the thermal reactor. 
         [0062]    Any system according to the present invention may include one or some, in any possible combination, of the following: wherein apparatus and a control system provide for control of temperature in the thermal reactor by controlling the mass flow rate of material into the thermal reactor by controlling a metering screw system that feeds material into the thermal reactor; wherein the thermal treatment system has an engine that rotates friction elements within a reactor vessel of the thermal reactor and performance of said engine is optimized by controlling a metering screw system that feeds material into the reactor vessel (e.g., based on sensed speed in rpm&#39;s of said engine); a sensor or sensors or at least one load cell apparatus or two load cell apparatuses beneath the container to provide information to indicate an amount of material in the container; a sensor or sensors or at least one load cell apparatus or two load cell apparatuses beneath the thermal reactor to provide information to assist in control of the discharge rate of solids from the thermal reactor; wherein a control system controls the amount of material in the thermal reactor; wherein the control system controls said amount to maintain an airlock at the discharge from the thermal reactor; apparatus and a control system to maintain a desired temperature in the thermal reactor; a first feed of drilling cuttings material into the container; wherein the first feed is from drilling operations solids control equipment which is at least one of shale shaker, centrifuge, vortex dryer, and hydrocyclone; wherein the first feed is from a cuttings conveyance system; a secondary feed into the container from a cuttings storage or transfer system; and/or apparatus and a control system for control of temperature in the thermal reactor by controlling the mass flow rate of material into the thermal reactor by controlling a metering screw system that feeds material into the thermal reactor; the thermal treatment system having an engine that rotates friction elements within a reactor vessel of the thermal reactor and performance of said engine is optimized by controlling a metering screw system that feeds material into the reactor vessel (e.g., based on sensed speed in rpm&#39;s of said engine); at least one load cell apparatus or two load cell apparatuses beneath the container to provide information to indicate an amount of material in the container. 
         [0063]    In conclusion, therefore, it is seen that the present invention and the embodiments disclosed herein and those covered by the appended claims are well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends set forth. Certain changes can be made in the subject matter without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention. It is realized that changes are possible within the scope of this invention and it is further intended that each element or step recited in any of the following claims is to be understood as referring to the step literally and/or to all equivalent elements or steps. The following claims are intended to cover the invention as broadly as legally possible in whatever form it may be utilized. The invention claimed herein is new and novel in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §102 and satisfies the conditions for patentability in §102. The invention claimed herein is not obvious in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §103 and satisfies the conditions for patentability in §103. The inventor may rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the scope of the invention and of the claims that follow as they may pertain to apparatus not materially departing from, but outside of, the literal scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. All patents and applications identified herein are incorporated fully herein for all purposes. It is the express intention of the applicant not to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph for any limitations of any of the claims herein, except for those in which the claim expressly uses the words ‘means for’ together with an associated function. 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.