Patent Publication Number: US-2022219593-A1

Title: Cable transport

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates generally to an apparatus, system, and method for storing, transporting, positioning, and distributing cables to equipment to and at a job site, for example, at a wellsite for oil and gas operations. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Various types of operations, including drilling, fracking, and other oilfield operations, often require the use of heavy and lengthy power cables and control lines, which can weigh as much as 1000 pounds or more and extend 150 feet or more. Such cabling may be cumbersome to move about a location and may be time consuming and require substantial amount of effort and time from human operators. In certain operations or locations, equipment or devices may be located at a distance from a power source requiring coupling of lengthy lines or cables. Handling such heavy and lengthy cables over long distances may pose injury hazards to human operators. 
     Additionally, during travel, loose cables are often stored in coils such that the cables may be easily transported by a large truck or trailer. These cables must be unwrapped or uncoiled once transported to a work site, requiring significant manpower. Often times, loose cables become tangled or otherwise displaced during travel, causing unnecessary delay in installing equipment or devices at a job site, for example, during rig up operations at a well services and production site. Tangled cables also may create significant risk to equipment and personnel if the cables are inadvertently connected to the wrong location. Thus, significant time and manpower are often required to remove the cables from a truck or trailer and carefully arrange the cables to ensure proper connections once at a job site. Then, once the job is complete, the cables must be coiled up and loaded back on to the truck or trailer for the process to be repeated at the next job site. 
     Protective insulation is often used to protect the cables and prevent electrical shock or injury. However, during travel, the protective insulation of cables may be subjected to harmful impacts such as scraping, repetitive rubbing, or crushing. Additionally, the cables must be handled and stored in such a way that the minimum bend radius of any cable is not exceeded. If the minimum bend radius is exceeded, i.e., the cable is bent too sharply, the protective insulation may separate from the electrical conductor due to dimensional changes of the conductors or some or all of the strands of the conductors may break. Thus, adequate transport capacity and proper storage of cables during transport is desired. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These drawings illustrate certain aspects of one or more of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and should not be used to limit or define the claims. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a cable transport assembly, according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2A  is an isometric view of a cable transport assembly supporting a plurality of cables, according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view of a cable transport assembly supporting a plurality of cables, according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2C  is a top view of a cable transport assembly supporting a plurality of cables, according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3A  is an isometric view of a cable transport assembly positioned on a drop deck trailer, according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3B  is a side view of a cable transport assembly positioned on a drop deck trailer, according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a cable transport assembly with a plurality of cables in an operating position, according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail herein. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation specific decisions must be made to achieve developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system related and business related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in no way should the following examples be read to limit, or define, the scope of the disclosure. 
     The present disclosure relates to a cable transport assembly to provide efficient and safe transport and distribution of power cables and control lines at a location. For example, a cable transport assembly may provide distribution of power or control signals to one or more devices or equipment at a location, such as, to one or more pumps at a well services and production location. While one or more aspects of the present disclosure relate to a cable transport assembly for equipment at well servicing or production locations, the present disclosure contemplates a cabling transport assembly for any type of equipment or at any type of location. 
     Throughout this disclosure, a reference numeral followed by an alphabetical character refers to a specific instance of an element and the reference numeral alone refers to the element generically or collectively. Thus, as an example (not shown in the drawings), widget “ 1   a ” refers to an instance of a widget class, which may be referred to collectively as widgets “ 1 ” and any one of which may be referred to generically as a widget “ 1 ”. In the figures and the description, like numerals are intended to represent like elements. 
       FIG. 1 . depicts an isometric view of a cable transport assembly  100 . Cable transport assembly  100  may be comprised of metal or steel. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, in certain embodiments, other materials may be appropriate so long as the material chosen is adequately durable to support the weight of the cables it is intended for. In certain embodiments, cable transport assembly  100  may be approximately  48  feet long and approximately 8.5 feet wide. However, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the dimensions of cable transport assembly  100  may be varied based on one or more factors, e.g., the dimensions of the truck or trailer, the length, size, or rating of the cables, etc. For example, in certain embodiments, cable transport assembly may be from 20 feet long to 100 feet long. In certain embodiments, cable transport assembly  100  may be 4 feet wide to 20 feet wide. 
     Cable transport assembly  100  may comprise a frame  150 . Frame  150  may comprise a one or more bottom or cross supports  110  along the bottom plane of frame  150 . For example, frame  150  may comprise a plurality of bottom supports  110 . As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, any number of bottom supports  110  may be appropriate in keeping with aspects of the present disclosure. As shown in  FIGS. 2A-2C , bottom supports  110  may provide support to one or more cables  201  housed within the cable transport assembly  100 , especially when cable transport assembly  100  is being transported. Bottom supports  110  may also facilitate easier placement and lifting of the cables  210  into and from the cable transport assembly  100 . Additionally, in certain embodiments, a bottom surface or plane (not shown) may be provided along with bottom supports  110  to provide additional structural support. 
     Cable transport assembly  100  may further comprise radii supports  120  coupled to each end of the frame  150 . For example, cable transport assembly  100  comprises a first radii support  120   a  and a second radii support  120   b . In certain embodiments, one or more radii supports  120  may be attachable and removable from frame  150 . For example, radii supports  120  may be attached to frame  150  via washers and hex nuts (not shown), such that no special tooling is required and for allowing quick installation or removal of radii supports  120  from frame  150 . As described in more detail below, removing and reattaching radii supports  120  from frame  150  may facilitate easier and more efficient installation of cables  120  on the cable transport assembly  100 . In other embodiments, radii supports  120  may be permanently attached, e.g., welded or molded to the frame  150 . In certain embodiments, frame  1150  may comprise side supports  115  which provide additional structural support and help keep the cables  210  in the cable transport assembly  100 . In certain embodiments, cable transport assembly  100  may not comprise any side supports  115 . 
       FIGS. 2A-2C  depict a cable transport system  200  with a plurality of cables  210  positioned on a cable transport assembly  100  in a stored position. For example, cables  210  may comprise cables  210   a ,  210   b ,  210   c ,  210   d ,  210   e ,  210   f ,  210   g , and  210   h . Cables  210  may comprise an armored outer casing made of rubber to protect the electrical wiring within the casing. In certain embodiments, cables  210  may comprise high-density polyethylene (HDPE), metal stranded gauge wire, corrugated metal cladding, or any other types of armored or non-armored cables. As shown more clearly in  FIGS. 2A-2B , radii supports  120  may provide curved or rounded edges or transitions for the one or more cables  210  such that the one or more cables  210  are not sharply bent or scratched by the frame  150 . As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, in certain embodiments, the dimensions and curvature of radii supports  120  may be varied based on one more factors, e.g., the size or rating of the cables  210 . 
     In order to place the cable transport assembly  100  in a stored position, in certain embodiments, one or more cables  120  may first be positioned laterally along the length of the transport assembly  100 , as shown in  FIG. 2C . The one or more cables  210  may be positioned such that the midpoint of each cable  210  is roughly positioned at the midpoint between first radii support  120   a  and second radii support  120   b . The one or more cables  210  may be aligned next to one another such that cables  210  are not tangled or intertwined with one another. In certain embodiments, each of the one or more cables  100  may be up to approximately three times the length of the cable transport assembly  100 , such that the ⅓of the length of each of the one or more cables  210  extend past each end of the cable transport assembly  100 . For example, in certain embodiments, cables  210  may be approximately  100  feet or more, for example,  120 ,  150 , or  200  feet. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, varying lengths of cables  210  may be used with the cable transport  100 . After the one or more cables  210  are properly aligned, one or more radii supports  120 , for example, radii supports  120   a  and  120   b , may then be installed on each end of the frame  150  above the one or more cables  210 . 
     As shown more clearly in  FIG. 2B , each cable  210  may comprise a first cable end  211  and a second end  212 . In order to store the one or more cables  210  in a stored position on cable assembly  100 , cable ends  211  and  212  of each cable  210  may be wrapped or folded over the radii supports and placed at opposite ends of the frame. For example, cable end  211  of a given cable  210  may be wrapped or folded around first radii support  120   a  and placed near second radii support  120   b . Similarly, for example, cable end  212  of the same cable  210  may be wrapped or folded around second radii support  120   b  and placed near first radii support  120   a . The cable ends  211  and  212  may be placed substantially on top of its corresponding cable  210 , such that the cable ends  211  and  212  are not tangled or intertwined with other cable ends  211  and  212  of other cables  210 . Cable ends  211  and  212  may each further comprise a connector  250 . Connectors  250  may comprise circular type connections, high voltage connections, low voltage connections control connections, or any other types of connectors based on the requirements of the specific application (not shown). In certain embodiments, connectors  250  may comprise different types of connections. For example, connector  250  on cable end  211  may be a different type of connection than connector  250  on cable end  212 . Connectors  150  may be coupled or connected to one or more pieces of equipment at a job site by an operator. In certain embodiments, connectors  150  may further comprise an indicator (not shown), e.g., a sticker or other marking, indicating a cable bundling, connector type, relative position, or otherwise to where or what piece of equipment the connector  150  is intended to be coupled to. In certain embodiments, cables  210  with identical connectors  150  may be positioned adjacent to one another and bundled together. 
     Each of the one or more cables  210  may be a cable bundle of one or more cables. For example, cables  210  as shown in the figures may represent one or more cables within an armored casing of the cables  210 . In certain embodiments, each cable  210  may comprise, for example, a power cable and a control cable (not shown). As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, in keeping with aspects of the present disclosure, cable transport assembly  100  may be used with various types and sizes of cables  210 , for example, three-phase 13.8 kV power cables, medium voltage 480 V cables, and control cables. In certain embodiments, one or more cables  210  may be bundled at or near the ends  211  and  212  of the cables  210  to facilitate more efficient lifting and connecting of the cables  210  (not shown). In certain embodiments, each cable  210  may weigh approximately 1000 pounds. Thus, the one or more cables  210  may be difficult to move by human operators. Thus, in certain embodiments, one or more cables  210  may be lifted at ends  211  and  212  by equipment or machinery, for example, lifting slings (shown in  FIG. 4 ) or other lifting fixtures to facilitate the transport of ends  211  and  212  of the cables  210  with lifting equipment such as cranes, forklifts, or hoists. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2A-2B , cable transport assembly  100  may further comprise one or more forklift pockets  130 , for example, forklift pockets  130   a  and  130   b . For example, forklift pockets  130  may comprise openings running across the width of cable transport assembly  100  for inserting a forklift (not shown) through the cable transport assembly  100  to lift, move, or position the cable transport assembly  100 . In certain embodiments, cable transport assembly  100  may comprise one or more lifting eyes  135 , for example lifting eyes  135   a ,  135   b ,  135   c , and  135   d , in addition to or instead of forklift pockets  130 . Lifting eyes  135  may be positioned along the top edge of side supports  115  such that a crane or other lifting equipment may lift, move, or position the cable transport assembly  100 . In certain embodiments where cable transport assembly  100  does not contain any side supports  115 , lifting eyes  135  may be positioned elsewhere on frame  150 , for example, along the bottom surface of frame  150 . As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, other types of lifting mechanisms may be used with the cable transport assembly  100 , such that the cable transport assembly  100  may be properly positioned at a job site. 
       FIG. 3A  depicts a cable transport system  300  comprising a cable transport assembly  100  positioned on a drop deck trailer  350  in a stored position. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, cable transport assembly  100  may be positioned on other types of transport vehicles, e.g., flatbed trailers or trucks, based on the length and size of the transport vehicle. A transport vehicle may be appropriate for transporting and positioning a cable transport assembly at a job site. In certain embodiments, a drop deck trailer  350  may be used to provide for additional length and capacity to support the cable transport assembly  100  and cables  210  over a standard flatbed trailer or truck (not shown). For example, a typical drop deck trailer  350  may be anywhere from 40 to 54 feet long, but should be selected so that the drop deck trailer is at least approximately the same or a greater length than the cable transport assembly  100 . As shown more clearly in  FIG. 3B , drop deck trailer  350  may further comprise one or more supports  355  for providing a substantially flat surface to support the cable transport assembly  100  across an upper deck portion  351  and a lower deck portion  352 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 3B , one or more supports  355  may be positioned on the lower deck portion of drop deck trailer  350 , such that cable transport assembly  100  lays substantially flat across the upper deck portion  351  and lower deck portion  352 . Although two supports  355  are shown in  FIG. 3B , as would be understood of ordinary skill in the art, any number of supports  355  may be used for providing a substantially flat surface to support cable transport assembly  100 . In certain embodiments, one or more supports  355  may be a sawhorse support. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, other types of supports  355  may be appropriate so long as supports  355  can support the weight of the cable transport assembly  100  and cables  210 . For example, in certain embodiments, an offset frame, lumber, pallets or the like could be used as supports  355 . Additionally, the spaces between supports  335  and below the cable transports assembly  100  may be used to transport other materials on the drop deck trailer  350  or other transport vehicle, such as, drive overs, spare parts, jumper cables, etc. 
       FIG. 4  depicts a cable transport system  400  comprising a cable transport assembly  100  positioned on a drop deck trailer  350  in an operating position. As shown in  FIG. 4 , one or more cables  210 , for example, cables  210   g  and  210   h , may be unwrapped around radii supports  120  such that the cables  210  are extended substantially past the ends of cable transport assembly  100 . In an operating position, ends  211  and  212  of cables  210  may be operable to couple to one or more pieces of equipment, e.g., a motor, pump, generator, blender, mixer, power distribution unit, switchgear, variable frequency drive, transformer, recloser, or other cable transport units or any other type of equipment. In certain embodiments, cable transport assembly  100  may remain on the drop deck trailer  350  or other transport vehicle in an operating position, such that cable transport assembly  100  can be easily repositioned at a job site. In certain embodiments, space at a job site may be at a premium and it may be desirable to remove the drop deck trailer  350  or other transport vehicle from a job site. Thus, cable transport assembly  100  may be removed from drop deck trailer  350  or other transport vehicle by lifting equipment, e.g., by a forklift or crane as described above, and may be positioned in a fixed location at a job site. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , a lifting sling  405  may be used to transport one or more cables  210  to and from the cable transport assembly  100 . Lifting sling  405  may be attached to a crane (not shown) or other heavy machinery that is suitable for transporting the one or more cables  210 . In certain embodiments, lifting sling  4050  may be wrapped around ends  211  and/or  212  of more than one cable  210 , for example, cables  210   a ,  210   b , and  210   c , such that multiple cables  210  may be transported in one swing, thus optimizing efficiency. In certain embodiments, cables  210 , for example, cables  210   a ,  210   b , and  210   c , may be selected to be bundled together based on cables  210   a ,  210   b , and  210   c  having similar or identical connectors  150 . The one more cables  210 , for example, cables  210   a ,  210   b , and  210   c  may be positioned at a desired location. Then lifting sling  405  may be removed such that cables  210   a ,  210   b , and  210   c  may be coupled to the appropriate equipment (not shown). 
     Thus, the present disclosure provides an improved cable transport assembly for storing, transporting, and distributing cables to and at a job site. The improved cable transport assembly provides an organized method of storing lengthy cables within a frame that may be easily transported by existing machinery on a transport vehicle and between job sites. The present disclosure increases job efficiency by reducing the amount of time required to deploy and retrieve cables. Furthermore, the improved cable transport assembly may better manage and ensure orderly organization of the cables such that the cables are connected to the correct locations by preventing cables from being tangled or intertwined and from being randomly dispersed throughout a job site. Additionally, the improved cable transport assembly may protect cables from being damaged during use and transport. The present disclosure also reduces the manual labor requirement for deploying or otherwise moving the heavy cables. Thus, the cable transport assembly reduces the risk of injuries to personnel who may otherwise be moving the cables or from tripping over loose cables. 
     A cable transport system, method, and apparatus are disclosed. In certain embodiments, a cable transport system comprises a cable transport assembly comprising a frame, wherein the frame comprises one or more bottom supports. In certain embodiments, the cable transport assembly comprises a first radii support coupled to a first end of the frame and a second radii support coupled to a second end of the frame, and one or more cables positioned longitudinally on the one or more bottom supports of the frame. 
     In certain embodiments, each of the one or more cables are wrapped around at least one of the first and second radii supports. In certain embodiments, the frame further comprises one or more forklift pockets or lifting eyes. In certain embodiments, the first and second radii supports may be removable from the frame. In certain embodiments, the cable transport system may be positioned on a transport vehicle, and may be removable from the transport vehicle. In certain embodiments, at least one of the one or more cables may be connected to equipment at a job site. In certain embodiments, at least one of the one or more cables may comprise a connector. In certain embodiments, each of the one or more cables comprises a first end and a second end, and the first end of at least one cable may be wrapped around the first radii support and positioned near the second radii support, and the second end of the at least one cable may be wrapped around the second radii support and positioned near the first radii support. 
     In certain embodiments, a cable transport system comprises a cable transport assembly comprising a frame, wherein the frame comprises one or more bottom supports, and wherein the cable transport assembly further comprises a first radii support coupled to a first end of the frame and a second radii support coupled to a second end of the frame. In certain embodiments, the cable transport system further comprises one or more cables positioned longitudinally on the one or more bottom supports of the frame and a transport vehicle, wherein the cable transport assembly is positioned on the transport vehicle. 
     In certain embodiments, each of the one or more cables may be wrapped around the radii supports. In one or more embodiments, the transport vehicle is a drop deck trailer, and the cable transport system may comprise one or more supports positioned on a lower deck of the drop deck trailer. In certain embodiments, the one or more cables are connected to equipment at a job site while the cable transport assembly is positioned on the transport vehicle. 
     In certain embodiments, a method comprises positioning one or more cables adjacent to one another on a cable transport assembly, wherein the cable transport assembly comprises a frame, coupling a first radii support to a first end of the frame and a second radii support to a second end of the frame, and wrapping the one or more cables around the first and second radii supports, such that a first end of at least one cable of the one or more cables is wrapped around a first radii support and a second end of at least one cable of the one or more cables is wrapped around a second radii support. 
     In certain embodiments, the method may further comprise positioning the cable transport assembly on a transport vehicle. In certain embodiments, the method may further comprise transporting the transport vehicle to a job site. In certain embodiments, the method may further comprise unwrapping the one or more cables from around the first and second radii supports. In certain embodiments, the method may further comprise coupling at least one of the one or more cables to equipment at the job site. In certain embodiments, the method may further comprise, after transporting the transport vehicle to a job site and before unwrapping the one or more cables, removing the cable transport assembly from the transport vehicle. In certain embodiments, the method may further comprise transporting, via a lifting sling, the first end and the second end of at least one cable of the one or more cables from the cable transport assembly to equipment at a job site. 
     In certain embodiments, the one or more cables wrapped around the first and second radii supports may comprise a stored position of a cable transport system. In certain embodiments, the one or more cables unwrapped from around the first and second radii supports comprises an operating position of a cable transport system. In certain embodiments, the cable transport assembly may comprise one or more forklift pockets or lifting eyes, and the cable transport assembly may be loaded on and unloaded from the transport vehicle using the one or more forklift pockets or lifting eyes.