Patent Publication Number: US-2018051547-A1

Title: Transport and assembly rigging

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure is directed to a transport apparatus for use in the oil and gas industry. Specifically, this disclosure is directed to a transport apparatus for separators and other cylindrical vessels utilized in the oil and gas industry. Generally, separators used at collection and/or delivery sites for oil and gas are transported to the field with no or little external piping connected thereto. A water leg is at times connected to the separator, but otherwise external piping is generally not connected prior to placement of a separator at a desired site. Traditionally, a generally cylindrical vessel is delivered to the field and offloaded with a crane. A roustabout or other service company will stand the unit up with a crane or other lifting equipment. Once the separator has been positioned in the upright or vertical position, external piping is cut and the separator is assembled at the field location. The external piping is generally welded, bolted or threaded to the separator and may include, for example, gas, oil and water outlet pipes. Such piping is ultimately connected to transport lines for the oil, gas and/or water streams leaving the separator. The on-site assembly process requires extensive labor hours and, in some cases, creates a high safety risk due to the height of the separators. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the transport and rigging assembly of the current disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the apparatus of the current disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a view of the top end of the invention of the current disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a view of the bottom end. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the current invention positioned on a transport vehicle. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing the lifting operation for the invention of the current disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a view of the separator at a collection or other desired site. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a support for the separator. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an additional support. 
     
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The current disclosure is directed to an apparatus for transporting an oil and gas separator. The apparatus includes a plurality of supports, and in the current disclosure includes first and second supports. The first and second supports are configured to elevate the separator above a floor surface. One of the first and second supports may include a pair of wheels removably connected thereto. The wheels can engage an assembly floor surface so that the separator is movable in an assembly setting for easy assembly. The apparatus, including the first and second supports and the separator, can be lifted from a ground or floor surface to a transport vehicle and specifically to a transport floor surface. The first and second supports will space the separator from the transport floor surface. The apparatus may be secured to the transport vehicle with straps or other means known in the art. 
     The separator may include a cylindrical separator body, a top cap and a pedestal. External piping, such as a gas outlet pipe, a water outlet pipe and an oil outlet pipe may be connected to the cylindrical separator body. Likewise, a fire tube and an inlet pipe may be connected thereto. In the current disclosure, the external piping, or at least a part thereof, is connected to the cylindrical separator body prior to placement of the apparatus on the transport vehicle. Because the external piping is connected prior to placement on the transport vehicle and thus prior to ultimate placement at a desired site, assembly of the separator at the site is limited. Safety hazards are reduced as well since there is less need for assembly at locations where risk of fall or other injury may occur. 
     The method of the current disclosure may include connecting a top cap and pedestal to a cylindrical body. The method may further include connecting an oil outlet pipe, a gas outlet pipe and a water outlet pipe to the cylindrical body. An inlet pipe and a fire tube may also be connected to the cylindrical body. The method may further include connecting first and second supports to the separator body to space the separator from a floor surface. The apparatus including the first and second supports and the separator may be lifted to a transport vehicle, and specifically to a transport floor surface for transport to a desired site. Once transported to the desired site, the method may include lifting the apparatus from the transport vehicle and pivoting the separator about one of the first or second supports to an upright position. The first and second supports are removed prior to final placement at the desired site. The gas outlet, water outlet and oil outlet pipes may then be connected to transport lines at the site. The inlet pipe may likewise be connected to an inlet line to receive fluid to be separated. 
     DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings and particularly  FIG. 7 , a separator  10  is shown positioned at a collection site  15  on a cement or other pad  20 . Fluid containing gas, oil and/or water will be received from an input line  28  that is connected to separator  10  at site  15 . Separator  10  will separate the fluid into its component parts and will deliver water, oil and gas through a water outlet line  30 , an oil outlet line  32  and a gas outlet line  34 . The oil and gas will be delivered therethrough to a transportation line to be delivered to a customer, a large tank or other desired end location. Water will be transported for disposal or reuse. 
     Apparatus  40  disclosed herein comprises separator  10  and transport apparatus  42 . Transport apparatus  42  comprises a plurality of supports  44 , which may include a first or lower support  46  and second or upper support  48 . While the current disclosure is directed to an embodiment with two supports, it is understood that more than two supports  44  may be utilized if the size of the separator is such that more than two supports are needed. First and second supports  46  and  48 , when connected to separator  10 , elevate separator  10  above a ground or support surface  49 . Thus, a space  50  will exist between separator  10  and support surface  49 . First support  46  comprises a pair of upright beams  52 , which may be spaced vertical beams  52 . A horizontal cross brace  54  is positioned at a bottom or lower end of first support  46  and an upper or second horizontal cross brace  56  is connected to spaced vertical beams  52  at the upper end thereof Lower horizontal cross brace  54  will engage the ground surface and, as will be described in more detail herein, may be utilized to pivot the separator  10  to an upright position at the site  15 . Cross brace  54  helps to maintain the balance of separator  10  as it is pivoted to the upright position, and thus prevents damage to the separator  10 . 
     Second support  48  comprises a pair of spaced apart support frames  58 . Support frames  58  comprise first and second support frames  60  and  62 . Each of frames  60  and  62  are generally triangularly shaped support frames with support legs  64  and a base  66 . A horizontal brace  68  is connected to each of first and second support frames  60  and  62 . Horizontal brace  68  comprises an axle to which a pair of wheels  70  may be connected. Connection brackets  72  are fixed in a manner known in the art to the separator  10  and second support  48  is connected to brackets  72  with bolts such that support  48  is removably connected to separator  10 . Wheels  70  are utilized to move separator  10  throughout an assembly facility for the purpose of connecting external piping thereto. As will be explained in more detail, this provides for easier assembly at the assembly site, and easier, more efficient installation at site  15 . Wheels  70  provide for easy movement throughout an assembly facility by simply lifting an end  74  of separator  10  with first support  46  and pulling separator  10  along a floor surface  49  at the assembly site. 
     Separator  40  has first or lower end  74  and second or upper end  76 . A top cap  78  is located at the upper end  76  thereof. In addition to top cap  78 , separator  10  includes cylindrical body  80  and a pedestal  82  at the lower end  74  thereof. Top cap  78 , cylindrical body  80  and pedestal  82  are fixed to one another by welding or other means known in the art. First support  46  is bolted to pedestal  80  and is therefore removably connected to separator  10 . Second support  48  is bolted to brackets  72  and is likewise removably connected to separator  10 . 
     Separator  10  may include external piping which may be, for example, a fire tube  86 , a gas outlet pipe  88 , water outlet pipe  90  an oil outlet pipe  92 . An inlet pipe  91  is also connected to cylindrical separator body  80 , and will receive fluid for separation. Water outlet pipe may be connected to a water leg  89 . 
     Separator  10 , with external piping  84  attached thereto, may be lifted to a transport vehicle  96  as shown in  FIG. 5  and placed on a transport floor surface  98  thereof. Wheels  70  are removed prior to positioning the apparatus  40  on transport vehicle  96 . As described above, supports  46  and  48  elevate the separator  10  a space  50  above a support surface, which in this case is the transport floor surface  98 . As a result, connected piping, such as gas outlet pipe  88 , oil outlet pipe  92 , water outlet pipe  90  and inlet pipe  91  are spaced from transport floor surface  98 , and will not be contacted by straps or other means used to fix separator  10  to the transport vehicle. Apparatus  40  is fixed to the transport floor surface  98  by utilizing straps and other fixtures known in the art, which may be connected to first and second supports  46  and  48 . In normal transport of a separator without the use of transport apparatus  42 , straps and other means are placed directly on the separator, which prevents the connection of the external piping as described herein. As a result, external piping  84  must in that case be connected at the site  15 . 
     Once apparatus  40  is delivered to the collection site, a crane or other lifting apparatus  102  is utilized to lift the apparatus  40  utilizing a lifting ring  104  that is fixed by welding or otherwise to separator  10 . Second support  48  is removed prior to final placement at the site. A strap  100  or other means of connecting to crane  102  is utilized. Apparatus  40  is lifted from the transport floor surface  98  and delivered to pad  20  or other desired location at collection site  15 . Apparatus  40  may be placed on pad  20  and specifically, horizontal brace  54  of first support  46  may be positioned thereon and used as a pivot or rotation point. Once horizontal brace  54  is engaged on the ground surface, crane  102  can lift the upper end of separator  10  to lift and pivot about brace  54  until the separator  10  is in the upright position. At that point, separator  10  may be lifted directly upwardly and the brace  46  unbolted. 
     Once separator  10  is positioned on pad  20 , it may be fixed thereto by means known in the art. An inlet line  28  may be connected to inlet pipe  91 , and water, oil and gas lines  32 ,  30  and  34  may then be directly connected to the water, oil and gas outlet pipes  90 ,  92  and  88 , all of which were connected to cylindrical separator body  80  prior to being placed on the transport vehicle  96 . 
     Because separator  10  is fully or nearly fully assembled and includes external piping, including inlet pipe  91 , gas, oil and water outlet pipes  88 ,  92  and  90  and a fire tube  86  connected thereto prior to placement at the site  15 , assembly time at the site  15  is decreased and safety hazards are likewise eliminated. 
     The method of assembling and transporting may include connecting the top cap  78 , cylindrical body  80  and pedestal  82 , and mounting first and second supports  46  and  48  thereto. Apparatus  40  may be moved through an assembly facility to attach, for example, a fire tube  86 , an inlet pipe  91 , a gas outlet pipe  88 , an oil outlet pipe  92  and a water outlet pipe  90 . A ladder and other external fixtures may likewise be connected during the assembly process. Apparatus  40 , which includes transport apparatus or assembly  42  and separator  10  may then be lifted and placed upon transport floor surface  98 . Wheels  70  are preferably removed prior to placing apparatus  40  on transport floor surface  98 . Separator  10  is lifted from the transport vehicle utilizing apparatus  10 . First support  46 , and specifically horizontal cross brace  54  may be used as a pivot for pivoting or rotating the separator  10  into the vertical position. Apparatus  102  is utilized to pivot the apparatus  40  utilizing a lifting ring  104 . Once in the vertical position, the method may comprise removing the second support  46  and mounting separator  10  to the desired site and connecting separator  10  to an input line. The method may further comprise connecting the external piping, including gas outlet pipe  88 , oil outlet pipe  92  and water outlet pipe  90  to transport lines for each at the site  15 . For example, gas outlet pipe  88  may be connected to a transport line  34 , oil outlet pipe  92  connected to a transport line  30 , and water outlet pipe connected to a line  32 . Inlet pipe  91  may be connected to an inlet line  28  to receive fluid to be separated. 
     Thus, it is seen that the apparatus and methods of the present invention readily achieve the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein. While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described for purposes of the present disclosure, numerous changes in the arrangement and construction of parts and steps may be made by those skilled in the art, which changes are encompassed within the scope and spirit of the present invention.