How to crush frac sand - Part 2
Published: Fri, 09/26/14
We are continuing to let the world into our frac sand lab.
Frac sand crush testing involves multiple steps of work, so in Part
2, we show how the test cylinder gets loaded with sand.
For this job, we use our pluviator, which is a word that means
"to rain."
The pluviator helps us get a level surface of sand in the test
cylinder, so that the piston evenly contacts the entire surface.
Because pressure equals force divided by area, this step of
building the sand layer is important for test accuracy.
We have an expertly calibrated gauge and press to ensure that the
force component of that equation is correct.
But it's up to us in the lab to ensure that the area component
of the pressure (also referred to as "stress") equation
is correct.
When I have trained lab technicians, this is usually the step that
causes their crush test results to go awry -- not taking the time
to build a perfectly level "disc" of sand in the bottom
of the cylinder.
Here's our professional actor turned lab director (ha) in
action on Part 2 of the Frac Sand Crush Test Saga:
http://youtu.be/ICS2ERRNNOY