1. A method for assembling a tire and a wheel, comprising the steps of:
providing a single-cell workstation including: a robotic device and a plurality of sub-stations;
releasably-coupling the robotic device to a wheel at a coupling sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations;
moving the wheel to each of the other plurality of sub-stations according to movements of the robotic device; and
joining a tire to the wheel by performing an assembly operation at one sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations without releasing the wheel from the robotic device, wherein the moving step further comprising the steps of:
moving the wheel to a tire and wheel mounting sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations and mounting the tire to the wheel, wherein the mounting step further comprises:
rotating the wheel and claw portion about a first axis, wherein the first axis is not co-axial with a second axis that extends through the center of the arm and the tire, wherein the first axis and the second axis intersect;
plunging the wheel toward the tire; and
providing a helical angle of approach of the wheel with respect to the tire by preventing the first axis from rotating about the second axis at the intersection of the first and second axes.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the releasably-coupling the robotic device to the wheel includes the steps of:
moving an arm of the robotic device proximate the wheel;
positioning a claw portion connected to the arm proximate an inner diameter of the wheel; and
engaging the inner diameter of the wheel with the claw portion.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the moving step further comprising the step of:
moving the wheel to a lubricating sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations prior to the step of moving the wheel to the tire and wheel mounting sub-station; and lubricating at least a portion of the wheel.
4. A method for assembling a tire and a wheel, comprising the steps of:
providing a single-cell workstation including: a robotic device and a plurality of sub-stations;
releasably-coupling the robotic device to a wheel at a coupling sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations;
moving the wheel to each of the other plurality of sub-stations according to movements of the robotic device;
joining a tire to the wheel by performing an assembly operation at one sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations without releasing the wheel from the robotic device, wherein the moving step further comprising the steps of:
moving the wheel to a tire and wheel mounting sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations;
and mounting the tire to the wheel, wherein the mounting step further comprises:
rotating the wheel and claw portion about a first axis, wherein the first axis is not co-axial with a second axis that extends through the center of the arm and the tire, wherein the first axis and the second axis intersect;
plunging the wheel toward the tire; and
providing a precessional angle of approach of the wheel with respect to the tire by rotating the first axis about the second axis at the point of intersection of the first and second axes.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the moving step further comprising the step of:
moving the wheel to a lubricating sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations prior to the step of moving the wheel to the tire and wheel mounting sub-station; and
lubricating at least a portion of the wheel.
6. A method for assembling a tire and a wheel, comprising the steps of:
providing a single-cell workstation including: a robotic device and a plurality of sub-stations;
releasably-coupling the robotic device to a wheel at a coupling sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations;
moving the wheel to each of the other plurality of sub-stations according to movements of the robotic device;
joining a tire to the wheel by performing an assembly operation at one sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations without releasing the wheel from the robotic device, wherein the moving step further comprising the steps of:
moving the wheel to a tire inflating sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations; and
inflating the tire mounted to the wheel, wherein prior to the inflating step, the moving the wheel to a tire inflating sub-station step further comprises the steps of:
axially supporting the wheel with a detachable portion that is releasably-connected to the claw portion;
radially locking the detachable portion with the tire inflating sub-station; and
axially disconnecting the detachable portion from the claw potion.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, after the inflating step is performed, Further comprising the steps of:
axially connecting the claw portion the detaching portion;
radially unlocking the detachable portion from the tire inflating sub-station;
radially clamping the inflated tire and wheel assembly with a tire-tread clamping device; and
axially moving the claw portion and arm portion away from the tire inflating sub-station.
8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the moving step further comprising the step of:
moving the wheel to a lubricating sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations prior to the step of moving the wheel to the tire and wheel mounting sub-station; and
lubricating at least a portion of the wheel.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A non-aqueous slurry comprising:
(a) a non-aqueous liquid immiscible in water;
(b) an oil-wetting surface active material; and
(c) a crosslinking agent.
2. The non-aqueous slurry of claim 1, wherein the non-aqueous liquid is oil.
3. The non-aqueous slurry of claim 2, wherein the oil is a non-polar oil having from C3-C20 hydrocarbons.
4. The non-aqueous slurry of claim 3, wherein the hydrocarbon non-polar oil is hydrotreated naphtha or raffinate.
5. The non-aqueous slurry of claim 2, further comprising an organophilic clay.
6. The non-aqueous slurry of claim 5, wherein the crosslinking agent is a borate salt.
7. The non-aqueous slurry of claim 6, wherein the borate salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium borate decahydrate, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, sodium tetraborate anhydrous, sodium metaborate, sodium tetra borate pentahydrate and disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, sodium borate decahydrate, sodium tetra borate pentahydrate and mixtures thereof.
8. The non-aqueous slurry of claim 7, wherein the borate salt is sodium tetraborate decahydrate, sodium borate decahydrate, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, sodium tetra borate pentahydrate or a mixture thereof.
9. The non-aqueous slurry of claim 7, wherein the oil-wetting surface active material is selected from the group consisting of sorbitan esters, alkoxylates of sorbitan esters, polyalkoxylated glycerides, alkylene oxide adducts of a C6-C30 alcohol or a C6-C30 alkyl, arlkaryl or aryl substituted or unsubstituted phenol, polyoxyalkylene glycol ethers and mixtures thereof.
10. The non-aqueous slurry of claim 9, wherein:
(i) between from about 200 to about 235 pounds per barrel of the slurry is the oil;
(ii) between from about 6 to about 10 pounds per barrel of the slurry is the organophilic clay;
(iii) between from about 0.3 to about 0.75 pounds per barrel of the slurry is the oil-wetting surface active material; and
(iv) between from about 65 to about 135 pounds per barrel of the slurry is the crosslinking agent.
11. A well treatment fluid comprising the non-aqueous slurry of claim 9 and further comprising a water-soluble gellant.
12. The well treatment fluid of claim 11, wherein the water-soluble gellant is underivatized guar, derivatized guar, locust bean gum, tara gum, fenugreek gum or a mixture thereof.
13. The well treatment fluid of claim 12, wherein the oil-wetting surface active material is selected from the group consisting of sorbitan esters, alkoxylates of sorbitan esters, polyalkoxylated glycerides, alkylene oxide adducts of a C6-C30 alcohol or a C6-C30 alkyl, arlkaryl or aryl substituted or unsubstituted phenol, polyoxyalkylene glycol ethers and mixtures thereof.
14. The well treatment fluid of claim 12, wherein the water-soluble gellant is present in a non-aqueous gellant containing slurry and further wherein the water-soluble gellant is dispersed in the slurry.
15. An aqueous well treatment fluid comprising the well treatment fluid of claim 13.
16. The aqueous well treatment fluid of claim 15, wherein the viscosity of the aqueous well treatment fluid before crosslinking is from about 4 to about 10 cP at 511 sec\u22121.
17. The aqueous well treatment fluid of claim 16, wherein the amount of gellant in the aqueous treatment fluid is between from about 6 to about 15 pounds per 1,000 gallons of water.
18. The aqueous well treatment fluid of claim 17, wherein the amount of gellant in the aqueous well treatment fluid is between from about 10 to about 12 pounds per 1,000 gallons of water.
19. A method of fracturing a subterranean formation penetrated by a well comprising pumping into the well at a pressure sufficient to create a fracture network the aqueous well treatment fluid of claim 15, wherein crosslinking of the crosslinking agent and the gellant is delayed by the non-aqueous fluid during fracturing.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the subterranean formation has a permeability less than 1.0 mD.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the viscosity of the aqueous well treatment fluid in the fractures of the fracture network is between from about 10 to about 20 cP at 40 sec\u22121.
22. A method of enhancing the transport capability of a proppant in a hydraulic fracturing operation, the method comprising pumping into a well penetrating a subterranean formation the aqueous well treatment fluid of claim 15, wherein the loading of the gellant in the aqueous treatment fluid is between from about 6 to about 15 pounds per 1,000 thousand gallons of water, the viscoelasticity of the aqueous well treatment fluid, as measured by its storage modulus and viscous modulus, is enhanced by the presence of the oil-wetting surface active material compared to a substantially similar fracturing fluid which does not contain the oil-wetting surface active material.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the viscosity of the aqueous well treatment fluid is between from about 10 to about 20 cP at 40 sec\u22121 after thermal thinning in the fracture.
24. A method of enhancing the recovery of oil or gas from an oil or gas well comprising pumping into the oil or gas well during a fracturing operation the aqueous well treatment fluid of claim 15, wherein the aqueous well treatment fluid has a viscosity of from about 4 to about 20 cP, and wherein the aqueous well treatment fluid further comprises an enzyme breaker and wherein the amount of gellant in the aqueous fluid is between from about 6 to about 40 pounds per 1,000 gallons of water.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the aqueous well treatment fluid has a viscosity of from about 6 to about 10 cP.
26. A method of reducing formation damage to a subterranean formation subjected to a hydraulic fracturing operation, the method comprising pumping into a well penetrating the subterranean formation during the hydraulic fracturing operation the aqueous well treatment fluid of claim 15, wherein the aqueous well treatment fluid has a viscosity of from about 4 to about 20 cP and frther wherein the amount of gellant in the aqueous fluid is between from about 6 to about 15 pounds per 1,000 gallons of water.