If you like to watch lab work, you are in luck.
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:
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