Butterfly Valve Thrust Plate Wear-Resistant Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Butterfly valves operating at elevated temperatures and high vibration levels with minimal lubrication face significant wear and friction issues due to thrust loads, leading to potential binding and hindering of valve operation.
Innovation Solution
A thrust plate with a recess and a wear-resistant coating on the bottom thrust surface, designed to reduce friction and wear by using a nickel-based or cobalt-based alloy that is harder than the thrust plate material, ensuring proper axial positioning and wear-resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a standard thrust plate is used without special coating, then the device complexity is low, but wear and friction increase under thrust loads at elevated temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The thrust plate combines a base metal material with a wear-resistant coating to create a composite structure. The coating layer (such as ceramic or metal ceramic) is applied onto the base thrust plate material, combining the structural integrity of the base material with the superior wear resistance of the coating, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the surface properties of the thrust plate by applying a coating with different material parameters (hardness, friction coefficient, temperature resistance) than the base material. This parameter change at the surface level improves wear resistance without fundamentally altering the overall device structure, thus maintaining simplicity while enhancing performance.
2Reliability
If a wear-resistant coating is applied on the thrust surface, then friction and wear are reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coating process modifies only the surface parameters of the thrust plate rather than the bulk material properties. This localized parameter change allows the use of established coating technologies (such as thermal spray, CVD, or PVD) that can be integrated into existing manufacturing workflows, minimizing the increase in manufacturing complexity while achieving significant friction resistance improvement.
3Reliability
If the thrust plate material is made harder to resist wear, then wear resistance improves, but the material becomes more prone to binding under thrust loads
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies the hardness improvement locally only to the wear surface through coating, while the bulk thrust plate material maintains its original properties. The coating provides the necessary wear resistance at the contact surface, while the underlying softer base material ensures smooth operation and reduces binding under thrust loads, thus resolving the contradiction between wear resistance and ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A thrust plate for a butterfly valve includes a thrust plate body that defines a recess. The recess extends between a bottom thrust surface, side walls and an open top. A wear-resistant coating is located on the bottom thrust surface.