Pulsation Dampener Wear Inserts for Abrasive Fluid Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pulsation dampeners in fluid transfer systems, particularly in harsh environments like fracking, suffer from wear and failure due to abrasive particulates, leading to performance degradation and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of replaceable wear inserts made of materials resistant to abrasive wear, such as tungsten carbide alloy, in pulsation dampeners, along with features like internal passages, grooves, and O-rings to mitigate wear and prevent particulate accumulation, enhancing durability and sealing integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pulsation dampeners are used in harsh environments with abrasive particulates, then the device structure remains simple and cost-effective, but wear and failure occur leading to performance degradation and increased maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The pulsation dampener is divided into separable components: a housing and replaceable wear inserts. The wear inserts can be independently removed and replaced without replacing the entire dampener, allowing targeted replacement of worn parts while maintaining the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The material parameter of the wear inserts is changed to use abrasion-resistant materials such as tungsten carbide alloy or hardened steel, which significantly improve wear resistance compared to conventional materials, while the inserts maintain the original geometric parameters of the dampener.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If wear-resistant materials are used in critical components, then the operational life is prolonged and maintenance frequency is reduced, but the manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Only the critical wear surfaces are segmented into separate replaceable inserts, while the main housing remains made of conventional materials. This selective application of expensive materials minimizes manufacturing cost while maximizing operational life.
Solution Approach 2:
The wear inserts are designed as consumable components that can be easily replaced. Instead of making the entire dampener expensive and durable, only the small, low-cost inserts are made from expensive wear-resistant materials, and when they wear out, they are simply replaced rather than the entire device.
3Reliability
If replaceable wear inserts are implemented, then maintenance frequency is reduced and operational life is prolonged, but the device complexity and ease of repair increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wear inserts are designed as modular, separable components that can be independently accessed and replaced. The segmentation allows maintenance personnel to replace only the worn inserts without disassembling the entire dampener, simplifying the repair process despite the added component.
Solution Approach 2:
The wear function is extracted from the main dampener body and placed into separate, removable inserts. This extraction makes the wear-prone components easily accessible for replacement, improving ease of repair while maintaining high reliability through the use of durable insert materials.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution significantly reduces wear and tear, prolongs the operational life of pulsation dampeners, minimizes pressure leaks, and maintains effective pulsation dampening performance by protecting critical components from abrasive fluids, thereby reducing maintenance frequency and costs.
Implementation Method 1
Replaceable wear inserts of a material resisting abrasive wear due to particulates within pumped fluid are used for the inlet and/or outlet
Implementation Method 2
Grooves may be provided with O rings to seal against pressure leaks
Implementation Method 3
The wear inserts may have internal passages or be mounted to create turbulent flow through the pulsation dampener to mitigate the risk of dead spots accumulating particulates
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
Replaceable wear inserts (303, 305) of a material resisting abrasive wear due to particulates within pumped fluid are used for the inlet and/or outlet of a pulsation dampener (300) coupled to the outlet of a land-based or mobile-mounted pump (101). The wear inserts may be integrated with pressure orifice devices contributing to pressure pulsation dampening. The wear inserts may have internal passages or be mounted to create turbulent flow through the pulsation dampener to mitigate the risk of dead spots accumulating particulates. The wear inserts may be sized for either "loose" or "tight" fit within the inlet and outlet to facilitate removability despite the potential for particulates embedding within the gap. Grooves (714) may be provided with O rings to seal against pressure leaks.