Flangeless Fluid End Sealing for High-Pressure Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluid ends used in hydraulic fracturing operations experience frequent failures due to high operational pressures, corrosion, erosion, and fatigue cracks, leading to short lifespans and costly replacements.
Innovation Solution
A flangeless, multi-piece body design for the fluid end is introduced, along with a secure attachment mechanism for stay rods, reducing torque and material wastage, and incorporating a robust sealing system to prevent leakage and wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fluid ends are used in hydraulic fracturing operations, then they can deliver high volumes of highly pressurized fluids, but they experience frequent failures due to high operational pressures, corrosion, erosion, and fatigue cracks
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid end is divided into multiple separate components including a body, cap, and multiple liners (suction liner, discharge liner, valve liners) that can be independently replaced. This segmentation allows wear-prone parts to be replaced without replacing the entire fluid end assembly, extending overall service life and improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the material parameters and structural parameters of the fluid end components. Different materials are used for different parts based on their specific functional requirements (e.g., wear-resistant materials for liners exposed to abrasive proppants, corrosion-resistant materials for components exposed to chemical fluids). This targeted material selection optimizes each component's performance under its specific operating conditions.
2Power
If high operational pressures are applied to achieve hydraulic fracturing, then fluid delivery performance is improved, but structural failures such as expansion and cracking occur
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the fluid end are constructed with different material properties and thicknesses tailored to their specific stress conditions. High-strength, thick-walled construction is used in areas subject to high pressure (e.g., main body, cap), while thinner-walled liners are used in areas where wear is the primary concern but pressure exposure is lower. This localized optimization maintains structural integrity while managing pressure effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid end employs composite construction with multiple materials - typically a strong outer shell (body and cap) made from high-strength steel or alloy, and inner liners made from wear-resistant materials or different steel grades. This composite approach allows each material to be optimized for its specific function: the outer shell provides structural strength to contain high pressure, while the liners provide wear resistance against abrasive proppants and fluid corrosion.
3Reliability
If proppants are included in the pressurized fluid to hold fractures open, then fracturing effectiveness is improved, but erosion at weak points within the fluid end occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful abrasive environment is extracted and isolated from the main structural components by placing it inside removable liners. These liners are specifically designed to be in direct contact with the proppant-laden fluid, protecting the expensive and structurally critical body and cap from erosion. When the liners wear out, only these sacrificial components need replacement, not the entire fluid end assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The liners are designed as sacrificial, replaceable components that absorb the wear and erosion damage from abrasive proppants. These relatively inexpensive liners are replaced periodically, while the expensive main body and cap are preserved. This approach is economically efficient as it protects the high-value structural components from degradation by abrasive materials.
4Ease of manufacture
If a flangeless, multi-piece body design is used to reduce torque and material wastage, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid end is segmented into multiple standardized components (body, cap, various liners, end caps) that can be manufactured independently using optimized processes. The flangeless design eliminates the need for large, complex flange structures, allowing for more efficient manufacturing of individual pieces. The modular nature of the segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and quality-checked separately before final assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functional features are merged into single components to reduce overall part count and assembly complexity. For example, the body incorporates integrated features for fluid distribution, structural support, and mounting. The cap and end caps combine sealing, structural, and protective functions. This merging reduces the number of separate parts that need to be manufactured and assembled, offsetting the complexity introduced by the multi-piece construction.
Data Source
AI summary
A flangeless fluid end comprising a fluid end body releasably attached to a connect plate. The connect plate is attached to a power source using stay rods. The flow bores of the fluid end are sealed without threading a retainer nut into the walls of each bore. Instead, the flow bores are sealed by bolting a retainer to the fluid end body. Plungers to drive fluid through the fluid end body are installed within removable stuffing box sleeves. These sleeves are maintained within the plunger bores by the bolted retainers. A number of features, including the location of seals within bore walls and carbide inserts within valve structures, aid in reducing or transferring wear.