Fracking Hose Liner Wear Indicator for Early Erosion Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In oilfield applications, existing rubber hoses lack sufficient abrasion resistance and effective erosion detection, leading to unsafe conditions due to high-pressure abrasive fluid erosion, which results in unplanned replacements and increased operational costs.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a distinctly colored inner wear indicator within the hose liner, along with embossed rubber grooves, to visually detect early stages of erosion and calculate remaining lifespan, combined with an optional outer wear indicator for enhanced monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If steel pipes are used to convey high-pressure abrasive fluid, then the fluid can be transported at required pressures, but the interior of the steel pipes erodes over time leading to unsafe conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a rubber liner with embedded wear indicators made of different materials or colors. The rubber liner provides abrasion resistance against high-pressure abrasive fluid, while the embedded wear indicators (distinctly colored particles or layers) create a visual detection system. This composite structure simultaneously addresses erosion resistance and erosion detection, resolving the contradiction between durability and safety monitoring.
2Ease of operation
If conventional rubber hoses are used, then flexibility and ease of installation are improved, but abrasion resistance and erosion detection capability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite hose structure by embedding distinctly colored wear indicator particles or layers within the rubber liner matrix. This composite approach maintains the flexibility and ease of installation inherent to rubber hoses while simultaneously providing enhanced abrasion resistance through the reinforced liner structure and enabling visual erosion detection through the contrasting colored indicators that become visible as the liner wears.
3Strength
If wear indicators are placed deep within the liner, then structural integrity is maintained, but early erosion detection capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating distinct regions within the liner with different properties. The wear indicators are embedded at specific depths and concentrations optimized for detection, while the surrounding liner material maintains overall structural integrity. The distinctly colored particles or layers are distributed in a pattern that allows early erosion detection without compromising the mechanical strength of the entire liner structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes color changes as a detection mechanism by embedding distinctly colored wear indicator particles or layers that contrast with the liner material. As erosion occurs, these colored indicators become visible through the liner wall or on the surface, providing early warning of wear. This color-based detection system enables sensitive erosion monitoring while the indicators remain embedded within the liner structure, preserving structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A rubber hose includes a distinctly colored inner wear indicator integrated into its liner, wherein a distance b of the inner wear indicator from the inner surface of the liner is less than 40% of the liner's thickness v, and height h of the wear indicator, measured perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the hose, falls between 1% to 90% of liner thickness v, or even from 10% to 40% of the liner thickness v. The inner wear indicator may have concentric sectional surface area of the inner wear indicator may even gradually decrease in the radial direction as a function of distance from the longitudinal axis. The rubber hose may be connected at one end to a plunger pump and connected at a second to a common manifold, in an oilfield pump system, or used in any hose application in an oilfield fluid pump system.