Grooveless Fluid End Spring Retainer Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional high pressure pumps experience rapid wear and material loss due to grooves in the suction bore, leading to stress cracks and erosion, which necessitates frequent replacement of fluid ends.

Innovation Solution

A grooveless fluid end design featuring ridges in the suction bore and a keeper mechanism to secure and align the spring retainer without grooves, reducing surface area erosion and enhancing structural strength.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If grooves are added to the suction bore to secure valve stops, then the valve stops can be locked in place, but the surface area of the bore intersection increases leading to higher stress and erosion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve stop retentionVSAvoiderosion and stress cracks

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the grooves from the suction bore entirely, extracting the harmful feature that caused increased surface area and stress concentration. Instead of modifying the bore with grooves, the invention uses a keeper component that secures the valve stop without requiring material removal from the bore, thereby eliminating the source of stress cracks and erosion while maintaining valve stop retention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of manufacture

If material is removed from the bore intersections to create grooves, then valve stops can be inserted and secured, but the strength of the bore intersection decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve stop installationVSAvoidbore intersection strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The keeper acts as an intermediary component that facilitates valve stop retention without requiring direct modification of the bore. The keeper is inserted into the bore and secures the valve stop externally, serving as a mediator between the bore and valve stop. This approach maintains the structural integrity of the bore intersection while still enabling secure valve stop installation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If grooves are created in the suction bore, then valve stops can be locked in place, but the grooves become subject to erosion and material loss

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve stop lockingVSAvoidbore material erosion

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the grooves from the design, eliminating the erodible features from the suction bore. The keeper component provides the locking function without requiring grooves in the bore, thereby preventing material erosion while maintaining reliable valve stop retention through the keeper's securing mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS10458405B2Systems and methods utilizing a grooveless fluid end for high pressure pumping

Publication Date: 2019.10.29 STROM INC

AI summary

Embodiments disclosed herein describe systems and methods for a spring retainer configuration without suction bore grooves, wherein the spring retainer may be secured in place via a keeper. By eliminating the grooves, embodiments may reduce the surface area of the bore intersection, which may slow the rate of material erosion. Accordingly, embodiments may extend the life of a fluid end in high pressure environments.