Thermally Sprayed Coating Reinforcement with Embedded Wires
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermally sprayed layers on drill pipes and downhole components are prone to cracking, breaking, and spalling due to brittleness, leading to reduced durability and effectiveness in severe abrasive and impact conditions.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating reinforcing structures such as metallic or non-metallic wires, filaments, or mesh into the thermally sprayed layers to enhance their strength and resistance to wear, corrosion, and impact, by embedding these structures into the thermal spray matrix during the coating process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional thermal spray processes are used to apply protective coatings on drill pipes, then wear resistance is improved, but the coating becomes brittle and prone to cracking, breaking, and spalling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining thermally sprayed metallic coating with embedded reinforcing structures (wires, filaments, mesh) to create a hybrid coating system. The metallic spray provides wear resistance while the embedded reinforcing structures prevent cracking and spalling, resolving the contradiction between wear resistance and coating integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by strategically placing reinforcing structures at specific locations within the coating thickness. The reinforcing structures are embedded at predetermined positions to provide localized strengthening where cracking and spalling are most likely to occur, while maintaining the overall wear-resistant properties of the thermal spray coating.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If the coating thickness is increased to provide better protection, then durability is improved, but the coating becomes more prone to cracking and spalling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials to decouple the relationship between coating thickness and cracking susceptibility. By embedding reinforcing structures within the thermal spray coating, the system achieves enhanced durability through increased thickness without suffering from proportional increases in cracking and spalling, as the reinforcing structures prevent crack propagation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by pre-embedding reinforcing structures into the coating before the coating fully cures and before crack formation occurs. These pre-placed reinforcing structures act as a cushioning mechanism that prevents crack initiation and propagation, allowing the coating to be applied at greater thicknesses without compromising reliability.
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 resulting coating demonstrates increased resistance to spalling, cracking, and deformation, providing a more durable and long-lasting protective layer that maintains integrity under harsh drilling conditions.
Implementation Method 1
metallic, ceramic, cermet, and some polymeric materials in the form of powder, wire, or rod are fed to a torch or gun with which they are heated to near or somewhat above their melting point
Implementation Method 2
The resulting molten or nearly molten droplets of materials are projected against the surface to be coated
Implementation Method 3
The resulting molten or nearly molten droplets of materials are projected against the surface to be coated
Implementation Method 4
Upon impact, the droplets flow into thin lamellar particles adhering to the surface, overlapping and interlocking as they solidify
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a method, system, and apparatus that adds one or more reinforcing structures to a thermally sprayed layer of metallic material onto a substrate to reinforce and/or further support the formed substrate coating. The reinforcing structure may be a metallic or non-metallic wire, filament, whisker, mesh, or similar structure and may be coupled to the substrate before or during the thermal spray process, thereby embedding the reinforcing structure(s) into the resulting thermal spray matrix. The type, material, size, shape, and application technique of the reinforcing structure is variable based upon the desired characteristics of the ultimate coating. The durable coating may be formed by a plurality of separate and/or distinct layers. The resultant coating (e.g., the reinforcing structure(s) with the one or more thermal spray layers) provides numerous benefits, including increased strength and resistance to spalling, breaking, cracking, deforming, crack formation, and corrosion.