Fracturing Pump Valve Guide Blades to Prevent Proppant Sticking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional valve guides in hydraulic fracturing systems are prone to sticking due to particle lodgment and have insufficient openings, leading to increased proppant flow resistance and erosion, which can cause valve assembly failure.
Innovation Solution
A valve guide with a central space defined by blades that partially surrounds the valve post, providing a larger cross-sectional area for proppant flow and reducing the likelihood of particle sticking, while also being designed to minimize flow resistance through optimized blade shapes and orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional tubular-shaped valve guide bushings are used to surround the valve post, then the valve post is contained and guided, but proppant particles become lodged between the valve post and valve guide, causing valve sticking and blocking movement
Solution Approach 1:
The valve guide is segmented into multiple blades (typically three blades) that are spaced apart, creating gaps between them. This segmentation prevents proppant particles from becoming lodged around the entire valve post circumference, as particles can pass through the gaps between blades rather than being trapped in a continuous tubular bushing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts material from the conventional solid tubular bushing to create open spaces between the blades. By removing portions of the bushing material and forming separate blades with gaps between them, the design eliminates the trapping effect while maintaining the guiding function of the valve post.
2Reliability
If conventional valve guides with smaller openings are used, then the valve post is adequately supported, but proppant flow resistance increases and erosion rates increase, leading to valve assembly failure
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional cross-sectional view (small circular opening) to a three-dimensional structure with multiple blades extending axially. This creates a larger effective flow area through the valve guide by utilizing the axial dimension, allowing proppant to flow through multiple pathways between the blades rather than through a single small circular opening.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the valve guide into multiple blades, the invention creates multiple flow channels between the blades. This segmentation increases the total cross-sectional area available for proppant flow, reducing flow resistance and erosion while maintaining adequate support for the valve post.
Data Source
AI summary
A valve guide for a fracturing pump valve assembly, the valve guide include a ring member having one or more blades. The one or more blades project inward from an annular ring of the ring member, a first side of the one or more blades defining a central space of the ring member, the central space configured to contain a cross-sectional portion of a valve post of the valve assembly therein and the first side extending parallel to a long axis length of the valve post. Valve assemblies and hydraulic fracturing systems including the valve guide are also disclosed.