Valve Plug Coating with Pre-Cracked Skin for Erosion Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Flow control components, such as valve plugs, in industrial facilities face rapid degradation due to highly erosive fluids, which can lead to premature failure and reduced service life.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a coating or 'skin' with a pre-defined cracking profile on valve parts, which undergoes preliminary thermal cycling to induce directed cracks, thereby acting as stress relief and preventing additional cracking from thermal expansion differences.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a hardened coating material is applied to protect against erosion, then erosion resistance is improved, but thermal expansion mismatch causes coating spallation under thermal cycling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerosion resistanceVSAvoidcoating adhesion

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The coating is pre-cracked during manufacturing before installation to create a controlled cracking profile. This preliminary action allows the coating to accommodate future thermal expansion stresses without spalling, as the cracks are already positioned in non-critical areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The coating is designed with different properties in different regions: a controlled cracking profile in areas where cracks are acceptable, and intact coating in areas requiring continuous protection. This local differentiation allows the coating to simultaneously accommodate thermal stress and protect critical surfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the coating is made thicker to provide better protection, then erosion protection is improved, but thermal stress causes more severe cracking and spallation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection levelVSAvoidcoating integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Thicker coatings are pre-cracked during manufacturing to create a controlled cracking profile that accommodates thermal expansion stresses. This preliminary stress relief prevents future spallation while maintaining the protective benefits of the thicker coating material.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Stability of the object's composition

If the coating is made thinner to reduce thermal stress, then thermal compatibility is improved, but erosion protection is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal compatibilityVSAvoiderosion resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Even thin coatings are pre-cracked during manufacturing to establish a controlled cracking profile. This ensures that the coating can accommodate thermal expansion stresses without sudden spallation, maintaining its protective function despite the reduced thickness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Ease of manufacture

If no pre-cracking is performed, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but thermal cycling causes uncontrolled spallation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidcoating durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The coating undergoes controlled pre-cracking during manufacturing through thermal cycling or mechanical means. This preliminary action creates a stable cracking profile that prevents future uncontrolled spallation, improving long-term reliability despite the additional manufacturing step.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

This solution significantly extends the service life of valve parts by directing and localizing cracking, preventing flaking of the protective layer, and ensuring continued protection against highly erosive working fluids.

Implementation Method 1

thermal cycling can cause the coating or 'overlay' to spall, flake, or generally separate from the base, exposing the base to the highly-erosive flow

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Implementation Method 2

The cracking profile can direct or localize cracking of the surface in a known way. The part may undergo preliminary thermal cycling to induce these directed cracks within the cracking profile before it ships to a customer. This feature can act as stress relief

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal stress: Stress Relaxation

Data Source

PatentUS12234922B2Coatings for valve parts to prevent erosion

Publication Date: 2025.02.25 DRESSER LLC

AI summary

A closure member is configured for use in a valve. These configurations may have a coating or conformal layer that may cover most, if not all, of the underlying material. This layer may include pre-propagated cracks that form due to thermal cycling prior to use in service. These pre-propagated cracks act as stress relief to accommodate for possible thermal stress that occurs due to different rates of thermal expansion between the underlying closure member and the coating. In one implementation, the layer may include a crack profile, which is engineered to direct formation of the pre-propagated cracks as well as to arrest crack development to a certain depth to maintain at least some integral layer of material over the underlying plug 118. This feature can extend service life of the plug, particularly in highly-erosive process fluids, like particle-entrained fluids commonly found in hydrocracking or refining operations.