Erosion and wear of the valve rubber ring in fracturing pump by fracturing particles under high-speed flow condition

【Objective】 The rubber ring is a crucial component in fracturing pumps, yet it is highly prone to erosion. This study investigates the effects of fracturing particles on erosion and wear of the rubber ring. 【Method】 The study was based on the 3 500 HP fracturing pump. The fluid domain model for its valve body at the hydraulic end was developed using the finite element software COMSOL. The impact of the factors, including particle concentration, particle diameter, and angle of the valve body cone, on the erosion and wear of the rubber seal was analyzed. Mechanical models for a single particle and multi particle erosion of the rubber ring were established using the finite element software ABAQUS, which was used to analyzed the effects of particle shape, erosion speed, impact angle, and impact frequency on erosion and wear of the ring. 【Result】 ①To improve the resistance of the rubber ring against wear and erosion, the angle of the valve body cone should be more than 70°. We found that the lower the particle concentration was, the less susceptible the rubber ring was to wear. When the diameter of solid particles was doubled, the two-phase velocity was increased by about 25%, but this had little effect on the wear of the pump valve. ②Increasing the speed of erosion increased the erosion wear. The rubber ring was more likely to absorb the energy of sharp particles at low angle of attack, while it is more likely to absorb the energy of blunt particles at 90° impact. Under the impact of the multiple particles, blunt particles can cause fatigue failure of the rubber ring, while sharp particles can cause tensile failure of the material surface. 【Conclusion】 For the 3 500 HP fracturing pump we studied, the erosion and wear of the rubber ring can be ameliorated by reducing solid particle concentration, increasing the valve cone angle and roundness of the solid particles.