Fluid end with transition surface geometry
A fluid end of a reciprocating pump includes multiple bores formed therein, and adjacent bores intersect each other. The intersection of two adjacent bores forms an intersection corner, which is where a concentration of high stress occurs during operation of the pump. A novel geometrical shape or geometry of the intersection corner reduces the concentration of stress on the intersection corners. By improving the shape and geometry of the intersection corner, the impact and concentration of the stress can be reduced, thereby improving or lengthening the lifetime of the material in that intersection corner of the fluid end.
1 . A fluid end of a reciprocating pump, the fluid end comprising:
a housing defining:
a first bore with a first inner surface that transitions from a first portion with a first inner diameter to a second portion with a second inner diameter, the second inner diameter being larger than the first inner diameter, the first bore having a first centerline;
a second bore having a second inner surface that transitions from a third portion with a third inner diameter to a fourth portion with a fourth inner diameter, the fourth inner diameter being larger than the third inner diameter, the second bore intersecting with the first bore at a first intersection corner, the second bore having a second centerline;
a third bore intersecting with the second bore at a second intersection corner; the third bore having a third inner surface, the third bore having a third centerline, the third centerline being colinear with the first centerline; and
a first intersection line with a first portion that extends along the first inner surface of the first bore and a second portion that extends along the third inner surface of the third bore, the first portion of the first intersection line and the second portion of the first intersection line are offset from each other, the first portion of the first intersection line terminates at the second centerline and the second portion of the first intersection line terminates at the second centerline at a location offset from where the first portion of the first intersection line terminates at the second centerline,
wherein the first intersection corner defines a first transition area having a first transition surface where the second portion of the first inner surface and the fourth portion of the second inner surface intersect to form a raised feature, and the first transition surface is a machinable transition feature that overlaps both of the first bore and the second bore.
2 . The fluid end of claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises:
a fourth bore intersecting with the third bore at a third intersection corner defining a third transition area, the fourth bore also intersects with the first bore at a fourth intersection corner, each of the first bore, the second bore, the third bore, and the fourth bore is in fluid communication with a cross-bore, the fourth intersection corner defines a fourth transition area having a fourth transition surface, and the fourth transition surface is a machinable transition feature that overlaps both of the first bore and the fourth bore.
3 . The fluid end of claim 2 , wherein the third transition area is a substantially tangent point in profile.
4 . The fluid end of claim 2 , wherein each of the third transition area and the fourth transition area is a substantially tangent point in profile.
5 . The fluid end of claim 2 , wherein the housing has a second intersection line with a third portion that extends along the first inner surface of the first bore and a fourth portion that extends along the third inner surface of the third bore, a third intersection line with a fifth portion that extends along the second inner surface of the second bore and a sixth portion that extends along a fourth inner surface of the fourth bore, and a fourth intersection line with a seventh portion that extends along the second inner surface of the second bore and an eighth portion that extends along the fourth inner surface of the fourth bore.
6 . The fluid end of claim 5 , wherein the first portion of the first intersection line and the fifth portion of the third intersection line intersect at the first intersection corner, and the third portion of the second intersection line and the sixth portion of the third intersection line intersect at the fourth intersection corner.
7 . The fluid end of claim 6 , wherein the first intersection corner has a different profile than the fourth intersection corner.
8 . The fluid end of claim 6 , wherein the second portion of the first intersection line and the seventh portion of the fourth intersection line intersect at the second intersection corner, the fourth portion of the second intersection line and the eighth portion of the fourth intersection line intersect at the third intersection corner, and the second intersection corner has a different profile than the third intersection corner.
9 . The fluid end of claim 8 , wherein the first intersection corner and the second intersection corner have similar profiles, and the third intersection corner and the fourth intersection corner have similar profiles that are different than profiles of the first intersection corner and the second intersection corner.
10 . The fluid end of claim 8 , wherein the first bore and the third bore collectively form a horizontal bore, and the horizontal bore intersects each of the second bore and the fourth bore at a surface with a radius than is different that the horizontal bore's intersection with the other of the second bore and the fourth bore.
11 . The fluid end of claim 8 , wherein each of the first intersection corner matches a hemisphere profile, the second intersection corner matches a hemisphere profile, and each of the third intersection corner and the fourth intersection corner has a profile that is a substantially tangent point instead of a hemisphere profile.
12 . The fluid end of claim 5 , wherein the third bore has its own inner diameter, and the inner diameter of the third bore is greater than the second inner diameter of the first bore.
13 . The fluid end of claim 12 , wherein the third portion of the second intersection line and the fourth portion of the second intersection line are offset from each other.
14 . The fluid end of claim 1 , wherein the intersection of the first portion with the second centerline being offset from the intersection of the second portion with the second centerline results in a stepped feature.
15 . A fluid end of a reciprocating pump, the fluid end comprising:
a housing defining:
a first bore having a first portion with a first inner surface defining a first inner diameter and a second portion with a second inner surface defining a second inner diameter, the second inner surface defined by a first radius, the first portion transitions to the second portion, and the second inner diameter is larger than the first inner diameter, the first bore having a first centerline;
a second bore being oriented substantially perpendicularly relative to the first bore, the second bore having its own inner surface defined by a second radius different from the first radius, the second bore intersecting with the first bore at a first intersection corner located in a cross-bore of the housing, the second bore has a third portion with a third inner diameter and a fourth portion with a fourth inner diameter, the third portion transitions to the fourth portion, and the fourth inner diameter is larger than the third inner diameter, the fourth portion of the second bore and the second portion of the first bore intersecting at the first intersection corner, the second bore having a second centerline;
a third bore intersecting with the second bore at a second intersection corner; the third bore having a third inner surface, the third bore having a third centerline, the third centerline being colinear with the first centerline; and
a first intersection line with a first portion that extends along the second inner surface of the first bore and a second portion that extends along the third inner surface of the third bore, the first portion of the first intersection line and the second portion of the first intersection line are offset from each other, the first portion of the first intersection line terminates at the second centerline at a first point and the second portion of the first intersection line terminating at the second centerline at a second point, the second point being offset from the first point,
wherein the first intersection corner defines a first transition area having a first transition surface that is a machinable transition feature that overlaps both of the first bore and the second bore, and the second inner surface of the first bore and the inner surface of the second bore converge with each other at a convex point at the first transition area.
16 . The fluid end of claim 15 , wherein the housing further comprises:
a fourth bore intersecting with the third bore at a third intersection corner, the fourth bore also intersects with the first bore at a fourth intersection corner, wherein each of the first bore, the second bore, the third bore, and the fourth bore is in fluid communication with the cross-bore, the fourth intersection corner defines a fourth transition area having a fourth transition surface, and the fourth transition surface is a machinable transition feature that overlaps both of the first bore and the fourth bore.
17 . The fluid end of claim 15 , wherein the first point being offset from the second point results in a stepped feature.
18 . A method of manufacturing a fluid end of a reciprocating pump, the fluid end including a housing, the method comprising the steps of:
machining a first bore in the housing, the first bore having a first inner surface that transitions from a first portion with a first inner diameter to a second portion with a second inner diameter, the second inner diameter being larger than the first inner diameter, the first bore having a first centerline;
machining a second bore in the housing, the second bore having a second inner surface that transitions from a third portion with a third inner diameter to a fourth portion with a fourth inner diameter, the fourth inner diameter being larger than the third inner diameter, the fourth portion of the second inner surface intersecting with the second portion of the first inner surface at a first intersection corner and collectively forming a raised feature, the second bore having a second centerline;
machining a third bore in the housing, the third bore intersecting with the second bore at a second intersection corner, the third bore having a third inner surface, the third bore having a third centerline, the third centerline being colinear with the first centerline; and
hand finishing the raised feature by accessing the first intersection corner through a bore of the fluid end, wherein the steps of machining the first bore in the housing and machining the third bore in the housing form a first intersection line with a first portion that extends along the first inner surface of the first bore and a second portion that extends along the third inner surface of the third bore, the first portion of the first intersection line and the second portion of the first intersection line are offset from each other, the first portion of the first intersection line terminating at the second centerline at a first point and the second portion of the first intersection line terminating at the second centerline at a second point, the second point being offset from the first point.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein:
the step of machining the first bore in the housing includes forming a first inner surface defined by a first radius; and
the step of machining the second bore in the housing includes forming a second inner surface defined by a second radius, wherein the second radius is different from the first radius, and the first inner surface and the second inner surface converge with each other at a concave point at the first intersection corner.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the second radius intersects the first radius.