Valve seat with a hardened sleeve interior and a metal exterior
A valve seat for use in a fluid end of a fracturing pump that includes a first body portion having an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the inner wall forms a fluid bore and outer wall is configured to contact an inside surface of a fluid passageway of a fluid end of the fracturing pump for support therein. The seat further includes a second body portion extending from the first body portion, the second body having a frustro-conical portion forming a seating surface for receiving a valve. A portion of the first and second body portion includes a hardened material insert forming a portion of the seating surface and a portion of the inner wall of the first body, and further includes a metallic body portion affixed to the hardened material insert, the metallic body portion forming at least a portion of first body portion outer wall.
1. A valve seat comprising:
a frustro-conical portion forming a tapered shoulder for receiving a distal end of a valve;
a longitudinal portion forming an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the outer wall is configured to sealingly engage an inside surface of a fluid inlet passage and the inner wall forms a continuous transition from the tapered shoulder for allowing fluid to flow along a direction of the fluid inlet passage;
a hardened material insert forming a portion of the tapered shoulder and a portion of the inner wall, wherein the portion of the inner wall is configured to receive at least one leg of the valve; and
a metal portion fixed to the hardened material insert, the metal portion forming the frustro-conical portion and the longitudinal portion other than the portion of the inner wall and the portion of the tapered shoulder of the hardened material insert.
2. The valve seat of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the inner wall of the hardened material constrains the at least one leg of the valve from moving in a radial direction.
3. The valve seat of claim 1 , wherein the hardened material insert is made of tungsten carbide.
4. The valve seat of claim 1 , wherein the hardened material insert is made of zirconia.
5. The valve seat of claim 1 , wherein the hardened material insert is partially made of stabilized zirconia.
6. The valve seat of claim 1 , wherein the hardened material insert is made of tungsten carbide nickel.
7. The valve seat of claim 1 , wherein the hardened material insert is made of tungsten carbide cobalt.
8. The valve seat of claim 1 , wherein the hardened material insert is made of silicon nitride.
9. The valve seat of claim 1 , wherein the hardened material insert is made of sialon.
10. The valve seat of claim 1 , wherein the outer wall forms a cylindrical shape and includes a groove for holding a seal.
11. The valve seat of claim 10 , wherein the frustro-conical portion extends radially beyond the cylindrical shape formed of the outer wall of the longitudinal portion such that the frustro-conical portion stops the valve seat from moving in an axial direction when the longitudinal portion is fully inserted into the fluid inlet passage and the valve exerts a closing pressure on the taper shoulder.
12. The valve seat of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the valve is made of a softer material than the hardened material insert.
13. A valve assembly for use in a fracturing pump, the valve assembly comprising:
a valve member reciprocatably movable into and out of engagement with a valve seat body to configure the valve assembly between open and closed positions, the valve member having a distal end for sealing against the valve seat and one or more legs for restraining lateral movement of the valve with respect to the valve seat;
wherein the valve seat body includes a first body configured to be inserted into a fluid passageway of the fracturing pump, the first body having an inner cylindrical surface and an outer cylindrical surface, wherein the outer cylindrical surface has an outer diameter, D 1 ;
a second body extending radially from the first body having an inner surface facing the valve member and an opposed outer surface configured to contact the fluid passageway, the second body having an outer diameter, D 2 , greater than the outer diameter, D 1 , such that the difference between the diameters D 2 and D 1 allows the first body to be longitudinally supported by the fluid passageway;
a hardened material insert forming a portion of the inner cylindrical surface of the first body and a portion of the inner surface of the second body such that the hardened material insert contacts the distal end and the one or more legs of the valve member; and
a metal portion fixed to the hardened material insert, the metal portion forming the first body and the second body other than the portion of the inner cylindrical surface of the first body and the portion of the inner surface of the second body of the hardened material insert.
14. The valve assembly of claim 13 , wherein the second body is a tapered shoulder.
15. The valve assembly of claim 13 , wherein the second body is a tapered shoulder extending radially from the first body at an angle between five and seventy-five degrees.
16. The valve assembly of claim 13 , wherein the ceramic insert is formed having a constant thickness along an extension direction of the second body and a longitudinal direction of the first body.
17. The valve assembly of claim 13 , wherein the ceramic insert has a top surface that is in the same plane as the inner surface of the second body.
18. The valve assembly of claim 13 , wherein the hardened material insert and the metal portion are fixed together by bonding, press-fit, shrink-fit, sintering, or combination thereof.
19. The valve assembly of claim 13 , wherein the hardened material insert has a material hardness value, H 1 , greater than a material hardness value, H 2 , of the metal portion.
20. A reciprocating pump assembly, comprising:
a power end coupled to a fluid end, the fluid end having a fluid inlet passage co-axially aligned with a fluid outlet passage;
a valve assembly disposed within each of the fluid inlet passage and the fluid outlet passage, each valve assembly comprising:
a valve member reciprocatably movable into and out of engagement with a valve seat body to configure the valve assembly between open and closed positions;
wherein the valve seat body includes a first body configured to be inserted into the fluid inlet passage, the first body having an inner cylindrical surface and an outer cylindrical surface, wherein the outer cylindrical surface has an outer diameter, D 1 ;
a second body extending radially from the first body having an inner surface facing the valve member and an opposed outer surface configured to contact the fluid passageway, the second body having an outer diameter, D 2 , greater than the outer diameter, D 1 , such that the difference between the diameters D 2 and D 1 allows the first body to be longitudinally supported by the fluid passageway;
a hardened material insert forming a portion of the inner cylindrical surface of the first body and a portion of the inner surface of the second body such that the hardened material insert contacts the distal end and the one or more legs of the valve member; and
a metal portion fixed to the hardened material insert, the metal portion forming the first body and the second body other than the portion of the inner cylindrical surface of the first body and the portion of the inner surface of the second body of the hardened material insert.