Granted Patent B1

US 12,669,191 · App. 19/098,257 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Inventor: Zhiyue Xu (Houston, TX)

Assignee: Vulcan Industrial Holdings, LLC

F16K25/005

Abstract

Claims (27)

1 . A method of forming a strike face of a body of a valve seat for a pumping system, the method comprising:

inserting a plurality of embedded features into a plurality of recesses in the body, one or more of the plurality of embedded features comprising an elongated feature extending in a radial direction relative to a central axis of a bore of the valve seat, each embedded feature comprising a gradient material structure having a first material, a second material spaced from the first material, and a compositional transition region between the first material and the second material; and

securing the plurality of embedded features within the plurality of recesses such that the plurality of embedded features at least partially defines the strike face.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the compositional transition region comprises a plurality of layers, and wherein a concentration of the first material decreases respectively in the plurality of layers from the first material to the second material.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the securing comprises securing the plurality of embedded features within the plurality of recesses by use of a brazing process.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the securing comprises pressure fitting the plurality of embedded features within the plurality of recesses.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inserting and the securing comprise sintering the plurality of embedded features to the valve seat.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying varying amounts of the first material and the second material onto a substrate via thermal spraying.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of the first material decreases respectively from the first material to the second material.

8 . A method of forming a strike face of a body of a valve seat for a pumping system, the method comprising:

inserting a plurality of embedded features into a plurality of recesses in the body, one or more of the plurality of embedded features comprising an elongated feature extending in a circumferential direction relative to a central axis of a bore of the valve seat, each embedded feature comprising a gradient material structure having a first material, a second material spaced from the first material, and a compositional transition region between the first material and the second material; and

securing the plurality of embedded features within the plurality of recesses such that the plurality of embedded features at least partially defines the strike face.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the compositional transition region comprises a plurality of layers, and wherein a concentration of the first material decreases respectively in the plurality of layers from the first material to the second material.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a concentration of the first material decreases respectively from the first material to the second material.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the securing comprises securing the plurality of embedded features within the plurality of recesses by use of a brazing process.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the securing comprises pressure fitting the plurality of embedded features within the plurality of recesses.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the inserting and the securing comprise sintering the plurality of embedded features to the valve seat.

14 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising applying varying amounts of the first material and the second material onto a substrate via thermal spraying.

15 . A method of forming a strike face of a body of a valve seat for a pumping system, the method comprising:

positioning a plurality of embedded features in a pattern, each embedded feature comprising a gradient material structure having a first material, a second material spaced from the first material, and a compositional transition region between the first material and the second material;

filling, at least partially, gaps between the embedded features with a metallic powder;

sintering the metallic powder and the embedded features so as to form a metallurgically bonded structure including the embedded features and the metallic powder; and

after and separate from the sintering, bonding the metallurgically bonded structure to the valve seat such that the metallurgically bonded structure defines a strike face of the valve seat.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the bonding the metallurgically bonded structure to the valve seat comprises bonding the metallurgically bonded structure to the valve seat during as a result of the sintering.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the compositional transition region comprises a plurality of layers, and wherein a concentration of the first material decreases respectively in the plurality of layers from the first material to the second material.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein positioning the plurality of embedded features comprises positioning one or more of the plurality of embedded features to extend in a radial direction relative to a central axis.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein positioning the plurality of embedded features comprises positioning one or more of the plurality of embedded features in a circumferential direction relative to a central axis.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (400)