Multifactor Wear Reduction Analysis of Ultrahigh Pressure Gate Valves Based on Response Surface Methodology

Summary To solve the problem of seal failure caused by severe wear of the sealing contact surface between the gate and the valve seat during the operation of the ultrahigh pressure (UHP) wellhead gate valve, we analyze the mechanical behavior of the UHP gate valve under the most severe wear conditions and combine Archard wear theory to calculate and analyze the dry friction wear of the relative movement between the gate and the valve seat using the finite element method (FEM). The effects of friction coefficient, fillet radius, gate velocity, and surface texture on the valve seat surface on valve seat wear are further studied. Then, the mathematical model between each influencing factor and the response result is constructed by the response surface methodology (RSM), and the significant characteristics of each influencing factor are explored. Finally, an optimization model with the goal of reducing wear is established based on the RSM. The research results show that reducing the friction coefficient, appropriately increasing the fillet radius, and reducing the gate velocity can reduce the friction wear of the gate valve. In addition, by setting the surface texture on the valve seat surface, the wear can be significantly reduced, and the wear can be reduced by about 17.2% in the best case. The response surface results show that surface texture and gate velocity are the most significant measures affecting the wear amount, and the error between the predicted wear amount of the final optimization model and the simulation calculation result is within 10%. With this study, we propose the application of RSM in the wear reduction measures and optimization of flat gate valve discs under multiple influencing factors and provide a reference for selecting accurate and reliable wear reduction measures in engineering applications.