Erosion and Corrosion Mitigation – An Interdisciplinary Solution

The best way to minimize wear and extend equipment operating life is to reduce the causes of wear. Erosive wear is typically prevalent in those areas where flow is turbulent as a result of mismatched hydraulic and/or mechanical design.

Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, hydraulics and materials, Flowserve experts perform three-dimensional, two-phase flow analyses to calculate particle tracks through equipment as well as the fluid path itself. Through validation of these results with actual damage found, these analyses can accurately predict erosion patterns and allow evaluation of alternative upgrade options. In addition to a hydraulic review, the geometry of the equipment is also studied to minimize abrasive particle entry into zones with tight clearances where they will collect to cause wear damage.

In some applications, specialized materials may be required to address erosion and corrosion problems. For example, X-Cavalloy, a proprietary Flowserve material, was developed specifically to combat cavitation damage caused by marginal or inadequate NPSH conditions in pumps.