Reasons for the failure of the valve spring in reciprocating compressors
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Reasons for the failure of the air valve spring in reciprocating compressors: Can the presence of liquid cause the spring to fail?
Having liquid has an impact, while the presence of particles is a big problem.
It may be caused by the following reasons: (1) As the spring moves from a fully closed position of the valve disc to a fully open position, its load changes from pre-compression force to maximum compression force; it is subjected to pulsating cyclic loads, which leads to fatigue failure. (2) When the spring deforms, frictional wear occurs on the wall of the spring hole, resulting in a decrease in strength and eventual fracture. (3) The medium corrodes the surface of the spring, causing pitting and depressions that lead to stress concentration and accelerate the fatigue failure of the spring. (4) The material does not meet the requirements, and there are defects in the spring’s machining and heat treatment.
Springs generally don’t break; it’s the valve plates and spring elements that tend to fail more often. The springs you mentioned usually get damaged due to fatigue or severe wear over time. As for the valve plates and spring elements, they can be damaged by fatigue from prolonged use. Liquid shock also has an impact on them. In addition, small solid particles and excessive carbon buildup can significantly affect the proper functioning of the valve. Another possibility is that there is a problem with the quality of the valve itself. Air leakage from the valve can also occur as a result of severe wear on the sealing surfaces, which reduces the efficiency of the valve
The air valve spring material of the reciprocating compressor is SUS631 (17-7PH) stainless steel; defects in the heat treatment process led to damage caused by liquid hammer fatigue.