USE OF HIGH-STRENGTH CAST IRON FOR MANUFACTURING DRUMS OF OIL

FIELD EQUIPMENT

U. A. Khalilov and N. S. Fataliev UDC 669.13.013.5.002

High-strength cast iron with spheroidal graphite is currently used for manufacturing some
parts of well-head valves and glands. This has helped to reduce labor input, improve perfor-
mance and quality, and curtail consumption of rolled steel products and scarce ferrous mate-
rials. Analysis shows that it is desirable to use high-strength cast iron for manufacturing
some other parts of oil-field equipment.
One such part is the welded drum (see Fig. la) used for lowering and raising instruments
during hydrodynamic investigations. The flange 1 is cut according to a template from steel
(type St3) sheet, while the barrel 2 is cut from steel (type 20) tubes of 219 14 mm section.
During operation, a wire rope is wound on the drum and this rope is in contact with the corro-
sive medium inside the well. Therefore, prior to developing a cast iron drum, tests were
conducted to study the corrosion resistance of VCh45 cast iron and 20 steel. The latter
material was selected for tests as it is superior to St3 steel in terms of general corrosion
resistance.
Evaluation of corrosion resistance of cast iron and steel was carried out as per USSR
standard GOST 13819-68; the corrosion rate was determined by the gravimetric method and tests
were conducted with intensive stirring of the corrosive medium. The test results show that
the corrosion rate (mm/year) for 20 steel in a crude-oil medium is 0.I, while for VCh45 cast
iron the rate is 0.003. The corrosion rate is practically the same for both materials in
stratal water.
The centrifugal casting method has several advantages compared to other methods: dense
structure and high mechanical properties of the castings; elimination of gas and nonmetallic
inclusions from the liquid metal; feasibility of producing hollow castings without using
cores. The change to the new method of manufacturing drums from high/strength cast iron
helps to reduce cost and lower labor inputs while improving the material consumption index.
Thus, the weight of the raw materials drops from 138.9 kg for the welded drum to 70.4 kg for
the cast drum. The drum weight after machining is 55.2 kg in both cases. Thus, the material
consumption index goes up from 0.397 to 0.784 after introduction of the new technology.
The cost of the welded drum is 41.25 rubles (including 21.3 rubles for raw materials and
19.95 rubles for manufacturing expenses). The cost of the cast drum is 19 rubles (including
7.74 rubles for raw materials and 11.26 rubles for manufacturing expenses).
Comparative techno-commercial analysis of both manufacturing methods shows that the new
method is preferable. The production of VCh45 high-strength cast iron drums by the centri-
fugal casting method will be 900 pieces per year.

a b
Fig. i. Drum design: a) welded;
b) cast; i) flange; 2) barrel.

Translated from Khimicheskoe i Neftyanoe Mashinostroenie, No. 3, p. 25, March, 1990.

158 0009-2355/90/0304-0158512.50 9 1990 Plenum Publishing Corporation