Continuous‐Fiber Reinforced CeraComp® Bearing Assembly for Flowserve Sier‐Bath Asphalt Pump
Asphalt pumps typically utilize shaft bearings machined from sintered silicon carbide (SiC) primarily due to the hardness of SiC, which allows the components to withstand wear during the pumping of aggregate solid media. Unfortunately, the limited dry‐running performance of SiC and its catastrophic nature of failure during thermal and/or mechanical shock events relegates its use to systems with minimal loads, limited upset conditions, and constant lubrication.
In asphalt pumps, SiC bearings have been shown to be the ‘Achilles Heel’ of the system, commonly causing pump down‐time and excessive overhaul costs due to catastrophic bearing failure. To increase the efficiency of these highly‐problematic asphalt pumps, a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) was developed by Lancer Systems and installed into a Flowserve Sier‐Bath Twin Screw Asphalt Pump operating at a large petroleum refinery.