Erosive Wear Measurement in Spool Valves

The authors describe the early stages of a programme to investigate the wear sensitivity of spool valves to abrasive contaminant in the fluid flow. Wear mechanisms in valves and aspects of test rig design are discussed. Methods of assessing wear are considered, both during and after completion of a test. Preliminary results are presented to highlight the difference between these methods and illustrate the changes in geometry that take place during the wear test.