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International Compressor Engineering Conference School of Mechanical Engineering

1990

Mechanical Properties of Valve Steels for Hermetic

Compressors
R. Dusil
J. N. Eberle & CIE. GmbH

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Dusil, R., "Mechanical Properties of Valve Steels for Hermetic Compressors" (1990). International Compressor Engineering Conference.
Paper 696.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/icec/696

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 MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF VALVE STEELS FOR
HERMETIC COMPRESSORS

Robert D_usil
J.N. Eberle & Cie. GmbH, Augsburg, Federal
Republic of Germany

ABSTRACT
A brief overview is given on compressor valve failures and
possible failure causes are summarized. The paper presents the
mechanical properties of materials used in valve manufacturing.
Fatigue data for reversed and pulsating bending load, including
Goodman diagrams, are shown. The maximum bending stress for a
pulsating loading mode to which a material of certain suction or
discharge valve can be exposed is given.

INTRODUCTION
In recent years developments in compressor technology have been
directed towards higher efficiency both for refrigeration and air
conditioning compressors. These latest developments deal also
with the considerations of an alternative refrigerent to
chlorofluorcar bons, CFC. Due to temperature and pressure
differences on condenser and evaporator sides increased
mechanical loading on compressor components is expected. These
changes necessitate a higher reliability of compressor parts
including valve components.

Compressor reliability, particularly in the hermetic area, is

high and compressor Failure rates are very low. However, there
are compressor failures which are due to broken components.
Examinations showed that most failures of moveable parts are
caused by fatigue. fractographic studies document that most of
the valve failures are caused by bending fatigue loading or by
impact of the valve reed on the seat or on the valve stop (1-5).
In this paper, recommendation s are given concerning valve design,
valve processing and dimensioning. Some aspects concerning suit-
able selection of materials are presented. Anything which may
improve or prolong the operation of the compressor valve system
is meaningful to machine operation reliability and profitability.

FAILURE ANALYSIS
Improval of valve reliability often depends on accurate failure
analysis. Examinations are performed with simple light optical
microscopy, LOM, or in a scanning electron microscope, SEM, when
more detailed results of the fracture mode are desired.

The valve failure analysis can indicate design overstresses

resulting from insufficient stress control or valve failures
caused by failure of other compressor components like piston
rods, shafts etc.

113
Most fatigue fractures of compressor valves initiate on the
surface or on the edge where the highest dynamic loading occurs.
Therefore, primary fatigue crack origins are surface defects,
wear marks, corrosion pits or edge defects from valve blanking.
In order to increase volumetric efficiency there is a tendency to
decrease the slot between valve plate and valve reed to a
minimum. In many cases the distance is approx. 1.0 mm (0.04 in.)
or less. It should be kept in mind that in this case the proper
tumbling treatment of the valve reed edges is very difficult and
during high loading stresses the unproperly treated edge could be
sensitive to fatigue cracking (6).
Small gaps at the valve mounting rivets could be a cause of
premature valve failure when this area is exposed to dynamic
stresses. In such cases there is a high fracture probability
caused by the stress concentration at geometric defects, in this
case fitting holes, and the rest defects from blanking at the
fitting hole edges.
Precise positioning of the valve reed over the seat is very
important. It has been shown that unproper valve positioning or
narrow valve seat design has an influence on the valve fatigue
performance (7).

Another cause of valve failure is overloading of the valve

component, sometimes caused by overheating or a sudden
increase of the discharge pressure (8). In air or gas compressors
operating in a marine atmosphere there is a risk of corrosion
damage which could develop into fatigue cracking.
fatigue life can also be reduced by incorrect lubrication causing
valve plate sticking which can retard reseating of the valve. A
delayed closing causes excessive loading which could also reduce
expected fatigue life.
Extensive case studies indicate that valve failure causes can be
classified as follows:
Material defects: rolling defects, rough surface scratches,
structural inhomogeneities, brittle oxidic
inclusions exceeding a critical size,
insufficient tensile strength
Design and narrow slots and holes, edge defects
manufacturing: from blanking, surface damage from
excessive tumbling

Improper assembly: inaccurate positioning of the valve reed

vs valve seat, valve fitting faults

Environmental corrosive elements (not in hermetic

effects: compressors), foreign particles,
excessive wear marks, improper lubrication

Overloading: valve flutter, slugging at delayed closings,

multiple impacting from gas pulsations,
overheating

114
 VAL,VE MATERIALS
Three standard, hardened and tempered: valve steels are presented
here- The chemical compositio ns are ·shown below:

weight ~ nominal
Grade c Si Mn Pmax Smax Ni
Eberle 18 1-0 o.zs 0-40 0-015 o.on
Eberle 13 0.70 0.25 0.50 0-015 0.012
Eberle 15N2 0-75 0.30 0~40 0-015 0.012 2.0
The grade Eberle 18 is used for suction and discharge valves in
hermetic compresso rs, particular ly for the thinner sizes 0.15
- 0-60 mm (0.006- D-024 in.). The maximum standard thickness is
1.0 mm (D-04 in.). For thicker valves, above 1-D mm (0.04 in-),
the grades Eberle 13 or Eberle 15N2 are recommend ed. The 2 ~ Ni
alloy is for improved hardenabi lity.

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
The establishe d standard for flapper valve steels is that with
decreasing thickness the tensile strength increases- The reason
for the correlatio n between the thickness and tensile strength is
material blankabli lity. Sizes above 1.0 mm (0.04 in-) are
difficult to blank when the tensile strength exceeds 1700 -
1800 MPa (246- 261 KS!),

Table 1 lists the tensile strength, Rm; yield strength, Rp0,2;

and proof stress, RpD,Dl for standard valve steel sizes-

Thickness Tensile strength Yield strength Proof stress

Rm UTS RpD, 2 RpO, 01
mm inch MPa KSI MPa KS 1 MPa KSI
+- 50 +- 7 +-100 +-14 +-100 +-14
0, !52 .006 2050 297 1820 264 1580 229
0,203 -008 2000 290 1780 258 1540 223
U,254 -OlD 1950 282 1740 251 1500 217
0,305 -012 !900 275 1690 245 1460 212
0,381 -015 1850 268 1650 238 1420 206
0,508 -020 1750 253 1560 226 1350 195
0,80 -0315 1700 246 1510 219 1310 190
1,00 .0394 1650 239 1470 213 1270 184
Table 1 Static strength for valve steel Eberle lB for thickness
=1-0 mm (0.04 in.). For thicker sizes the grades are Eberle 13
or 15N2. Mechanica l properties correspond ing to those for 1-0 mm
are valid for all thicknesse s in this range.

The temperatu re dependance of the ultimate tensile strength and

yield strength for Eberle 18 is shown in Fig. 1- Up to approx.
200 "C there is no reduction in the tensile and yield strength.
Eberle 13 and 15N2 exibit similar behaviour . Knowing that the
fatigue strength is a direct function of the tensile strength one
can expect that up to 200 °C there will be no reduction in
fatigue strength. This covers the applicatio n range of the
hermetic compresso rs-

115
 ~51

2000
I 290

1800
I
\ 261

1600
1\\ R. UTS
232
R•n•.v~
1400
1\ 203

1200
I
\ \\ 1\
1000 - -
I\
\\ \ 1•s

800
R. UTS
\ 116

600
R 02 YS \ \\ \ 87
\ \
100
210
200
390
300
570 i~~ :~ TEMPERATURE

r~9· l Ultimate tena.1..l.• ~t.E't:rl'l~~h and yteld atrll!nqth

._.,. t~mpl!r'At:llr'e fOI." harCh!ln•d 11nd t~mpel."l!ld flapper vll.i.Vf:
.Jte!!l t.Dede 18. ~hH~knel!l;:!l. !.l.20J mm (O.OOS 1n.). Flm
:Z.OOO MP11 UTS 290 ~~;Sl) and 1.0 mm (ll.U4 ln.), llm
16:'10 HPa 1UfS 2J9 l(SI).

FATIGUE PROPERTIES

The bending fatigue testing was performed on machine type Bosch.

The vertical deflection of the samples was made by a double
excenter. The testing frequency was approx. 25 Hz, the sample
width 10 mm (0.4 in.). Length, 25- 75 mm (1- 3 in.) depended
on the thickness.
Data are presented for bending fatigue strength for the thickness
range 0.15- 1.50 mm (0.006- 0.06 in.). The fracture probability
was determined Fo7 P0.5 and P50 ~. The fatigue limits were
determined for 10 loading cycles for reversed bending, stress
ratio Rs =e'min/5'max = -1, Fig. 2 and for pulsating bending,
stress ratio Rs = o, fig. 3. The increasing fatigue strength with
the decreasing thickness is documented here for the thickness
range 0.2- 1.0 mm (0.008- 0.04 in.). For the sizes above !.0 mm
(0.04 in.) there is only one tensile strength standard for all
three grades. It is apparent that the increased tensile strength
up to approx. 2000 MPa (290 KSI) gives an increased fatigue
strength (4). Due to this correlation the thinner sizes can be
exposed to a higher fatigue load which is in a good agreement
with the practical experience for hermetic compressors.

BENDING ST!fE$5 PROBABit.. JTY

~MPLITUDE OF FR ~ CT u RE

--..... __
MPa ~51
E9ERl<: 18 EBERLE 15N2
,gao : j

,~: :
,_
995~
'100
~~............_
r----.._ 50"'
• eo
0,5'/o
I
0.25 0.5 0 75 1.0 1.25mm
STRIP THICKNESS
U.U1 u.uz uul O.u< 0.0511"1eh
2000 1750 1700 1650 R. MPo
290 253 246 239 UTS KSI

F1g. ;;: l"'l!ltlgue strength, I't:"":t~~d bl!rl"'din,, stress l."atio

R"a: ... l. fl!itlque l~m~ta arl!! 'o'al.i.C for lO lo"dl.nq
cycll!a t'or- ~l;ll."~llua ~h1cl<nc~$~.S l'lote, ther'l!l J.~ no
~U"l~1lr r8l!i~~QI'\ bctwe@n t.hJ.ckn~~g, standard and UT$).

116
 BENDING STRESS PROBABILITY
AMPLITUDE OF FRACTURE
MPa KSI
EBERLE18 EBERLE 1SN2
•800

--
>120

--
-----
•600
:::-,--....::-- 99.!1!
~100

SO'!. • 90
0,5'1.

0.25 o.s 0.75 1,0 1,2 mm

STRIP THICKNESS
0.01 V.07 0,03 ·a:04 0.05 1nch
2000 1750 1700 1650 R~ MPa
290 253 239 UT$ KSI

F~g. ' fo.ti.gu~ strl!!lngth, pul~ating l:l•nd+ng, stri!!ISS r.ttio

lh ~ a. F'at.~giJI!!I limits 4H'8 valid for 10 lo•ding cycl1!!115•

Goodman diagrams ere presented in order to estimate the maximum

bending stress, ~max, to which a valve material of certain
suction or discharge valve can be exposed. A conservative
approximation of the Goodman diagram for the thickness 0.152,
0.305 and 1.0 mm (0.006, 0.012 and 0.04 in.) is given in Fig. 4,
5 and 6 for PO.S and P50 ~. Considering a simplified loading of a
suction valve, thickness 0.305 mm (0.012 in.) a maximum fatigue
st~ess at pulsating bending for the considered material Eberle 18
is ca. 1000 MPa (145 KSI) at P0.5 ~. For comparison, the
thickness 1.0 mm (0.04 in.) shows approx. 740 MPa (107 KSI) at
PO.s 'IL

STRESS
RANGE ,:.6
MPa
KSI
2000

1500 HS

1000 150

sao 75

·75

-1000 1----:;-h---:::f:"::""-.....,~--..,..l
500 1000 1500 l!m MPa MEAN STRESS
" - - - - 7...5_ _ _..,15_0_ _ _22..S_ _ _ KSI

h9. 4 Goodmel"' d1Bgtam, bel"lding fat11;11.1e 10 7 load:LnQ cycl!!'s.

F"laopero valve 'HI!I!l Ebet'le lS. th.Lc:lo;ne~.s O.!::i2 mrn Q,lJ06 Ln
~m 2lJ5U MPa \UTS 297 KS!). Str~ss range .d!tli"';: C5'm.li.>; - C1"1ln ••

117
 ST~ESS ST~ESS

~ANGE 66 RANGE 60
Mf>a
~ KSI
MPa
KSI

I y;;
2000 2000

"\mi. All~.~
Ill@.
1500 225 1500 225

flo 0.01

~ L
v
1000 150 1000 150
P50 V/

~/. a~:y
Rs=O

500 75 500 75

ll.~
Grruu
;;; f!s=O
tl'

-500 -75 - 500 I -75

-1000 -I 0(}0
500 1000 1500 11~ MPa MEAN STRESS 500 1000 1500 6~ MPa MEAN STRESS

~51 KSI
75 150 225 75 150 225

j L lJ, 5 l.oodmiin d l EUJ l'"Bin 1 bench ng f -~ li}Ue lU l Dlllld ll\r:) C!:)'C 1 ~S,
7 I ~'1. 6 lOIJoodiiHH1 Ui &.grwm 1 benL.IlrHj falJ.I:)LJe tu
7
lo.ud tn.-g L!yc IIi:! a.
f Ja,ppoer r.rl!lolve al~d [be.rle l6 ~ lhickne.u l.U mm {ll ,L)(I. in.)
f lflllfl~r vtdve !:lhel Eberle 16, ~hickne:!Hr. 0. }0') mm ~0 .012 in.)~ 1
I~ ill 16~(j HPo {UTS 2J9 KSI) ~
HD i 'JULI HI' a ( U I~ 2 I~ K~ l) ,
 With increasi ng mean stress om, there is a decreas in
of the fatigue strength . for high strength materia lse there
amplitu de
is a
linear Goodman relation ship for the stress amplitu de

tSa = 6'rb ( 1- e'm

~
stress amplitud e
reversed bending stress amplitu de, Rs -1

mean stress ei'max + G'min

2
Rm tensile strength
The above express ion is well valid for high strength valve
steels, tool steals, sp~ing steels etc. at bending or
tensile
fatigue loads (9).

FATIGUE AND DIMENSIONING ASPECTS

There are differe nt methods for determi ning the actual
to which valve compone nts are exposed . The most common stresse s
is the
finite element method, FEM, which gives the stress distribu
for static and dynamic conditio ns. Calcula ted stress contourtion
should be evaluate d with respect to the determin ed maximum s
stresse s and put in relation to the fatigue strength of
materia l. It should be noted that safety factors should the valve
calcula ted for the conside red bending load mode and the be
fracture
probab ility required for the actual compres sor valve system.
Despite mathem atical analysi s, practic al testing in a
laborato ry
compres sor combine d with acceler ated life test and analysi
used or failed valves is importa nt. Because of the complexs of
determi ning valve operatio n mode and the correspo nding ity in
stress
system, this is the only way to obtain the necessa ry verific
of the signific ance of the calcula ted data. ation

CONCLUSIONS
Compres sor valve failure analysi s is an importa nt tool
determi ning valve function al reliabi lity. in

- Most of the compres sor valve fracture s are caused by

failures which initiate on the valve surface or edge. fatigue
- Valve design, valve treatme nt, assembly and position
critica l role in determi ning fatigue perform ance. ing play a

- for standard valve steel materia ls there exists a direct

correla tion between UTS and fatigue strength up to Rm
2000
290 KSI. Thinner valve steel sizes used in hermeti c compresMPa,
can be exposed to the higher fatigue loading . sors

- Referen ce data can be used to aid the design enginee

r. Design
calcula tions must however be backed up by field testing
.

119
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
comme nts of Mr. R,
The author wishes to acknow ledge the valuab le ht, both of
Walter and fracto graphi c studie s of Mr. H. Albrec
J,N. Eberle & Cie. GmbH, Augsbu rg, FRG.

REFERENCES

(1) J, s. Laub: Valve

Some Consid eration s in Refrig erant Compr essor Procee dings of
Struct ural Reliab ility and failur e Mechan isms.
pp 386 - 389,
the 1980 Purdue Compr essor Techno logy Conf,
Purdue Unive rsity, West Lafay ette, In., USA.
ger Bullet in
(2) How and Why Compr essor Valves fail, Hoerbi
HCA 8200, 1982.
(3) R. Dusil: s. Procee dings
Studie s of faults in Used Valves . Case Studie pp 99 - 105,
of the 1976 Purdue Compr essor Techno logy Conf,
Purdue Unive rsity, West Lafay ette, In., USA.
(4) R. Ousil & B. Johans son: Steel.
Mater ial Aspect s of Impact fatigu e of ValveTechno logy Conf.
Procee dings of the 1978 Purdue Compr essor
ette, In., USA.
pp 116- 123, Purdue Unive rsity, West Lafay

(5) A. futakaw a et al: in Refrig eratin g

Dynam ic Stress of Ring Type Discha rge Valve DMN 1538, !974.
Compr essor. Mitsub ishi Electr . Corp. Report

(6) R. Dusil: Compr essor Valves .

On Blanki ng, Tumbli ng and Shot-P eening of Techno logy Conf.
Procee dings of the 1978 Purdue Compr essor
134, Purdue Unive rsity, West Lafay ette, In., USA.
pp !29-
(7) R. Ouail & B. Johans son: on Valve
Influe nce of Seat Positi oning and Seat Design Purdue
Fatigu e Perfor mance . Procee dings of the !980 Unive rsity,
Compr essor Techno logy Conf. pp 368 - 373, Purdue
West Lafay ette, In., USA
(B) w. Soedel : 110 - 112, Ray
Design and Mecha nics of Compr essor Valves pp West Lafay ette,
w. Herric k Labor atorie s, Purdue Unive rsity,
In., USA, 1984.

(9) z. Dy!ag & z. Orlos: SNTL, Prag,

Mater ial Fatigu e and ita Testin g, pp 29 - 32,
1968.

Robert Quail
c/o J.N. Eberle & Cie. GmbH
P.Q. Box 10 15 07
~900 Augsbu rg 1
Federa l Repub lic of German y

120