Abstract
This study evaluated the suitability of a new furnace and quench tank facility for heat treating blowout preventer (BOP) bodies in the oil well industry. A challenging 19.5T single-bore BOP body that previously failed to meet hardness consistency requirements was selected for comprehensive analysis. The research aimed to address historical heat treatment challenges by utilizing fluid flow analysis for optimal quench tank positioning and surface thermocouples to verify temperature uniformity during austenitization. Brinell hardness testing revealed significant improvements in hardness consistency after treatment, concluding that the new heat treatment facility will substantially enhance the manufacturer’s ability to meet stringent customer specifications for BOP bodies.
