What is it about?
This article examines how pressure in pipes connected to reciprocating pumps (pumps that move fluid by pushing it back and forth) can suddenly rise and fall in pulses. These pressure fluctuations, or "pulsations," can cause vibration, noise, and even damage pipes and equipment. To investigate this issue, the authors create a detailed computer model that simulates how gas flows through the pipes and how the pumps operate. The model includes how gas enters and exits the pump; how valves open and close; how the pump's moving parts affect pressure; and how the piping system responds to these changes. They apply advanced mathematical techniques to make the model accurate and efficient and test it against real-world data to ensure its robustness.
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Why is it important?
Pressure pulsations can cause serious problems: vibrations in piping and equipment; noise nuisance; material fatigue and failure over time; and safety risks in sites like chemical plants and refineries. By understanding and predicting these pulsations early, before a system is built or installed, engineers can design safer, quieter, and more reliable piping systems. This can save costs and prevent accidents.
Perspectives
This paper focuses on developing a model. Future work will apply this model to real-world systems and explore how to reduce or control these pressure fluctuations. From an engineering perspective: This paper demonstrates how to combine physics, mathematics, and computer simulations to solve real-world problems. It emphasizes the importance of accurate modeling in complex systems. It opens the door to better design tools for engineers working with pump and piping systems.
Professor Jian-Jun SHU
Nanyang Technological University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Pressure pulsations in reciprocating pump piping systems Part 1: Modelling, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part I Journal of Systems and Control Engineering, May 1997, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1243/0959651971539768.
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