Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 51-Understanding How Pulsation Accumulators Work - JCW&SMP

    Uploaded by

    Muhammad Abdul Rauf
    76 views10 pages
    CE

    Original Title

    51-Understanding How Pulsation Accumulators Work - Jcw&Smp

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    CE

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf
    76 views10 pages

    51-Understanding How Pulsation Accumulators Work - JCW&SMP

    Uploaded by

    Muhammad Abdul Rauf
    CE

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf
    of 10
    UNDERSTANDING HOW PULSATION ACCUMULATORS WORK. 4.6. Wace ans Price Engering Dynamis incorporated ‘in Anton, Texs, ABSTRACT Palsation accumulators ate used in reciprocating pump instal lations to reduee pump manifold pulsations and to attenuate pul satlons transmitted into the piping. The pump and piping system form a complex acoustical system which has many acoustical and mechanical natural frequencies and the potential for high vibration ‘and component failure problems. Many times the pulsation charae- teristics of the system are not calculated prior to installation, and fan accumulator is selected based on pressure and flow rate criteria, Tn some cases, this is acceptable as ean be attested by the numer ‘ous installations that are installed and have operated successfully trithout probleme. However, many installations do experience high ations, piping and component falures, cavitation inthe suction ‘manifold, and generally poor relibility. ‘These problems are often the reult of the fulure to consider the system's acoustical charac- teristics when selecting an accumulator ‘The effects of several diferent types of accumulators in a three pomp parallel system were studied using a digital computer program ‘which models the pulsation characteristics of pump and compressor systems. Detailed computer analyses were performed on bladder gas ‘charged appendage and flow-through aecurnslators, the non-bladder, ow -through, gas charged accumulators, and all-iqud Helmblte fl ters, These feults indicate thet the off-the shelf accumplators can be effective in rome care, but can combine withthe particule acous tical characteristics of the system to amplify pulsations in other cases. In addition, the interaction between the individual pumps in- paralle installation can cause severe amplifiation of the pales tions. Guidelines are presented for the seletion of pulsation filters {or pump systems and the type of analyses that should be performed, In the design stage. INTRODUCTION Many reciprocating pump installations suffer problems that cause a ures in the piping, valves, erossheads, connecting rods, crankshaft, ‘and working barrels. Many ofthese problems ean be caused by high pulsation levels. High pulsations are caused by the interaction of the exit ‘energy from the pump with the acoustical natural frequencies ofthe fyster. The pump and is suction and dicharge piping system fosin ‘complex acoustical system aad wil hve numerous acoustical natu ‘alfrequencies, A reciprocating pump generates pulsations a integer ‘rultiples ofthe pump speed; however, outside ofthe pump manifold ‘he harmonics with significant energy content will generally be a the plunger frequency and its multiples. ‘Vibration ofthe piping and pump is caused by pulsation-induced shaking forces which are a function of the pulsation amplitude and the flow area ofthe piping. Whenever thee isa coincidence of the ‘excitation harmonies with the acoustical natural frequencies of the fystem, amplification of the pulsetions occur and excessive vib tlons can be induced. Amplification factors are typically 10-40 for pulsation resonances and 10-20 for mechanical resonances, If the fechanical resonance coincides with sn acoustical resonance, a cmm- bined amplification factor of £00 could occu. ‘Many pump systems are designed without consideration of the system acoustical pulention characteristics and no accumulators ot [Ncountical iets are installed! These systems can encounter severe Tibrations and failure problems immediately after startup. When Creessve vibrations and failures occur the piping system is typically Inodifed by the addition of accumulators to reduce the pulsations ‘The accumulator is generally chosen on the bass of the system pres sure and the flow rate; however, this may not be sulfcent. Hence, the accumulator is sometimes successful in reducing the pulsations land other times itis not, When the selected accumulator does not fecuee the pulsetons, another brand or type is selected and it may for may not work properly. Tis tema accumsan, damgenr, danger le, sabe, and deve tse une in he iniunry to deeb deve tha are wed to nel palais ike paper the tern secular wil be edt deveribe mech de Isis possible to ealeulate the efectivenes of any given accumula tor in the design stage or for a modification to an existing installation [1,2 Using a digital computer model which ae this capability, the pulsations at any point in piping system can be predicted. "This allows the engineer to design the piping system to minimize the pul tations and the shaking forces. It is difficult to predict the exact effects of accumulators on the pulsation response af systems without a means of analysis, such ae the computer program mentioned above. A parametric analysis of a typical system showing the effects of diferent types of accumulators can provide insight into the system characteristics, This paper will discuss the results of an acoustic analysis of « reciprocating triplex pump system with various accumalators. The pump aystem studied has three purmps operating in parallel, The effete of the accumula tors on the discharge system weil be discurted; however, the under- standing of the acoustical effects will also be applicable to the suction system. Inorder to understand how the accumulator affects the acoustical characteristics of the system, it ix necessary to understand how an, acoustical wave is propagated. Acoustic pulsations travel at speed of sound in the fuid which, for most Uqulds i fom 3000 to 5000, fet per second. For the normal frequency range of pump pulsa- tions, ti possible to ure plane wave acoustic theory to describe the acoustical standing wave patters since the pipe diameters are small ‘compared to the wavelength ofthe acoustic wave, The wave length of an acoustical wave is the speed of sound divided by the frequency, ‘The frequencies of interest in pump installations are generally less ‘than 300 Hz. Therefore, the wave lengths are greater than 10 foe Low frequency harmonics which have the highest energy have wave lengths of 100 feet or more. ‘The acoustical properties of systems having piping with diameters of les than 10 feet can thereore be accurately calelated using plane wave theory. One important facet ofthe problem is the relationship between the acoustic speed of sound and the flow velocity of the Maid. "The pulsations (acoustic waves) generate from the pump travel with a velocity of 3000-5000 feet per second and typical flow velocities are less than 50 feet per second. Thus the fw velocity will have litle or no effect on the acoustical characteristics ofthe system. The How velocity can be neglected and the understanding of the affects of the accumulator bated on the acoustic wave alone. TYPES OF ACCUMULATORS ‘There are several diferent types of accumulators and acoustical filters which are ued to control pulsations in pump systems. Miller [3] described over 30 diferent kinds, although from an acoustic stand. Point, the devices ean be divided into the following categories: 1. Appendage accumulator with gas-filled bladder or disphzogm 2. Appendage accumulator with diverter and gas-flled Bladder or diaphragm 3. Flow-through accumulator with gas-filled bladder/diaphragm. or gos Blanket 4, Resistive accumulator (pressure drop) devices 5. Acoustical filters (Helmbot type) ‘The acoustical characteristics and the effects ofthe vatious types of accumulator on pultations will be discussed a Appendage With Gas-Filled Bladder Accumulators that are mounted on the piping through a tee type instalation are called appendage or side branch accumulators. Fig: fre 1 shows sketches of the different accumulators. The gav-fled bladder of diaphragm is sepesated from the flow by a throat or neck {rom the pipe fow and a volume of iquid beneath the elaste member (Figure 18 and 19). © o of a Fb g 0 fy o =s SS U on 0 4 AcreR Youwwe-cHoKe Fig. 1 Accumulator Types ‘Acoustically, the appendage accumulator consists af throat or ‘neck equivalent to a short length of small diameter pipe, a volume ‘of liquidin contact with the bladder or diaphragm, the elastic spring ‘and mass properties of bladder ot diaphragm, and the compliance of the gat volume confined in the bladder. Note that acoustically the ‘ladder and the diaphragm accumulators are identical, insofar as the influence on the acoustical rexponse ia concerned. Accumulators are quite efative in maay installations since the compliance ofthe gus ‘ore the Bladder aphragm is equivalent to a large liquid volume. ‘The equivalent Liquid volume of a gas volume can be obtained by multiplying the gas volume by the rato ofthe iqld to gas density, ‘and the speed of sound squared. For many liquid systems, this ratio 4s near 10000, Therefore a small gas voluine ean be equivatent to 2 large liquid surge volume. Due to the geometry of the sevursulatere ‘ecg, the throat or neck) these devices aze usualy more efective at sow frequencies than a¢ high frequencies, AA machanical (electrical) analogy can be derived to help under: stand the dynamics of accumulators. ‘The throat acts at a mass (Gnductance) and the volume acts asa spring (capacitor) to provide 4 Feronance frequency. Above this fequency the aceumlator will lose much ofits effectiveness, or most accumulator designs, thie ‘acoustic natural frequency will be less than 100 He, ‘The effective liquid volume is very sensitive to the gas volume, since it multiplied by approximately 10000, Therefore, the gas vol. lume must be constantly checked to ensure that the ateutnulator Is Properly charged. Although recommendations vary between ian facturers, a general rule of thumb is that the bladder aphcagen ie charged to 50 percent to 70 percent ofthe line pressure. ‘The gus it typically injected into the bladder while the eystem is depressured hhowever, when the system is pressurized the gas volume wil be 2 duced. ‘The elective gas volume changes with the steady-state line pres sure. Mechanical constraints that support the bladder eat interfere withthe Bladder, causing it to Become ineffective. ‘The mass and stilfaess properties of the bladder can also influence the acoustical ‘characteristes of the accumulator. Appendage With Gas-Filled Bladder And Diverter Accumulator manufacturers have recognized that the appendage type devices have limited feequeney rerponse capabilities and have ‘experimentally determined thet improved high fequeney attenuation ‘ould be achieved by the use of » diverter which, according to the sales literature, causes the steady state fw tobe “diverted” directly into the accumulator, thus improving the attenuation characteristics at the higher frequencies (Figure le). Experimental data has been collected to verify the elses (3 ‘The authors believe thatthe improved attenuation ofthe diverter type appendage accumulators is due to a different acoustia! phe ‘omenon and isnot related to the diverting ofthe steady sate fw Into the accumslator. As discussed earlier, the acoustic wave trav ‘ls at the speed of sound whichis approximately 100 times the flow Velocity, thus the effect of the flow velocity is negligible. The add sional attenuation of the diverter accumulator isa function of the ‘dditional pressure drop of the diverter and the flow velocity vector doesnot significantly affect the results. Some addtional tuzbulence ay be created by the swirling but its primary ialuence is in the pressure drop. ‘Therefore, to model the diverter, an acoustical exstve element vAded to the accurnulator syster model (Table 1). The acoustical analyses will show that the divercer does improve the acoustical at tenuation at specie frequencies, but i accomplished by the presure

    You might also like