Proceedings of FEDSM2007

5th Joint ASME/JSME Fluids Engineering Conference

July 30-August 2, 2007 San Diego, California USA

FEDSM2007-37631

Modeling and Analysis of Spherical Pulsation

Dampeners in Fluid Power Systems

Shanzhong (Shawn) Duan

*
Mutasim E. Gamal

Department of Mechanical Engineering

South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD 57007-0294
Email: shawn.duan@sdstate.edu

ABSTRACT of components in pipelines and service stations if a pulsation

This paper presents a new method for computer-aided
modeling and analyzing of pulsation dampeners used in fluid
power systems for vibration reduction. The pulsation dampeners
are widely used in various fluid power systems to reduce
vibration induced by power pumps. The vibration induced by
power pumps in fluid systems may be severe enough to cause
the damage of components in pipelines if a pulsation dampener
is not installed. However, the current methods used in industries
for the design and analysis of the dampeners are manually
experience-orientated procedures. They are not adaptable to
new technologies. The new modeling method will efficiently
automate and improve the current modeling and analysis
procedure of various pulsation dampeners with a minimum user
effort. The proposed method is a result of utilizing the analogy
between electrical circuits and hydraulic circuits. In the new
method, a spherical pulsation dampener can be equivalent to a
lumped hydraulic circuit installed in a distributed fluid pipeline
system. In short, the new method will circumvent some
obstacles and introduce new techniques for computer-aided
modeling and designing of the dampeners for vibration
reduction in fluid power systems.
INTRODUCTION
The spherical pulsation dampener as shown in Fig.1 is widely
used in various fluid power systems to reduce vibration and
noise induced by power pumps. The vibration induced by power
pumps in fluid systems may be severe enough to cause damage
dampener is not used [1-3]. The applications of such dampeners
include, but are not limited to, pipelines in nuclear power plants
[3], in petroleum industries [4-5], in boiler feed pump services
[6], in mining [7], in paper manufacturing [8], and in chemical
engineering [9] for slurry transportations.
(a) (b)
Figure 1: Schematic front section & isometric section view [15]
The pulsation dampener shown in Fig. 1 is maintenance free
and installed in-line, has no moving parts such as a rubber
bladder, nor gas charge requirement. It can reduce pressure
pulsation by approximate 75% [6]. The dampener can be
permanently welded in the line, saving flange costs and
potential flange leak. As shown in Fig. 1, the fluids flow from
the intake pipe 1 into the spherical housing 2 and exit from the
housing at the outlet pipe 3. The pressure pulsation is reduced
when the fluids flow through the holes 6 in the fluid distributor
4, rotate in the housing 2, and then merge into the outlet pipe 3
through holes 7 in the fluid receiver 5. The spinning liquid mass
creates a system smoothing effect with viscous drag on the
sphere walls and the capacitance effect of the relatively large

*
Graduate Student

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 volume located next to the pump further dampens pressure
pulsation-induced vibration.
In the industry, the performance charts/tables as shown in Fig.
2, table 1, and Fig. 3 are used for design, analysis, and selection
of the dampener. The processing procedure is mainly based on
the type and speed of pump, fluids handled, pipeline and the
pressure [6]. These tools are easy for manual use, but they are
not favorable for computer-aided modeling and analysis of the
dampener for vibration reduction.
Figure 2: Main outer dimensions of the dampener [6]
Table 1: PDS series dampener specifications [6]
Figure 3: Performance chart of the dampener [6]
Over the past five decades, significant efforts have been put
forward in developing various devices to prevent or reduce
vibration induced by power pumps in fluid power systems.
These devices were invented by individuals whose interests lay
in the various fields [12-18]. Corresponding methods have also
been developed for modeling, analysis, and design of fluid
power pipeline with or without installation of such a device [3,
9, 19-22, 24-26, 29].
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Duan etc. developed a method for modeling and analysis of
the spherical pulsation dampener [23]. In their work,
electrohydraulic analogy was used to derive four-pole equation
for fluid power line with installation of the pulsation dampener.
The field testing data was used to show vibration reduction
results. The method has set up foundation for the procedure in
this paper.
LUMPED AND DISTRIBUTED MODELING
In the proposed method, the authors attempts to make use of
the advantages and avoid disadvantages of lumped and
distributed modeling techniques to create a new approach for
modeling and analysis of pulsation dampeners. In the way of a
lumped model, a pipe line in a fluid power system can be
modeled as shown in Fig. 4.
L
Pu Pd
A
Qu Qd
(a) A piece of pipeline
Figure 4: Lumped parameter model of a hydraulic conduit
Based on the electrical and hydraulic analogy, the transfer
function of the hydraulic circuit in Fig. 4 (c) can be given by
Pd Z output 1 (1).
= =
Pu Z input LhCh s 2 + RhCh s + 1
In equation (1), Z output and Z input are the output and input
impedance of the equivalent hydraulic circuit in Figure 1 (c). s
is Laplace operator.
In the way of a distributed model, a pipe line in a fluid power
system is represented in Fig. 5. The distributed parameter
modeling techniques used for analysis of a hydraulic system
have been developed from wave equation (2). In equation (2),
lower case c represents the velocity of a pressure wave, t time
2 Copyright © 2007 by ASME
 and p pressure. The casual four-pole equation (3) with upstream the nozzles in the distributor and the receiver of the dampener
flow rates and pressure as inputs, and downstream flow rates respectively. L1 is the total inductance of L11,…, L1n connected
and pressure as outputs has been produced as a result of the in parallel and L2 the total inductance of L21,…, L2m connected
derivation. in parallel. Z is the impedance of the housing and is as follows
1 (4)
Z = Ls +
Cs
where L and C are inductance and capacitance of the housing
respectively. Compared with the housing, capacitances of
nozzles in the distributor and receiver are ignored due to their
volumes much smaller than that of the housing.
Figure 5: Distributed parameter model of a hydraulic conduit In Fig. 6, L1, and L2 are represented by the following equations
[31]:
∂2 p 1 ∂2 p (2) 4l ρ (5)
= L1 = 1 2
∂x 2 c 2 ∂t 2 nπd1
and
cosh Γ(s ) Z 0 sinh Γ(s ) 4l ρ
Pu (s ) P (s ) (3) L2 = 2 2 (6)
= 1 ⋅ d
Qu (s ) sinh Γ(s ) cosh Γ(s ) Qd (s ) nπd 2
Z0
C can be derived from Fig. 7 (a). In Fig. 7 (a), σ is normal
Pu and Qu represent the input pressure and
In equation (3), stress around the wall of the spherical dampener, P is internal
pressure of the vessel, and a is the distance between the
flow rate of upstream. Pd and Qd represent the output
distributor and the receiver along axial direction of input and
pressure and flow rate of downstream. s is Laplace operator. output pipeline as shown in Fig. 7 (b). From Fig. 7 and
Z 0 is the characteristic impedance of the pipeline. Γ is the stress/stain relationship, we have the following:
propagation constant. a
σ
NEW HYBRID MODELING METHOD
The new method is a hybridization of the lumped and the
distributed modeling techniques. It favors for computer-aided
design, modeling, and analysis of the pulsation dampener. P
In practice, resistance-based pulsation reduction such as use
of nozzle orifice, and impedance-based pulsation reduction such
as use of fluid capacitance/inductance are two common ways (a) (b)
for pump-induced pulsation control in fluid power pipelines. To Figure 7: Stress in half spherical dampener & distance a
fully understand effects of capacitance/inductance on pulsation
reduction, the second approach will be addressed in this paper σ ⋅ (2πRtw ) = PπR 2 (7)
since water is one of possible fluids transmitted in the pipelines
∆R σ (8)
and high frequency (265 Hz) of pressure pulsation existing as ε= =
reported in the reference [30] for vane pumps. R E
For the pulsation dampener shown in Fig. 1, its equivalent 3RV0 (9)
∆V = ∆P
hydraulic circuit and its simplified version are represented in 2tw E
Fig. 6, where L1 and L2 are the total equivalent inductances of 1 3R (10)
C = V0 ( + )
L11 L21 K e 2tw E
L12 L22 Similarly L is obtainable from given geometric dimensions in
Q1 Q2 Fig. 7 (b). When considering the fluid between the distributor
L1n L2m
P1
Z P2 and the receiver inside the housing, we have the following
simplified equations:
(a) Equivalent hydraulic circuit aρ
L= (11)
L1 L2
π (R 2 − a 2 / 4)
Q1 C Q2 In equations (5) and (6), n and m are the nozzle numbers, l1 and
P1 L P2
l2 are the nozzle lengths, and d1 and d2 are the nozzle diameters
of the distributor and the receiver respectively. And in equations
(b) Simplified hydraulic circuit (7)-(11), R is the internal radius of the housing, tw is the wall
Figure 6: Equivalent hydraulic circuit thickness of the housing, ε is the strain of the spherical

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 housing due to its internal pressure P, E is Young’s module of 4ρ (17)
Lh 0 =
the housing material, Ke is the equivalent volume module of the πd 02
4 and
fluid, V is the housing volume, V0 = πR 3 , and ρ the fluid
3 πd02 1 d
Ch 0 = + 0 . (18)
density. ∆V , ∆R , and ∆P are incremental of V, R, and P. 4 K e t pw E p
In practice, the dampener is connected inline with a pipeline in In equations (13) – (18), Lh0 and Ch0 are the fluid inductance
a fluid power system as shown in Fig. 8. Through electro- and capacitance of per unit length of the pipeline between the
hydraulic analogy, the lumped pulsation dampener as shown in load and the dampener. l0 and d0 are the length and the diameter
Fig. 6 (b) can be connected with a load as shown in Fig. 9. of the pipeline between the load and the dampener. tpw and Ep
are wall thickness of the pipeline and Young’s module of the
pipeline materials.
Applying electrical analogy to the hydraulic circuit in Figure 9
yields
P2 ( s ) (19)
Figure 8: Dampener in a fluid pipeline system =Z L
Q2 ( s )
L1 L2
and
Q1 PR ( s ) . (20)
Z
Q2
ZL = ZR
P1 P2 QR ( s )
Figure 9: Electrical analogy of dampener connected with load From the casual four-pole equation (12), we have
P2 ( s ) PR ( s ) cosh Γ( s ) + QR ( s ) Z 0 ( s ) sinh Γ( s ) . (21)
=
From the distributed modeling techniques, the relationship of Q2 ( s ) 1
PR ( s ) sinh Γ( s ) + QR ( s ) cosh Γ( s)
P2, Q2, PR, and QR in Fig. 9 can be represented by the casual Z 0 (s)
four-pole equation as follow: Substituting equations (19) and (20) into (21) yields
cosh Γ(s ) Z 0 sinh Γ(s ) Z ( s ) cosh Γ( s ) + Z 0 ( s ) sinh Γ( s) . (22)
P2 (s ) P (s ) (12). Z = Z (s) R
= 1 ⋅ R L 0
Z R ( s ) sinh Γ( s ) + Z 0 ( s ) cosh Γ( s)
Q2 (s ) sinh Γ ( s ) cosh Γ (s ) Q R (s )
Z0 If a flow control valve is used as a loader during experimental
In Fig. 9 and equation (12), ZR is the impedance of the load, Z0 testing, then ZR can be calculated as follows:
the characteristic impedance of the pipeline between the load P ( s ) 2 p2 (23)
Z = 2 =
and the dampener, and ZL the total impedance. PR and QR are R
Q2 ( s) Q0
the pressure and the flow rate of the load. The general form of where Q0 is the steady state flow rate in the pipeline. Under a
the propagation constant Γ(s ) and the general form of the normal operational pressure p2 , ZR is a constant. In this way, ZL
characteristic impedance Z0 are represented by the following can be calculated according to equations (13) – (23).
equations: From definition of transmission matrix of two-port network,
Γ( s ) = l ( Rh + Lh s )(Ch s) (13) the input pressure and flow rate, and the output pressure and
flow rate of the dampener represented in Fig. 6 (b), can be
and determined by the following relations [28, 32]
Rh + Lh s . (14) P1 (s ) P (s ) (24)
Z 0 (s) = = T (s) ⋅ 2
Ch s Q1 (s ) Q 2 (s )
where, by definition,
With the assumption of high pulsation frequency and low fluid P1 P1
viscosity of water, the effect of hydraulic resistance Rh of the P2 Q2
Q2 = 0 P2 =0
dampener may be neglected. Then the propagation constant T (s) = (25)
Q1 Q1
Γ(s ) can be expressed in the following P2 Q2
Q2 =0 P2 =0
Γ( s) = l0 ( Lh 0 s )(Ch 0 s) , (15)
=
(L + L1 )Cs /( LCs + 1)
2 2
(L L Cs
1 2
3
)
/( LCs 2 + 1) + ( L1 + L2 ) s
and Cs /( LCs 2 + 1) (L + L2 )Cs 2 /( LCs 2 + 1)
Lh 0 . (16) When the dampener is connected in a fluid power system as
Z 0 (s) =
C h0 shown in Fig. 9, the pressure rate transfer function can be
determined by using the matrix elements in equation (25) as
where follows

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 P2 ZL
=
P1 ( 3 2
)
L1 L2 Cs /( LCs + 1) + ( L1 + L2 ) s + (L + L1 )Cs 2 /( LCs 2 + 1) Z L
(26)
Taking the module of (26), we have the following equation:
P2
= [4] Collier, S. L., 1982, “Know Your Triplex Mud Pump – 6.
P1 (27).
ZL
(L L Cs
1 2
3
)
/( LCs 2 + 1) + ( L1 + L2 ) s + (L + L1 )Cs 2 /( LCs 2 + 1) Z L
Substituting s = jω into equation (27), we can use it to study
effect of each geometric parameter of the dampener such as R,
d1, d2, l1, l2, a, and etc. to pulsation reduction and vibration
control directly in frequency domain.
CONCLUDING REMARKS AND FUTURE WORK
Through the above discussion, a new method has been
produced for computer-aided modeling and analyzing the
pulsation dampeners used in various fluid power transmission
lines. A proper hybridization of methods is realizable through
the integration of the lumped modeling techniques and
distributed modeling techniques for fluid pipeline pulsation
reduction. The establishment of the pressure rate transfer
function of pulsation dampeners in equation (27) provides a
useful method for algorithm development. Thus Matlab/
Simulink simulation procedure may be developed to realize
computer-aided modeling and analysis of the pulsation
dampener.
Yet, a few tasks will be carried out to make the method
applicable to design, selection and analysis of the dampener in
computer-aided environment. In the following bulleted action
items, the indicated order is not required and most likely more
than one of these tasks will be carried out at a time for further
research activities:
• Comparison of simulation results produced by this method
with experimental testing data
• Analyzing effect of each geometric parameter of the damper
on pulsation reduction.
• Development of the algorithm based on the new method
• Production of Simulink/Matlab-based software package.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Authors wish to acknowledge and thank South Dakota BOR
for its support of this work through Governor’s 2010 Individual
Research fund. Author also wish to acknowledge and thank SD
NASA EPSCoR Program and 2006 SDSU Research start-up
funds for their supports.
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