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SelectionGuideforPulsationStudies
PumpPulsationStudyOptions
Therearethreedifferentapproaches(scope)forapulsationanalysis.Thefollowingguidelinesareusedtoselect
theappropriatescopeofworkforanewreciprocating(orplunger)pumpinstallation.Formoreinformationon
pumppulsations,seethecommentsbelow.
DesignApproach1(DA1)
Nopulsationstudy,goodengineeringjudgment
Noncriticalapplication(nosignificantimpactifunitfails)
Experiencewithsimilarunitsindicatesthelikelihoodofsuccessfuloperation
DesignApproach2(DA2)
Digitalpulsationstudy,valvedynamics,basicmechanicalreviewofpipingsystem(*)
Importantapplication,or
Speedabove200RPMorvariablespeedapplications,
or
Multipleunitsareonline,
Variableoperatingconditions,or
Higherpowerapplications(above50kW)
*ADesignApproach2analysisshouldbe
performedifanyoftheabovedesignfactors
arerequired.
DesignApproach3(DA3)
DA2andMechanicalAnalysisofthePipingSystem(**)
Criticalapplicationrequiringveryhighreliability,or
Offshoreoperations(platforms,FPSOs),or
Elevatedpiping.
**Anyofthesefactorsrequiremoredetailed
mechanicalanalysisofthepipingsystem.
NoteDA3isanadditionallevelofanalysisnot
outlinedinAPI674.
VibrationProblemswithReciprocatingPumps
Thesepumpscreatedynamicpressurepulsationsthatinteractwiththepipingsystemtocreateacoustical
resonancesandcausethefollowingproblems:
Highpressurepulsationinducedforcesinpipingmaycauseexcessivevibrationandpipingfailures,
Highpressurepulsationatthereliefvalvesmayleadtopressuresexceedingtheopeningpressuresettingof
thereliefvalve,and
Pressurepulsationmayresultinpressuresinsidethepumpchambers,atthesuctionvalves,insidethe
suctionmanifold,andinthepipingdroppinglowenoughtocausebubblesofgastoform(cavitation).
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Toavoidtheseproblems,apulsationstudyisperformedonthepumpandpipingsystem.Theneedforapulsation
analysisisbasedonanumberoffactors,including:
Pumpspeed,typeoffluid,andsize(power),
Numberofpumpsandplungers,and
Maintenance/operationalconsiderationssuchasremotenessofthelocation,reliabilityrequirements,
economics,sparedunits,pipinglayout,etc.
PulsationStudyScope
APIStandard674(June1995)definesthepulsationandvibrationcontrolrequirementsforapositivedisplacement
(plunger)pump.Anadditionallevelofanalysis(DA3)isrecommendedformorecomplexapplications.
DesignApproach1(DA1)GoodEngineeringPractice
Doesnotrequireapulsation(acoustical)study
Designbasedongoodpipinglayoutandsupportprinciples,adequateNetPositiveSuctionHeadavailable
(NPSHA)
DesignApproach2(DA2)PulsationAnalysisperAPI674
Provenacousticalanalysissoftwarerequired.TheanalysisshouldbebasedonaTimeDomain(TD)solverto
ensuresufficientaccuracy.OldersoftwareprogramsbasedonFrequencyDomainsolvershallnotbe
employed.
Evaluateacousticsoftheentirepumpingsystemandpredictpulsationsandshakingforcesthroughoutthe
systemversusguidelines.Evaluatepulsationcontrolsolutionsandrecommendadesignthatispracticalfor
theapplication.
Providetheminimumsuctionpressurerequiredtopreventcavitationbasedonthepulsationamplitudes.
Mechanicalreviewofthepipingsystemtoevaluatepiperunsandsupportdetails(clampdesignand
spacing).
Reviewthepumpskiddesignandmakerecommendationsforaddingbeamsorlocalstiffness.
Reviewsmalldiameterbranchconnections(forexample:instrumentconnections,levelgauges)andmake
recommendationsforsupportorlayoutchangestominimizefailures.Recommendationsarebasedonpast
experienceandbestpractices.
RecommendedOption:Itisrecommendedtoevaluateand,ifnecessary,adjustthepumpsvalvedynamicsonce
operational.TheinformationnecessarytocompleteaValveDynamicAnalysis(VDA)isoftennotavailableduring
thepackagedesignstage.Afieldtesthasbeenfoundtobemuchmoreaccuratethanattemptingtomodelthe
valvebehavior.
DesignApproach3DA2aboveplusaMechanicalAnalysis
Pulsationandmechanicalreview(perDA2)
PrepareaFiniteElementAnalysis(FEA)ofthepipingsystem.Calculatemechanicalnaturalfrequencies
(MNFs)andrecommendchangestoensuretheMNFsare20%abovetheplungerpassingfrequency.
ThereportshallincludeasummaryofcalculatedMNFsvs.orderofrunspeedaswellasmodeshapeplots.
ApprovedFEAsoftwareshallbeusedfortheanalysis.Thesoftwareshallhavecapabilitiestosimulate
structuresusing3Dsolidandshellelements.ApprovedsoftwarepackagesincludeANSYS,Nastran,and
Cosmos.PipingFEAsoftware,suchasCAESARII,AutoPIPEandothersimilarsoftwareprogramsshallnotbe
approvedforthisapplication.
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