Vibration Vs.

Acoustic Resonance
SIDLAB Oil & Gas (ASU- GARDS graduation projects) Fatigue Study group

Vibration Vs. Acoustic resonance Introduction

Pressure pulsations are generated by the reciprocating action of a piston or plunger. Considering the discharge side of a cylinder, the piston or plunger moves to compress the fluid. Regions of compressed fluid are releas into the system when the valves are closed. released The same phenomenon occurs on the suction side when the fluid is being drawn into the cylinder. Pressure waves always travel away from the source at the speed of sound of the fluid, regardless of the direction of fluid flow. Because of the cyclic nature of the machinery, compression and rarefaction waves, or pulsations, are sent into the system at regular intervals. Thus, pulsations are inherent to all reciprocating systems and cannot be completely eliminated.

Effects of Pulsations
High pulsations can affect valve performance, metering accuracy, and system pressure drop. ect racy, Pressure pulsations influence the motion of compressor, or pump, valves, and under c ce certain conditions cause erratic valve behavior. Phenomena such as improper opening and closing nomena events, and valve flutter are typical symptom of high pulsation. Such phenomena can ve symptoms distort the pressure volume (P curve and affect compressor performance. Some of the (P-V) negative effects of high pulsation at the compressor valves are degraded compressor performances, and hence capacity, and increase maintenance costs due to premature valve mances, ce failures. Pressure pulsations are accompanied by fluctuating flow. Excessive flow fluctuation at orifice flow measuring devices cause inaccurate readings. Readings from such meters are often readings. used to determine the amount of gas bought or so Thus inaccurate metering can result in e sold. substantial monetary losses. Another consequence of high fluctuations in the f flow is increased system pressur drop. pressure Even though the average line flow of a system with high pulsations is the same as one without pulsation, the oscillating flow component of the high pulsation system prod cillating produces more pressure drop (due to the squared relationship between flow rate and pressure drop).

Effects of Pulsation on Vibration fects

Pulsations travelling away from the so source are reflected at the discontinuities in the system (i.e. at changes in cross section, entrances to volumes, dead legs, changes in density, etc.) to form standing waves. Depending on the geometry, and pulsation frequency, amplitude and tanding phase, the pulsation standing wave will either be greater or less than the initial travellin travelling pulsation wave. However, high pulsations do not normally damage a piping system. The lly

Vibration Vs. Acoustic Resonance

SIDLAB Oil & Gas (ASU- GARDS graduation projects) Fatigue Study group

interaction of the piping syste with the pulsations result in unbalanced forces. Th system These unbalanced forces cause vibration and the vibration in turn produces stress. Alternating vibration stresses beyond the endurance limit will in time cause fatigue failures. he

The concept of vibration

To fully grasp the concept of vibration, we must understand its mechanics, the modern vibration is defined by the vibration equation which states that: Vibration = Dynamic Force X Dynamic Flexibility ynamic Where Dynamic Force is created by th orce the combined motion of the piston, crank shaft and other moving parts of the compressor, he forces described to be dynamic because they continuously change in the course of each cycle. The following figure shows how the dynamic (peak to peak) forces va with the vary operating frequency. While Dynamic Flexibility refer to the ty refers flexibility at different frequencies, a support might be stiff in one frequency an be very and flexible in another. The frequency in which the he structure attains its flexibility is called its MNF (Mechanical Natural Frequency) every ty requency), system must have at least on MNF, w while it may have several MNFs, resonance is an ve important term related to MNF.

Resonance:
It's defined as the tendency of the system to oscillate at maximum amplitude when a force s occurs at its MNF, at resonance the eect of the force is typically amplied by 20 to 50 mes ance creating excessive vibration, the designer must be careful to avoid resonance of all individu must individual equipment components, because even small forces can create shaking problems th result uipment that in failed components.