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Causes and Effects of Pulsations
in Compressor Systems
A. Brmmer
Chair of Fluid Technology, TU Dortmund
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Contents
1. Definition of pulsations
2. Excitation mechanisms
3. Natural frequencies
4. Effects of Pulsations
5. Examples including measures
6. Vision to discuss
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Definition and example of pulsations
Pulsations are periodic variations in flow-velocity and pressure
about mean values.
40
50
60
70
80
bar
80 120 160 200 240
ms time
pressure
Pressure-pulsation inside reciprocating cylinder (red)
and just outside pressure valve (black)
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Acoustic Impedance
Relationship between velocity pulsation and pressure pulsation:
Z = p / c or c = p / Z
Z characteristic acoustic impedance
(Z = * a for plane waves travelling through pipes in one direction)
p amplitude of pressure pulsation
c amplitude of velocity pulsation
mass density of gas
a speed of sound
Speed of sound
a
2
= (dp/d)
s
= *R*T (ideal gas)
ratio of specific heats (c
p
/c
v
)
R gas constant
T absolute temperature
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Next chapter
2. Excitation mechanisms
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Excitation mechanisms
Main sources of pulsation
positive displacement compressors
(pocket passing frequency and harmonics)
centrifugal compressors
(blade-pass frequency and harmonics)
vortex shedding
(flow around a obstruction)
high flow turbulence
(e. g. close to control valves)
thermo-acoustic instability
(heat exchanger, combustion chamber)
reference: NEA Group
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Pulsation frequency
compressors (e. g. centrifugal-, screw-, roots-)
f = i*n*rpm
f pulsation frequency
i i
th
harmonic of pulsation (1,2,3,)
n number of blades or lobes (driven male rotor) or active chambers
rpm compressor speed
vortex shedding
f = St*c / d
f pulsation frequency
St Strouhal number (typical values for obstructions St=0.20.5)
c mean flow velocity
d effective diameter of obstructions
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Explanation of thermo-acoustic instability

+
=
T t
t
dt (t) q' (t) p ) T / ( I 1
If heat be given to the air at the moment of greatest condensation,
or be taken from it at the moment of greatest rarefaction,
the vibration is encouraged.
(Rayleigh`s criterion, by 1878)
I Rayleigh integral (index)
I>0 => amplification of a disturbance
I<0 => damping of a disturbance
p(t) pressure pulsation
q(t) time-varying component of heat transfer
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Strength of excitation
In most cases the strength of pulsation excitation is
proportional to the flow-velocity fluctuations of the source!
Examples:
- flow velocity fluctuations at pistons or valves of recips
- flow velocity fluctuations at the inlet or outlet of screws
- flow velocity fluctuations at the internal passages of turbo-compressors
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3. Natural frequencies
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Natural frequencies
Acoustic natural frequencies
- plane waves (low frequencies)
- cross-wall modes
- three dimensional modes
Structural natural frequencies
- bending modes (low frequencies)
- shell wall natural frequencies
- three dimensional modes
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Plane pulse propagation
pressure
pipe length
pipe
Pulse reflection at closed end:
- closed valve or blind flange
- control valve with high pressure drop
- valves of compressors
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Plane pulse propagation
pressure
pipe length
pipe
vessel
Pulse reflection at open end:
- pipes connected to vessels or pulsation dampers
- open valves without significant pressure drop
- huge cross-sectional jumps
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Pulse reflection and transmission
at a cross-sectional jump
pressure
pipe length
pipe
Cross-sectional jump (m=0.5)
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Superposition of left- and right-going waves
pipe
right-going wave
left-going wave
standing wave
fixed point maximum
pipe section
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Plane wave natural frequencies
closed closed open open
Half wave length mode (standing wave)
f
i
= i * a / (2 * L)
f
i
natural frequency of i
th
multiple of fundamental mode (half wave)
a speed of sound
L L
pressure amplitude pressure amplitude
i=1
i=2
i=3
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Plane wave natural frequencies
closed open
L
Quarter wave length mode
(standing wave)
f
i
= (2i-1) * a / (4 * L)
f
i
natural frequency
of i
th
multiple of
fundamental mode
a speed of sound
L length of pipe section
pressure amplitude
i=1
i=2
i=3
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Thermo-acoustically induced standing wave
blower
open end open end
movable heat source
reference: Dr. Lenz, KTTER Consulting Engineers KG
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Cross-wall acoustic natural frequency
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Cross-wall acoustic natural frequency
( )
( )
d
a
f
n m,
n m,

=
f
(m,n)
cross-wall acoustic natural frequency
a speed of sound
d pipe diameter

(m,n)
zeros of Bessel function
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Lateral vibration mode of beams (bending mode)
,... 3 , 2 , 1
2
1
2
=

= k
EI
l
f
k
k

f
k
natural frequency of k
th
bending mode

k
frequency-factor (next slice)
E modulus of elasticity
I moment of inertia
mass of beam per unit length
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Lateral vibration mode of beams (bending mode)

k
-values boundary conditions
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Shall wall natural frequencies
2 1
2
1
/
k
) (
E

d
f
k
2 1 2 1
1
1 2
12
1
/ /
k
) k (
) k ( k
d
s
+

=
f
k
natural frequency of k
th
mode

k
frequency-factor
d mean diameter of pipe wall
s pipe wall thickness
E modulus of elasticity
Poissons ratio
I moment of inertia
mass of beam per unit length
k mode number (2,3,4)
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Master rule to avoid vibration problems
Avoid coincidences of main excitation frequencies and natural
frequencies (acoustic and structure) of the compressor system !
e. g. reciprocating compressors design according to API 618 (new 5
th
edition):
- lowest mechanical natural frequency is 2.4 times above the highest
compressor speed
- higher mechanical natural frequencies must have a separation margin of
20% to significant acoustic excitation frequencies
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4. Effects of pulsations
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Effects of pulsations
Pulsations may cause the following problems:
- compressor and system vibrations
- increased system maintenance
- efficiency losses of the compressor
- flow metering faults
- high noise radiation
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5. Examples including measures
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SKD33x
0
20
40
60
mm/s eff
0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200
Hz
56 mm/s RMS
SKD33x
Avoid heavy valves at thin stubs
RMS vibration spectrum at
measuring location SKD33x
measure
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SKS13x
0
10
20
30
40
50
mm/s eff
0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200
Hz
High vibrations at a reciprocating compressor
41 mm/s RMS
SKS13x
RMS vibration spectrum at
measuring location SKS13x
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Kreisgas_KraftPD_x_058.b
0
5
10
15
kN
0 50 100 150 200
Hz
RMS spectrum of the
acoustic shaking forces
Root cause analysis for high vibrations
p 35.000 N (100 Hz)
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elastomer support
Pulsation damping plate
Remedial measures
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High frequency vibrations at a screw compressor
PD3_0, PD3_120
PD2_45, PD2_270
PD1_0, PD1_120
PD4abs
PS1abs
PS1abs
Pressure measuring locations
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0
120
240
360
480
600
s
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
kHz
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
bar
0
120
240
360
480
600
s
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
kHz
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
bar
0
1
2
3
4
bar
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
kHz
0
1
2
3
4
bar
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
kHz
PD1_120 PD2_270
Measured pressure pulsations at discharge side
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plane wave mode i 1 2 3 4 5 6
open end - closed end fi 52 157 262 367 472 577 Hz
pocket passing frequency: 285 to 585 Hz (variable-speed drive)
speed of sound a= 310 m/s
L = 1462 mm
Root cause analysis (plane wave modes)
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Root cause analysis (cross-wall modes)
m= n= 0 1
0 0 2372
1 1140 3302
2 1889 4156
3 2602 4968
inner pipe diameter d = 168.3 mm and wall thickness s = 4.5 mm
Hz
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0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
1500 2000 2500 3000
motor rotation speed [1/min]
f
r
e
q
u
e
n
c
y

[
H
z
]
.
1x Drehzahl
1. Pulsation
2. Harm. Pu
3. Harm. Pu
4. Harm. Pu
5. Harm. Pu
6. Harm. Pu
Quermode (1
Quermode (2
Quermode (3
Quermode (0
1. zyl. Scha
2. zyl. Scha
3. zyl. Scha
i
th
pocket passing frequency k
th
acoustic and structural mode
Coincidence chart
(excitation and cross wall natural frequencies)
1140 Hz
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0
120
240
360
480
600
s
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
kHz
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
bar
0
120
240
360
480
600
s
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
kHz
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
bar
0
1
2
3
4
bar
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
kHz
0
1
2
3
4
bar
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
kHz
PD1_120 PD2_270
plane wave resonances cross wall mode
Root cause analysis
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Remedial measures
cross wall mode
breaker
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Disadvantage of both remedial measures
Additional energy costs due to the power loss of orifice plates!
0
20
40
60
80
100
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000
Volume flow [m/h]
p
o
w
e
r

l
o
s
s

[
k
W
]
1 MPa
5 MPa
p=10 MPa
Power loss calculated for a pressure drop of 0.5% of static pressure p.
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6. Vision to discuss
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Vision
Design compressor systems without orifice plates as damping device!
Approach:
1. Design pulsation bottles to residual pulsations of 0.5% (1%) ptp.
2. Use Helmholtz resonators (virtual orifice) to attenuate cylinder
nozzle resonances.
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Helmholtz resonator (virtual orifice VO)
reference: Broerman et al., SwRI at GMRC 2008
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Vision
Design compressor systems without orifice plates as damping device!
Approach:
1. Design pulsation bottles to residual pulsations of 0.5% (1%) ptp.
2. Use Helmholtz resonators (virtual orifice) to attenuate cylinder
nozzle resonances.
3. For trouble shooting think about a side branch resonator or
control valve instead of an orifice plate.