RECIPROCATINGPUMP

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.

RECIPROCATING PUMP Selection Guide for Pulsation Studies

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