Pressure Pulsation Analysis – Dynamic Techniques Applied to Fluid Flow

Dynamic problems are not limited to structural vibration, but also occur in fluids. In some cases pressure pulsations directly affect process stability. An example of this is in the formation of paper. The pulp slurry is pumped to the paper machine where it exits as a jet, and must be laid down uniformly to ensure that the final sheet of paper is uniform. Pressure pulsations in the jet must meet specifications to ensure that the product is uniform.

Pressure pulsation problems also occur in hydraulic systems. Often the surrounding equipment or the pump itself forces the pulsations, but acoustical resonance can also be a problem in these situations. In other situations, turbulence can cause pressure pulsations.

In any of these cases, the dynamic pressure must be measured to determine the level of pressure pulsation. This is done with similar equipment as vibration analysis, but the accelerometer is replaced with a dynamic pressure transducer. Only with a quantitative measure of the pressure pulsation can the problem be identified and solutions are determined.