Design of passive noise control devices for attenuation of pressure pulsations in piping systems

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Piping systems used in industrial applications such as power stations and natural gas pipelines are liable to generation of pressure pulsations, often arising from the use of reciprocating pumps and/or dynamic instability of valves, which can act as sources of unwanted noise and vibration, and in some cases can lead to fatigue and fracture of the piping system. An example of such a failure which had a great impact to OPG's production was related to CANDU nuclear fuel bundle failures due to the formation of acoustic resonances in the feeder line. Therefore, this issue has been an important subject for the engineering divisions at OPG for many years and substantial effort has been dedicated in finding effective techniques to predict and supress acoustic resonances in piping structures. A commonly used technique to reduce the amplitude of pressure pulsations in these systems are the use of passive acoustic dampers such as Helmholtz resonators, quarter wavelength side-branch resonators and orifice plates. Though the design of these devices is well understood from a theoretical standpoint, traditional designs are typically very large, and these devices must be placed at very specific locations in the piping system in order to be effective, making their implementation in existing industrial facilities problematic in many cases. The proposed research will focus on the design and testing of a series of new innovative acoustic dampers aimed at use in industrial practice. The devices will be significantly smaller than traditional designs to maximize their usefulness in industrial applications, and will be capable of being used in arrays, distributed throughout the piping system in order to minimize size and be capable of damping numerous acoustic modes to accommodate changing operating conditions. The design of these devices will be achieved in consultation with the participating industry partner.