mud pump pulsation dampener pressure in stock

A properly serviced pulsation dampener is critical for your mud pumps’ efficiency, safety, and performance. Unfortunately, there aren’t many resources available to educate personnel on executing safe and effective servicing procedures. Please review the following steps with your personnel for safe pulsation dampener maintenance.

Should you or your personnel have any questions regarding pulsation dampener maintenance, please don’t hesitate to ask. Sigma is more than happy to help you to ensure safe and proper care is being completed on your pulsation dampening equipment.

The Pulsation Dampener 3375-0015-3 from the Hypro series assures smooth discharge from piston and plunger pumps. It also reduces peak loading on pump bearings and other internal parts. The Pulsation Dampener 3375-0015-3 extends the system life and minimizes maintenance costs.

As a general guideline, when using two cylinder or four cylinder piston pumps, the dampener charge should be approximantely 1/2 of the pump operating pressure. When using a three or six cylinder pump, te dampener charge should be approximately 2/3 of the pump operating pressure. This pump is rated for up to 1500 psi.

TSC offers a broad range of drilling and production spherical pulsation dampeners. Volumetric size ranges from 10 gallon to 20 gallon capacities and pressure ranges from 3000 psi to 7500 psi. The body of the TSC spherical pulsation dampeners is manufactured from a one piece steel forging, thereby eliminating the possibility of weld fatigue failure.

Mud Pump Pulsation Dampener is usually installed on the discharge line to reduce the fluctuation of pressure and displacement of the drilling mud pump.

Mud Pump Pulsation Dampener is a pneumatic device built into the outflow line of each UUD pump to dampen the pressure fluctuations resulting from the action of the pump. Although presented as a surge tank, this device is really a device that can be tuned to greatly diminish the output pulsations transmitted downstream from the mud pump. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of the pulsation dampener is a function of both output pump pressure and frequency of the pump pulsations.

Pulsation Dampener (Surge damper) is installed on the discharge pipeline of the mud pump to balance the peak value of the high-pressure fluid pressure of the mud pump, so as to stabilize the pressure and reduce losses.

This equipment plays an important role as an accessory to Yamada air-operated double diaphragm pumps. The pulsation dampener serves to reduce pulsation produced in operation and to assure stable discharge flow and pressure.

When pulsations occur with pump operation, it will result in the pressure in Chamber Bbeing greater than that in Chamber A. The diaphragm will act as an air cushion and automatically adjust to this pressure change and absorb the pulsations.

This operation will shift the center rod position upwards and allow more air in Chamber Athrough the air inlet, returning the diaphragm to a neutral position. If liquid pressure decreases, air pressure in Chamber Acauses the diaphragm to move downward, shifting shaft location and changing valve position, releasing excess air pressure in Chamber Awhich returns diaphragm to a neutral position. This action causes a reduction in surges and pulsation caused by a air operated double diaphragm pumps

For more information about pulsation dampeners, we sat down with Brandon Dalrymple and Nathan Ackeret fromBlacoh Fluid Control(manufacturer of pulsation dampeners, surge suppressors, and inlet stabilizers), and asked them to answer a few of our customers’ most common questions about pulsation dampeners.

Pulsation dampeners absorb the energy from the pulse wave created by a positive displacement pump, much like a shock absorber on a vehicle. Absorbing those pulse waves protects pipe welds and supports, and system components from damage due to pressure or excess movement.

A pulsation dampener creates an area of low pressure in the system with enough volume to absorb the pulsation. The pulsation dampener has a membrane with a "cushion" of compressible gas/air behind it that flexes to absorb the pulse, allowing a laminar flow downstream of the dampener.

Pulsation dampeners are commonly used wherever a positive displacement pump discharges flow in an unsteady manner, and where the pulse is not desired for the piping system. Air operated double diaphragm, metering and hose/peristaltic pumps typically benefit from a pulsation dampener.

The type of pulsation dampener used is typically defined by where they are placed in the system, and what they need to do. For example, "pulsation dampeners" are on the downstream side of the pump, "inlet stabilizers" are on the inlet side of the pump, and an accumulator or "surge suppressor" is used next to a valve or other device that restricts the flow in a system.

This video shows where you would place an inlet stabilizer, and how it is used to reduce the pulsation with an air operated diaphragm pump in suction lift conditions.

If you"re experiencing problems with rattling pipes, intermittent flow, water hammer, or pulsations in your system, don"t ignore it. Take the steps necessary to control these symptoms to prevent system deterioration down the road.

Need help with pulsations or water hammer problems? Ask us about it! We gladly provide technical assistance to businesses in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

Positive displacement pumps effectively pump fluid at a constant average flow rate. However, because the individual pumping elements of these pumps discharge discrete quantities of fluid, the instantaneous flow rate varies in a cyclic fashion.

Pulsations are observed in the system as pressure spikes. In the positive displacement pump family, single-shoe peristaltic pumps generally create the largest pulse, followed by two-shoe peristaltic pumps. Triplex and quintuplex pumps have smooth output curves because of piston overlap. Gear pumps can have extremely small pulses, but pulsations still exist. This pulsating flow can cause operational problems and shorten equipment’s service life.

To alleviate the problem, pulsation dampeners can be added to the pumping system to absorb pressure spikes and smooth fluid flow. Figure 1 shows the undampened pressure spikes from a triplex pump in green. The dampened pressure curve from the same pump with the same system settings are indicated in blue. Six pulses per revolution occur instead of the expected three. This is a result of piston overlap.

The most common type of pulsation dampener is a hydro-pneumatic pressure vessel containing compressed air or nitrogen and a bladder—or bellows—that separate the process fluid from the gas charge. To maximize the dampening effect, pulsation dampeners should be installed as close as possible to the pump discharge with a gas charge that is slightly below the normal system pressure. More important, pulsation dampeners must be properly sized for the system.

A dampener that is undersized cannot adequately compensate for pressure and flow fluctuations. An oversized dampener will act as an accumulator, storing too much fluid. This will cause slow stabilization and a delayed response to system changes. The first step in sizing a dampener is to quantitatively define the acceptable performance.

The specific requirements of the application and the components that make up the system are all factors that need to be considered. Once an acceptable pressure variation is defined, the unit size required for the desired performance should be determined. Engineers and designers are interested in making accurate predictions. Avoiding a problem is better than finding a way to fix it.

Sizing pulsation dampeners is straightforward. However, calculating the system pressure fluctuations is more complex. Fluid discharge rates from pumps are difficult to mathematically model. For example, in Figure 1, the spikes are not even. Theoretically, they should be equal. Mathematical models must be physically tested to verify their accuracy.

Pumps with multiple heads and higher pulse frequencies can make the calculations more difficult. The distance from one output port to the next is generally not constant. This creates a shift in the piston overlap with intermittent larger and smaller pulses. Calculating the magnitude or frequency of noise pulses that can develop or resonate in a system is difficult.

Piping arrangement—such as bends, reducers and valves—combined with the opening and closing of pump discharge check valves can create noise in the fluid called pressure pulses. Because many variables must be considered, each pump type should be tested with and without a dampener. The pressure curve data can be recorded and used to find the pump’s formula constant. This constant can be used in future calculations. As long as other pump models are similar to the test unit, accurately predicting the magnitude of line pressure variation with a given size dampener is possible.

The pressure in a piping system will rise sharply when a volume of fluid is added to the line. It accelerates the mass of the fluid in the piping system. This is acceleration head, and it needs to be minimized with a dampener. The effect and its impact must be considered on both the inlets and outlets of positive displacement pumps. On the inlet side, cavitation and partial filling of pump cavities can damage pump components and make the pump much louder than normal.

A non-snubbed pressure transducer can accurately measure the system’s pressure spikes. A pressure transducer can react much faster than a bourdon tube gauge, and it can measure noise if the sample rate is high enough.

Bourdon tube gauges require time to equalize and can undershoot and overshoot the actual pressure depending on the magnitude and frequency of the pressure pulse. Even if the gauge could read accurately, reading a quickly moving dial is difficult. Electronically measured and recorded data can determine how the system is operating.

System noise must be considered when taking measurements because it can give higher-than-expected results. Noise in the pumping liquid can generally be ignored, but in some situations, system noise needs to be controlled. Noise can cause pressure relief valves to leak, damage sensitive components and create occupational safety hazards. Dampeners typically reduce noise, and some are specifically designed for this purpose.

Several different styles of dampeners are available, and each has advantages and disadvantages. This article focuses on reducing the pressure pulses caused by pulsing flow. The principles and the method for calculating the appropriate size dampener for this application are the same for most dampeners.

A dampener absorbs a fluid pulse and then allows the fluid to flow back into the system between pulses. Most dampeners use a gas charge that is set slightly below the normal system pressure and is compressed by the pulse of fluid. The gas then expands when fluid is released.

In actual practice, either formula would probably work if the pressure fluctuations are small relative to the system pressure. The pump constant that is developed would cover the inaccuracies in the formula as long as the pressure variations are similar. In this article, the isentropic formula is used.

To determine the pump constant, the volume from a single pulse of the pump must first be determined. Then an initial estimate of dampener size is made, and the corresponding value of dampener volume is applied. The amount of gas in the dampener will be less than the total dampener volume, which needs to be factored into the calculation. A typical range of 80 to 90 percent of the dampener volume should be gas if the dampener is properly charged. These give an initial gas volume:

The constant reduces the pulse volume to account for flow leaving the dampener while the pulse is entering. It also accounts for piston overlap, which changes the effective size of the pulse. Adding the factor to the isentropic formula and solving for the pump factor gives us the following equation:

For example, the pressure curve from an undampened, two-shoe, 2.5-inch peristaltic hose pump shows a sharp increase in flow, followed by a “no-flow” or negative flow zone. In this instance, the line has a ball valve that is creating the flow restriction for back pressure. The blue line shows the undampened pressure spikes (see Figure 2). The red line shows the pressure changes of the same pump with the same back pressure valve setting but now using a dampener. This sample dampener has an actual gas volume of 415 cubic inches, and the dampener is 90-percent gas filled. The base pressure is 14.15 psig, and the pulse is 76.9 cubic inches. If the pressure fluctuation is calculated using the isentropic pressure formula, the result is:

It is important to remember to add 14.7 psi to convert from gauge to absolute pressure, then subtract 14.7 psi again to get the final result in gauge pressure. This pump setup was tested, and the actual pressure variation was determined to be 7.38 psi. Therefore, the result is:

If the example above is used and it is decided that a pressure fluctuation of 15 psi would be acceptable, the formula with the previously calculated pump factor can be used to determine what size of dampener is needed.

Table 1 lists some approximate pump constant factors that can be used when sizing dampeners for different pump types. These factors are approximate, and the results may vary significantly with the many variables involved.

A triplex plunger pump doses methanol, which is metered on the discharge side. Without a dampener to control pulsations and smooth out the flow, the installed flow meters were giving inaccurate readings.

When using a triplex pump, all three chambers of the pump must stay full of fluid with no voids. Any voids or pockets can cause seal leakage, pump vibration and excess pump noise.

The solution was to install a pulsation dampener at the pump discharge to smooth the flow and remove pressure pulsations. This allowed the dosing to be more accurate. An inlet stabilizer (suction dampener) was also installed on the inlet side of the pump to act as an accumulator to keep the pump chambers filled. The inlet stabilizer also removed pulsations created by the pump on its inlet stroke. Both devices were sized based on the pump type, flow rate and operating pressure.

During the filling of a drum with a flexible hose, an automatic valve would close and cause a water hammer effect. All the pipes leading into the system would shake until they broke loose from their supports. The solution was to install a pulsation dampener at the beginning of the flexible hose connection.

The pulsation dampener was sized based on the flow parameters and installed at the beginning of the flexible hose. When the automatic valve closed, the hose and pulsation dampener effectively absorbed a portion of the water hammer, eliminating pipe shake and improving operational safety.

The sizing of a pulsation dampener is critical to achieving the desired result. Finding and using the correct constant pump factor in dampener sizing is a key part of the solution. As long as the pulsation dampener is properly sized, positioned and charged, it will effectively dampen pulsations to protect equipment and keep the pressure pulses within design parameters.

Mud pump is one of the most critical equipment on the rig; therefore personnel on the rig must have good understanding about it. We’ve tried to find the good training about it but it is very difficult to find until we’ve seen this VDO training and it is a fantastic VDO training about the basic of mud pumps used in the oilfield. Total length of this VDO is about thirteen minutes and it is worth to watch it. You will learn about it so quickly. Additionally, we also add the full detailed transcripts which will acceleate the learning curve of learners.

Powerful mud pumps pick up mud from the suction tank and circulate the mud down hole, out the bit and back to the surface. Although rigs usually have two mud pumps and sometimes three or four, normally they use only one at a time. The others are mainly used as backup just in case one fails. Sometimes however the rig crew may compound the pumps, that is, they may use three or four pumps at the same time to move large volumes of mud when required.

Rigs use one of two types of mud pumps, Triplex pumps or Duplex pumps. Triplex pumps have three pistons that move back-and-forth in liners. Duplex pumps have two pistons move back and forth in liners.

Triplex pumps have many advantages they weight 30% less than a duplex of equal horsepower or kilowatts. The lighter weight parts are easier to handle and therefore easier to maintain. The other advantages include;

• One of the more important advantages of triplex over duplex pumps, is that they can move large volumes of mud at the higher pressure is required for modern deep hole drilling.

Triplex pumps are gradually phasing out duplex units. In a triplex pump, the pistons discharge mud only when they move forward in the liner. Then, when they moved back they draw in mud on the same side of the piston. Because of this, they are also called “single acting.” Single acting triplex pumps, pump mud at a relatively high speeds. Input horsepower ranges from 220 to 2200 or 164 to 1641 kW. Large pumps can pump over 1100 gallons per minute, over 4000 L per minute. Some big pumps have a maximum rated pressure of over 7000 psi over 50,000 kPa with 5 inch/127 mm liners.

Here is a schematic of a triplex pump. It has three pistons each moving in its own liner. It also has three intake valves and three discharge valves. It also has a pulsation dampener in the discharge line.

Look at the piston at left, it has just completed pushing mud out of the liner through the open discharge valve. The piston is at its maximum point of forward travel. The other two pistons are at other positions in their travel and are also pumping mud. But for now, concentrate on the left one to understand how the pump works. The left piston has completed its backstroke drawing in mud through the open intake valve. As the piston moved back it instead of the intake valve off its seat and drew mud in. A strong spring holds the discharge above closed. The left piston has moved forward pushing mud through the now open discharge valve. A strong spring holds the intake valve closed. They left piston has completed its forward stroke they form the length of the liner completely discharging the mud from it. All three pistons work together to keep a continuous flow of mud coming into and out of the pump.

Crewmembers can change the liners and pistons. Not only can they replace worn out ones, they can also install different sizes. Generally they use large liners and pistons when the pump needs to move large volumes of mud at relatively low pressure. They use a small liners and pistons when the pump needs to move smaller volumes of mud at a relatively high pressure.

In a duplex pump, pistons discharge mud on one side of the piston and at the same time, take in mud on the other side. Notice the top piston and the liner. As the piston moves forward, it discharges mud on one side as it draws in mud on the other then as it moves back, it discharges mud on the other side and draws in mud on the side it at had earlier discharge it. Duplex pumps are therefore double acting.

Double acting pumps move more mud on a single stroke than a triplex. However, because of they are double acting they have a seal around the piston rod. This seal keeps them from moving as fast as a triplex. Input horsepower ranges from 190 to 1790 hp or from 142 to 1335 kW. The largest pumps maximum rated working pressure is about 5000 psi, almost 35,000 kPa with 6 inch/152 mm linings.

A mud pump has a fluid end, our end and intake and the discharge valves. The fluid end of the pump contains the pistons with liners which take in or discharge the fluid or mud. The pump pistons draw in mud through the intake valves and push mud out through the discharge valves.

The power end houses the large crankshaft and gear assembly that moves the piston assemblies on the fluid end. Pumps are powered by a pump motor. Large modern diesel/electric rigs use powerful electric motors to drive the pump. Mechanical rigs use chain drives or power bands (belts) from the rig’s engines and compounds to drive the pump.

A pulsation dampener connected to the pump’s discharge line smooths out surges created by the pistons as they discharge mud. This is a standard bladder type dampener. The bladder and the dampener body, separates pressurized nitrogen gas above from mud below. The bladder is made from synthetic rubber and is flexible. When mud discharge pressure presses against the bottom of the bladder, nitrogen pressure above the bladder resists it. This resistance smoothes out the surges of mud leaving the pump.

Here is the latest type of pulsation dampener, it does not have a bladder. It is a sphere about 4 feet or 1.2 m in diameter. It is built into the mud pump’s discharge line. The large chamber is form of mud. It has no moving parts so it does not need maintenance. The mud in the large volume sphere, absorbs this surges of mud leaving the pump.

A suction dampener smooths out the flow of mud entering into the pump. Crewmembers mount it on the triplex mud pump’s suction line. Inside the steel chamber is a air charged rubber bladder or diaphragm. The crew charges of the bladder about 10 to 15 psi/50 to 100 kPa. The suction dampener absorbs surges in the mud pump’s suction line caused by the fast-moving pump pistons. The pistons, constantly starts and stops the mud’s flow through the pump. At the other end of the charging line a suction pumps sends a smooth flow of mud to the pump’s intake. When the smooth flow meets the surging flow, the impact is absorbed by the dampener.

Workers always install a discharge pressure relief valve. They install it on the pump’s discharge side in or near the discharge line. If for some reason too much pressure builds up in the discharge line, perhaps the drill bit or annulus gets plugged, the relief valve opens. That opened above protects the mud pump and system damage from over pressure.

Some rig owners install a suction line relief valve. They install it on top of the suction line near the suction dampener. They mount it on top so that it won’t clog up with mud when the system is shut down. A suction relief valve protects the charging pump and the suction line dampener. A suction relief valve usually has a 2 inch or 50 mm seat opening. The installer normally adjusts it to 70 psi or 500 kPa relieving pressure. If both the suction and the discharged valves failed on the same side of the pump, high back flow or a pressure surge would occur. The high backflow could damage the charging pump or the suction line dampener. The discharge line is a high-pressure line through which the pump moves mud. From the discharge line, the mud goes through the stand pipe and rotary hose to the drill string equipment.