Active Control of Pressure Pulsation in a Piping System Using Measured Dynamic Flow Rate

Fluid-borne noise is caused primarily by unsteady flow from pumps and motors and the instability and cavitation of valves. It takes the form of pressure pulsation or fluctuations in the fluid, and results in structure-borne noise and air-borne noise. An effective method to reduce the noise is needed that does not impair the system performance. In this paper, an active attenuator of pressure pulsation in a conventional piping system is proposed. The unsteady flowrate is determined indirectly by using easily-measured pressure signals and implemented in a controller which is designed based on wave propagation and superposition principles. Simulated and experimental results on a test rig show a good attenuation. It is concluded that a well-designed noise attenuator could potentially provide significant reduction in pressure pulsation in a piping system.