If your system has reciprocating positive displacement pumps, pulsations and hydraulic shock will naturally result. They may even occur when pump check valves are opened and closed. When left unaddressed, pulsations and pressure gaps can damage the entire pump system over time. It pays to install pulsation dampeners at the discharge side of reciprocating PD pumps to mitigate these losses.
Pressure And Kinetic Energy
The first type of dampener uses a cushion of compressible gas to protect your pump system from damage. When the pump produces varied pressures, the gas in the pulsation dampener compresses and absorbs the fluctuating pressure and smoothens out the flow of the duty fluid.
The second type is a maintenance-free pulsation dampener, which works by relying on the kinetic energy exchange. This occurs when the volume of the dampener is sizable enough to dissipate sufficient energy, reducing the rattle and fluctuations caused by the reciprocating pump. For this reason, maintenance-free pulsation dampeners will need considerable volumes to be truly effective.
