Patent ID: 7946382
Filing Date: 2011-05-24
Classification: F16L

Abstract:
1. A method of reducing pulsations in lateral piping associated with a gas compressor, the lateral piping connecting the suction or discharge side of the compressor to a suction or discharge header, comprising: placing a pulsation filter bottle between the compressor and the header, the pulsation filter bottle configured as a volume-choke-volume device to reduce pulsations below a predetermined frequency; placing a tunable side branch absorber on the lateral piping between the filter bottle and the header; wherein the side branch absorber has a volume housing and a choke tube; wherein the side branch absorber further has at least one actuator operable to change at least one of the following side branch absorber dimensions: volume, choke tube length, choke tube diameter; placing a pressure sensor inside the lateral piping between the compressor and the side branch absorber; wherein the pressure sensor is operable to measure pulsations within the lateral piping by measuring pressure of gas flowing within the piping; providing a user interface that displays at least the engine speed of the compressor and the frequency of the pulsations, and that receives frequency order input representing at least an order of pulsation frequency to be reduced; during a quick positioning phase, using a controller to receive rpm values representing the engine speed of the compressor, to determine an open loop actuator control value based at least in part on the rpm values, and to deliver a signal representing the open loop control value to the actuator; subsequent to the quick positioning phase, using a controller to receive signals from the pressure sensor, to determine current frequency values, a fundamental pulsation frequency order (1×) and at least one pulsation frequency order (2× or greater) based on the signals from the pressure sensor; to determine a closed loop actuator control value based at least in part on the frequency values and operator frequency order input, and to deliver a signal representing the closed loop actuator control value to the side branch absorber; and wherein the open loop actuator control value and the closed loop actuator control value each represent an amount to change a dimension of the side branch absorber.