A Simple Measurement Method of Pressure Pulsations Using Outer Surface Strain in Piping Systems

This study proposes a method to measure pressure pulsations in piping systems easily and directly for their accurate evaluation of occurrence location and pressure amplitude. In the proposed method, the pulsations were estimated by combining the strain measurement result on the pipe outer surface with the calculated formula result for thick-walled cylinders. The proposed method was validated experimentally using a mock-up piping system. It was demonstrated that the method could measure the amplitudes and behavior of pressure pulsations with a practical accuracy. The factors influencing the measurement accuracy of the method were also discussed. The method is expected to contribute to more efficient plant maintenance to prevent fatigue failure of piping and plant components because the pulsations that the method measures are the main cause of vibration fatigue and acoustic noise in piping systems.