Hello fellow Stressers!!!!

I'm curios of what is the theory and principle behind introducing an orifice in a reciprocating compressor piping system will reduce pressure pulsations through large pressure drop. Lately, I've been reading a lot about reciprocating compressor piping and come across this type of solution for reducing pressure pulsations.

Many thanks in advance!!!

Cheers!!!

The flow through the orifice place is choked, but not supersonic, therefore velocity downstream of the plate is irrespective of the pressure upstream of the plate.

Piping vibrations are mitigated in that fluid pulsations are limited to before the plate. Equipment vibrations may be another issue.

If controlled rate is an important design point of the process, this makes sense to me.

Thanks Michael for that info...Any other input is well appreciated....

Sorry for my statement "large pressure drop".. Based from an article that I've read just now the orifice is typically located strategically to obtain "large pressure pulsation reduction but with the lowest pressure drop as much as possible"....Ultimate goal is to damp large pulsations...