Complete Pulsation Analysis Using BOSpulse – Q&A Session

Is it required to have node increments in piping according to flow direction?

The node numbering is not related to the flow direction. The flow direction is determined by the flow boundary conditions. However, consistent node numbering may support you when post-processing your results later.

You can partly use the same approach. The main difference is that a screw compressor imposes a different source on your piping system, which is typically higher in frequency and less straightforward to determine — it depends on the geometry of the lobes and the opening areas as a function of phase.

There is no dedicated element to model a screw compressor in BOSpulse, but the flow signal from a screw compressor can be imposed using a periodic flow boundary condition. The methodology of the analysis is essentially the same: you try to avoid resonance between your pulsation source and the acoustic modes of the piping system, or between your shaking forces and your structural modes.

Besides piping elements, you can also model valves, orifices, heat exchangers, and expansion tanks — the latter being particularly important in liquid systems. You may also include structural steel, as will be demonstrated in the third session of this three-part webinar series.

The compressor passage is modelled using equivalent pipes, where acoustic length and volume are the key parameters — this was covered in the first session of this webinar series. The compressor valves are specified per compressor cylinder in the input fields.

You may export results in various output formats. For DA3 analysis, for example, you can export shaking forces to a third-party tool for structural analysis. When using Ansys, you may also use the built-in interface in BOSpulse to complete the analysis entirely within BOSpulse.

Both pressure and shaking force criteria are specified, covering pressure pulsations and pressure drop.

Single-hole and multi-hole orifices can be modelled in BOSpulse, and you may specify a custom pressure loss. This can indeed be an effective measure to reduce pulsations.

Yes, piping supports can also be modelled, which is important for dynamic stress analysis. We invite you to the third and final session of this webinar series to see how that is done.

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