Effective risk management through the proper selection of available technology has long been an area of primary concern in the design and operation of facilities processing and transporting hydrocarbons and other gases. One result of industry's early emphasis on improving the safety and reliability of plant facilities has been a continuing, long-term RD program with a large service component located at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). Specifically concerned with developing and applying the technology necessary for predicting and controlling pulsations and vibrations in compressors and their associated piping systems, this program, now in its 45th year under sponsorship by the not-for-profit Southern Gas Association's Gas Machinery Research Council (GMRC), has gained international recognition and use by a broad spectrum of other energy and manufacturing industries worldwide. As a result of this work, the importance of controlling pulsation-related performance, safety and reliability problems associated with compressor installations is now widely recognized. Because of the high concentration of equipment and piping in modern plants processing or transporting hydrocarbons, these problems can have a significant negative impact on operations and profitability. It is also well documented that pulsation control technology can be effectively utilized to maximize compressor efficiency and throughput. If piping system design is inadequate or left to chance, pulsations can lead to vibration and fatigue, and seriously affect compressor capacity and driver horsepower requirements.
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