Abstract
Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is widely used for evaluating structural safety of systems. This paper focuses on the FEA methodology developed for identifying contribution of pressure pulsations in the total deformations at pump outlet and the methodology is applicable to any pump mounted application. Initially, modal analysis was performed and model fidelity was built by correlating FEA response with experimental tap test (resonance search). Then damping for different axis was identified comparing FEA response with test observed response. Actual field data taken on the application provided vibration response & deformation in the pump body and pump outlet for different frequencies. The correlated FE model was then analyzed for 1g harmonic loading as actual vibration input from the application was unavailable. The FEA response of the pump body obtained from 1g harmonic analysis was then compared with field data to identify the scaling factor between Test response and FEA response. As all commercial FEA tools follow linear vibration theory and vibration analysis being linear, the scaling factor is used to scale the FEA deformations at the pump outlet to get the deformations due to the engine and pump vibrations. Deformations obtained from the pump for frequencies corresponding to field data were used to identify total fitting deformation, deformation due to application & pump vibration and deformation due to pressure pulsation at the pump outlet. This methodology can be used to identify deformations due to pressure pulsation and vibration for any available pump assembly. The baseline for a system can be established using this methodology. Designs can then be evaluated using the above stated methodology and can be compared with baseline design to evaluate if the modified design is better than baseline design. Deformations due to pressure pulsation at pump outlet includes pump dynamics, its operating conditions such as revolution per minute (rpm) at different conditions, fluid column resonance etc. Thus, identifying deformation due to pressure pulsation is quite challenging and tedious. The above stated methodology gives a novel and simplistic approach to identify this. It also gives a novel way to process the test data and making appropriate use of the same