Investigation of the pulsation-reduction characteristics of an expansion chamber attenuator in a hydraulic system

Abstract

This paper investigates the expansion chamber attenuator utilized in marine hydraulic systems to determine the pulsation-reduction characteristics in hydraulic deck machinery applications. First, the background is briefly introduced. Next, the advantages and disadvantages of investigation methods borrowed from the aerodynamic field are discussed with regard to hydraulic use. Insertion loss is eventually selected to evaluate the performance of the attenuator. Finally, attenuator prototypes and a test rig that simulates an actual marine hydraulic system in a vessel are manufactured, and the experimental conditions are introduced in detail to calculate and measure the insertion loss. As indicated by the investigation conclusion, mathematic computation generally fits the test results. A better choice of length–diameter ratio ranges and other characteristics are discussed. This paper provides theoretical and experimental evidence regarding design expansion chamber attenuator use in hydraulic systems.