The 32nd International Congress and Exposition on Noise Control Engineering

Jeju International Convention Center, Seogwipo, Korea,

August 25-28, 2003

[N926] Evaluation of acoustically induced vibration and

fatigue failures in process piping systems

Itsuro Hayashi
Chiyoda Corporation
3-13, Moriya-cho, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama 221-0022, Japan
Email address: ihayashi@ykh.chiyoda.co.jp

Teruo Hioki and Hiroshi Isobe

Chiyoda Corporation, Japan

ABSTRACT

In process plants, piping systems for gas services with high rate pressure reducing devices
have a potential risk of acoustically induced vibration (AIV), resulting in material fatigue
failure. To prevent AIV, some investigations have been performed in this field and the design
criteria relating sound power level at noise sources to geometry parameter based on the ratio
of the piping diameter to its thickness has been applied as one of the screening methods.
However, the quantitative evaluation method including the detailed mechanism of these
phenomena is still under study.
Field experiment and numerical simulation using sound-structure interaction analysis were
performed to investigate the mechanism of AIV and to find the possible solutions to reduce
the dynamic stress level in the piping structure. The empirical data gives the parameter to
establish the numerical method that can estimate the detail vibration response of pipe wall.
Influence of higher order acoustic modes and structural vibration modes on stress response
were investigated. The result shows that reinforcing of the pipe structure such as use of the
circumferential stiffener rings change the structural characteristic and reduce the maximum
stress in the pipe wall. The effect of stress reduction by the stiffener ring can be larger for
acoustic excitation than that for thrust load.

KEYWORDS: Acoustically Induced Vibration, Piping design, Higher order acoustic mode,
Sound-Structure Interaction Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Flow induced vibration of gas piping systems in process plants can cause severe fatigue
failures when the system includes high rate pressure reducing devices such as safety valve,

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de-pressurizing valve, restriction orifice etc. Piping vibration induced acoustically by these
pressure reducing devices are known to occur at high frequencies, while vibration excited by
turbulence or vortex shedding, and by pulsation of pump or compressor are typically observed
at low frequencies.
This phenomenon in process piping systems has been recognized since 1980’s by the work of
Carucci and Mueller [1]. In their study, Internal sound power level calculated by operating
conditions at pressure reducing device is related to pipe inside diameter D as the screening
method to prevent acoustic fatigue. Based on Carucci and Mueller cases, Eisinger [2][3] has
improved the method by using the ratio of pipe inside diameter to pipe wall thickness (D/t)
and proposed the acoustic input energy parameter based on Mach number and pressure drop.
Recently, guideline was published by MTD [4] which developed the screening method using
sound power level.
Based on these studies, care has been taken to AIV in hydrocarbon and gas processing
industries. However, failures due to acoustic fatigue were still reported in these days [5][6]
and the risk of failure is increasing because the flow rate increases as plant capacity improves.
Therefore, more detailed mechanism of AIV is expected to be known and quantitative
evaluation method of each countermeasure should be established. With regard to structural
reinforcement, Hayashi [7] tried to evaluate the AIV by sound-structure interaction analysis.
In this study, experiment at field was performed with comparison to the numerical simulation
so that the reliable estimation method is established.

VIBRATION OF PIPE WALL

Vibration of pipe wall excited by acoustic loading from noise source relates to the coincidence
of higher order acoustic modes inside the pipe and resonant structural modes of the pipe wall.
Fig. 1 shows example of acoustic and structural modes. Higher order acoustic modes are
characterized by the order p ; number of plane diametral nodal surfaces and q ; number of
cylindrical nodal surfaces. With higher
order acoustic modes, the acoustic pressure
is a function of distance across the pipe and
angular position, while the acoustic
pressure with plane waves is constant
across a pipe cross-section. The higher
Acoustic mode (p,q=3,0) Structural mode (n=3)
order acoustic mode can be excited when
the frequency of acoustic pressure loading
Fig.1 Example of diametral acoustic modes
is higher than acoustic cut–off frequencies
and circumferential structural modes
inside the pipe. The acoustic cut-off
frequencies fc(p,q) are given by following
equation.

πα ( p, q) c
f c ( p, q ) = (1)
πD

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