Author(s): Saber Nasraoui; David Ferras; Capucine Dupont
Linked Author(s): David Ferras Segura
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: Hydraulic ram pumps are an environmentally friendly water pumping devices with no fuel and no electricity consumption. They operate on the principle of water hammer, and they have several important advantages and applications. However, their effectiveness is largely affected by noise and vibration of the drive pipe. This paper explores the concept of Phononic Crystals (PCs) in ram pumps, presenting a novel approach to enhancing their performance and extending their lifespan. PCs are artificially engineered materials that show distinct Bragg band gap characteristics, wherein waves and vibrations of particular frequencies cannot pass through. Along these lines, the drive pipe is designed to have a band gap in the vicinity of a dominant vibration modes, enabling vibration control strategies. In order to properly characterize the vibrational behavior of the drive pipe an experimental implementation of a hydraulic ram was conducted. Subsequently, a PC-based drive pipe, composed of periodically alternating pipe sections with different materials, was analytically designed to mitigate these vibrations. The results show that a drive pipe, constructed with alternating (PVC) and copper pipe sections arranged in 9-unit cells, achieves a 90 % reduction of vibration amplitudes in the pressure signal. This solution provides a strategy to control both the desired frequency ranges and the number of pipe sections required for total noise reduction during ram pump operation.
Year: 2024