Experimental and theoretical investigation of a miniature simple pressure pulsation attenuator lined with porous polyurethane material

A miniature simple pressure pulsation attenuator (PPA) lined with porous polyurethane material is designed and a theorical model is established for analyzing the pressure pulsation attenuation performance of PPA. The effect of internal structural parameters of PPA and external operating conditions on attenuation performance is investigated theoretically and experimentally. Spectral intensity is used as a new method to evaluate the pressure pulsation attenuation, and other common index such as pressure pulsation rate and frequency spectrum are also compared in detail. The results show that spectral intensity can more accurately reflect the overall effect of pressure pulsation and the attenuation effect at a specific frequency. The present PPA is more suitable for low static pressure and can effectively eliminate low-frequency and high-frequency pressure pulsation. In addition, the diameter and number of pores can affect the pressure pulsation attenuation. Insertion loss of PPA exhibits multiple peaks, which are mainly influenced by liner length and liner material. Furthermore, the flow rate increases as the pulsation frequency increases for the piston pump based on frequency control, which can cause the pulsation attenuation performance to basically remain unchanged. The research offers valuable insights for the design, optimization, and analysis of PPA in seawater hydraulic system.