Research on vibration characteristics and reduction measures of natural gas loop

To study the flow-induced vibration phenomena and corresponding mitigation measures in pipelines within a medium-low pressure loop test facility, this paper experimentally and numerically investigates the flow characteristics and vibration behavior under different operating conditions. The reliability of the numerical simulation method was validated through experiments. By applying Fourier transform analysis to pressure pulsation and vibration signals at monitoring points, the root cause of pipeline vibration was identified. The results indicate that under specific operating conditions, resonance between natural gas pressure pulsations and pipeline vibration frequency is the primary cause of excessive vibration. Additionally, the header structure induces vortex formation in the gas flow, generating low-frequency pressure pulsations. A vibration suppression method involving the installation of support restraints was proposed, effectively reducing vibration at pipeline metering points to below 5 mm/s, meeting calibration requirements. Further optimization of restraint placement achieved displacement reductions of 30 %–70 % across varying pressures and flow rates. This study provides theoretical insights and practical engineering references for understanding and mitigating pipeline vibrations under medium-low pressure conditions.