Apparatuses, Systems, and Methods for Improved Performance of a Pressurized System

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method for improving performance of a pressurized system that attenuates pulsations in gases having varying acoustic velocities.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A natural gas pumping system that attenuates pulsations in gases having varying acoustic velocities, comprising:
 a reciprocating compressor that receives gases having varying acoustic velocities including:
 a first cylinder having:
 an inlet through which natural gas having varying acoustic velocities is received; and 
 an outlet through which the natural gas is discharged; 
 
 a second cylinder having:
 an inlet through which the natural gas having varying acoustic velocities is received; and 
 an outlet through which the natural gas is discharged; 
 
   a first conduit having a first end in fluid communication with the outlet of the first cylinder and a second end in fluid communication with a junction; and   a second conduit having a first end in fluid communication with the outlet of the second cylinder and a second end in fluid communication with the junction, thereby attenuating pulsations in the varying acoustic velocity gas.   
     
     
         2 . The natural gas compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the first end of the first conduit is connected to the outlet of the first cylinder and the second end of the second conduit is connected to the outlet of the second cylinder. 
     
     
         3 . The natural gas compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the junction is not a tank. 
     
     
         4 . The natural gas compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the junction is not a bottle. 
     
     
         5 . The natural gas compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the first conduit has a first cross-sectional area, the second conduit has a second cross-sectional area, and the junction has an outlet having a third cross-sectional area not more than two times the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area combined. 
     
     
         6 . The natural gas compressor of  claim 5 , further comprising an outlet conduit coupled to the junction outlet. 
     
     
         7 . A method of reducing pressure variations in a natural gas pumping system that attenuates pulsations in gases having varying acoustic velocities, the method comprising:
 combining natural gas that has varying acoustic velocities flowing from a first reciprocating cylinder having a first periodic pressure fluctuation characteristic operating in a first phase with natural gas that has varying acoustic velocities flowing from a second reciprocating cylinder having a second periodic pressure fluctuation characteristic operating in a second phase when the first periodic pressure fluctuation characteristic is out of phase with the second periodic pressure fluctuation characteristic.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the natural gas that has varying acoustic velocities flowing from the first reciprocating cylinder is combined with natural gas that has varying acoustic velocities flowing from the second reciprocating cylinder at a junction. 
     
     
         9 . A pressure wave attenuation system that attenuates pulsations in fluids
 having varying acoustic velocities, comprising:   one or more reciprocating compressors together comprising a first cylinder, a second cylinder, a third cylinder, and a fourth cylinder, each cylinder pumping natural gas that periodically has a varying acoustic velocity;   a first header in fluid communication with the first cylinder and a first junction;   a second header in fluid communication with the second cylinder and the first junction such that a pressure wave propagating in the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the first header and a pressure wave propagating in the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the second header are attenuated when the fluid flowing from the first header and the fluid flowing through the second header combine at the first junction;   a third header in fluid communication with the third cylinder and a second junction;   a fourth header in fluid communication with the fourth cylinder and the second junction such that a pressure wave propagating in the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the third header and a pressure wave propagating in the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the fourth header are attenuated when the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing from the third header and the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the fourth header combine at the second junction;   a first branch line in fluid communication with the first junction and a third junction; and   a second branch line in fluid communication with the second junction and the third junction, the length of the second branch line differing from the length of the first branch line such that a pressure wave propagating in the fluid in the first branch line and a pressure wave propagating in the fluid in the second branch line are attenuated when the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flows from the first and second branch lines and combines at the third junction.   
     
     
         10 . The pressure wave attenuation system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the pressure wave propagating in the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the first header is out of phase with the pressure wave propagating in the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the second header when the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing from the first header and the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the second header combines at the first junction;   the pressure wave propagating in the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the third header is out of phase with the pressure wave propagating in the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the fourth header when the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing from the third header and the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the fourth header combines at the first junction; and   the pressure wave propagating in the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the first branch line is out of phase with the pressure wave propagating in the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the second branch line when the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing from the first branch line and the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the second branch line combine at the third junction.   
     
     
         11 . The pressure wave attenuation system of  claim 10 , wherein the lengths of the first and second headers cause the pressure waves in the fluid flowing through the first and second headers to be out of phase. 
     
     
         12 . The pressure wave attenuation system of  claim 9 , wherein the length of the second header differs from the length of the first header such that the pressure wave in the first header and the pressure wave in the second header are attenuated when the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing from the first and second headers combine at the first junction. 
     
     
         13 . The pressure wave attenuation system of  claim 12 , wherein the length of the fourth header differs from the length of the third header such that the pressure wave in the fourth header and the pressure wave in the third header are attenuated when the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing from the third and fourth headers combine at the second junction. 
     
     
         14 . The pressure wave attenuation system of  claim 9 , wherein the length of the first header is the same as the length of the second header. 
     
     
         15 . The pressure wave attenuation system of  claim 9 , wherein the length of the third header is the same as the length of the fourth header. 
     
     
         16 . The pressure wave attenuation system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first header is coupled to an outlet of the first cylinder and the first junction;   the second header is coupled to an outlet of the second cylinder and the first junction;   the third header is coupled to an outlet of the third cylinder and the second junction;   the fourth header is coupled to an outlet of the fourth cylinder and the second junction;   the first branch line is coupled to the first junction and the third junction; and   the second branch line is coupled to the second junction and the third junction.   
     
     
         17 . The pressure wave attenuation system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a fifth cylinder and a sixth cylinder of the one or more compressors;   a fifth header in fluid communication with the fifth cylinder and the first junction carrying a fluid having a varying acoustic velocity and having a pressure wave propagating therein such that the pressure waves propagating in the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing through the first header, second header, and fifth header are attenuated when the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing from the first header, second header, and fifth header combine at the first junction;   a sixth header in fluid communication with the sixth cylinder and the second junction carrying a fluid having a varying acoustic velocity and having a pressure wave propagating therein such that the pressure wave propagating in the fluid flowing through the third header, fourth header, and sixth header are attenuated when the fluid having a varying acoustic velocity flowing from the third header, fourth header, and sixth header combine at the second junction.