Hydropneumatic Devices - Word Usage Confusion
Hydropneumatic Devices - Word Usage Confusion |
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North American, European, and other languages refer to hydropneumatic devices such as a hydropneumatic accumulator or pulsation dampener using very different words. In many cases this can cause a great deal of word usage confusion. This article includes information about devices that prevent, and do not either absorb, alleviate, arrest, attenuate, nor suppress a shock that exists (devices which prevent the creation of a shock wave at an otherwise higher level). The words frequently used for devices such as pulsation dampeners, hydropneumatic accumulators, water hammer preventors, and others, are included.
The phrase "pulsation dampeners" is used for internet searches in the USA, for items that supposedly "dampen pulsation". The use of the plural is a North American habit. The singular version, hence: I need a "pulsation dampener", is used for searching for by others, when thinking in American English. In South America they use "amortiguador de pulsaciones", and less frequently, the plural "amortiguadores de pulsaciones". In Europe the English speakers in the UK follow the American habit of searching using the plural version, but they frequently shorten the search to "pulsation dampers".
The rest of the English language users tend to use the singular. IE: I need a "pulsation damper". Similarly, in Germany, they habitually look for one of an item; but the phrase "pulsationsdämpfer" happens to mean both singular and plural. "Pulsations" plural, is used in both Nordic and Latinate languages (except UK English) because pulsation is by definition a repetitive occurrence. Example: the French "amortisseur de pulsations" is plural. These devices are typified by having only one liquid connection that goes to a "T" on the system.
An interesting point to note is that approximately 120 manufacturers of pulsation dampeners, provide items which do not dampen anything at all. The authority for saying this is: because the words dampen and dampener have at their root, removing energy. Example: To dampen down a fire, is achieved with the addition of water (dampness), the water is evaporated so turning the energy of the fire into steam, faster heat dissipation than the fire can keep up with. Pulse-damper manufacturers provide a cushion of gas in a bag, or outside a bladder that contains the liquid, or on one side of a diaphragm where the liquid is on the other side.
The compressibility of the gas, often nitrogen because it is inert at normal temperatures, stores any sudden volume change. Storing sudden volume change enables volume to change against a soft gas cushion, without the need to accelerate all the existing liquid in the system out of the way of the new volume. Therefore as all the volume in a system does not have to be suddenly accelerated, the cushion is preventing "acceleration head (force)" having to be generated. The pressure pulse is accordingly not generated in the first place so it is not damped or dampened at all. The gas cushion simply allows volume change to be stored. All the manufacturers are providing, are liquid accumulators.
Gas cushion (spring) pre filled, accumulators of liquids, are defined as: hydropneumatic accumulators. HYRO because a liquid (like water "Hydra") is involved. PNEUMATIC because a gas (like air) is involved. ACCUMULATOR because the purpose is to store or accumulate liquid volume - by easy compression of the gas. These devices are typified by having only one liquid connection that goes to a "T" on the system. There are other forms of accumulator used for fluid power hydraulic purposes. For example coil spring plus sealed piston; though these are less popular. Therefore a hydraulic accumulator is not necessarily a hydropneumatic accumulator.
In American English language, in USA, the search is for hydraulic accumulators the plural. In American English outside the USA, the search is for hydraulic accumulator, the singular. In UK English the search in the UK, is for hydropneumatic accumulators, plural. In UK English the search outside the UK, is for hydropneumatic accumulato, singular. In Germany the search is for Druck Speicher (pressure store), singular; and some times akkumulatoren hydropneumatiche. In French the search is for accumulateur hydropneumatic, singular. In Spanish the search is for accumulator hydrapneumatic.
In the activity of preventing liquid shocks, surge pressures, and "water hammer" there is general confusion, because there are at least sixty, English, two and three word phrases, with the same general meaning. These are used in both singular and pluralization for internet searches: SHOCK ABSORBER, SHOCK ABSORBOR, SHOCK ALLEVIATER, SHOCK ALLEVIATOR, SHOCK ARRESTER, SHOCK ARRESTOR, SHOCK ATTENUATER, SHOCK ATTENUATOR, SHOCK SUPPRESSER, SHOCK SUPPRESSOR, SHOCK PREVENTER, SHOCK PREVENTOR,
The same applies to: SURGE ABSORBER, SURGE ABSORBOR, SURGE ALLEVIATER, SURGE ALLEVIATOR, SURGE ARRESTER, SURGE ARRESTOR, SURGE ATTENUATER, SURGE ATTENUATOR, SURGE SUPPRESSER, SURGE SUPPRESSOR, SURGE PREVENTER, and SURGE PREVENTOR.
The same applies to: WATER HAMMER ABSORBER, WATER HAMMER ABSORBOR, WATER HAMMER ALLEVIATER, WATER HAMMER ALLEVIATOR, WATER HAMMER ARRESTER, WATER HAMMER ARRESTOR, WATER HAMMER ATTENUATER, WATER HAMMER ATTENUATOR, WATER HAMMER SUPPRESSER, WATER HAMMER SUPPRESSOR, WATER HAMMER PREVENTER, and WATER HAMMER PREVENTOR.
There are multi port flow-through devices that intercept and dissipate shocks, surges, water hammer, pressure pulsation, etc. These are correctly called "pressure pulsation and/or shock wave dampeners". These true DAMPENERS may be found found from several sources, and are designed to address the typical acoustic velocities in liquids of 3500 MPH.
http://www.Pulse-Dampeners.com - Pulsation Dampeners / Pulsation Dampers.
Water Hammer - Pipe and Pipeline Shock, Surge and Water Hammer Prevention.
http://www.Accumulators-Hyd.com - Hydraulic Accumulators / Hydropneumatic Accumulators.
http://www.Liquid-dynamics.com - Piping / Pulsation Analysis, Diagnostics, and Prediction by Software.
http://www.Shock-Guard.com - Pipeline Shock Alleviators / Surge Alleviators.