Plim + Plex 2003, New Orleans, USA

Improving the Reliability and Life Expectancy of Piping Systems

through the use of Viscous Dampers

Frank Barutzki

GERB Schwingungsisolierungen GmbH & Co. KG

Roedernallee 174-176, Berlin 13407, Germany

Abstract
Piping systems in power plants and chemical
facilities are complex dynamic structures that
are subject to various loads and excitations.
Vibrations are often the cause of failure and
damage - sometimes with catastrophic results.
Viscous fluid dampers can significantly reduce
both vibration amplitudes and dynamic
stresses. The system natural frequencies are
lowered and the piping is less sensitive to
dynamic excitations. Material fatigue and
failure are reduced, and the operating life of
the pipe system is increased. The result is not
only cost savings for the user, but also
additional safety during both normal operation,
and during abnormal, potentially catastrophic
events. The successful installation of viscous
fluid dampers requires a realistic evaluation of
critical vibrations, and an optimization of the
dampers in both size and mounting location.
The paper describes the dynamic charac-
teristics of viscous dampers, the design,
selection and installation criteria, as well as a
procedure for reducing operational vibrations
in existing plants.
during abnormal, potentially devastating situa-
tions [1].
During normal operations the following
dynamic excitations may occur:
Internal Excitations (Vibration caused by inter-
nal pressure pulsations during unsteady fluid
flow.)
Non-stationary fluid flow in pipes and valves
may result in measurable pulsations. Fluid flow
is controlled intentionally by opening and clo-
sing valves. Unsteady fluid flow can also be
caused by the piping arrangement itself, e.g.
the number and location of elbows, tees and
reducers, especially in case of two-phase flow.
Pressure pulsations may exceed the maximum
permissible pressure rating, or fall below the
fluid vapor pressure resulting in cavitation.
External Excitations (Vibration of the entire
pipe or individual sections through connected
equipment such as pumps or turbines.)

Unacceptable pipe motions usually occur only

Introduction
Operational experience in power and chemical
plants often shows that the reliability and life
expectancy of piping systems are largely
determined by their dynamic characteristics
and behavior. Dynamic loads are experienced
during normal, continuous operation and
when the natural frequency of the piping
system matches the operating frequency of a
connected piece of equipment. Even small
excitation forces may cause large motions due
to resonance effects, not only close to the exci-
tation source, but also at greater distances.
Usually, low damped, flexible piping systems
Plim + Plex 2003, New Orleans, USA

are characterized by closely spaced natural According to the method of R. Gamble and
frequencies, which may be easily activated by S. Tagart [2], which is based on the experience
one of the excitation frequencies. Therefore, and the error analysis of 400 piping systems in
attempts to decrease operational vibrations by American nuclear power plants, the maximum
adding or changing low-damped supports and amplitudes are determined to be
restraints are usually not very successful.
Since removing the excitation source is often • 0.50 mm for frequencies up to 10 Hz
not possible, or at the least, very costly, the and
addition of effective damping to the piping • 0.25 mm for frequencies between 10 Hz
system may the better means to decrease and 40 Hz.
operational vibrations.
In France, the vibration velocity limit for feed
Dynamic deflections may also be caused by water lines in nuclear power plants with
abnormal, potentially devastating events, such capacities of 1300 MW [3] is an RMS value of
as 12.0 mm/s. Russia uses the Standard PTM
• Earthquake 38.001-94, with the following classifications:
• Plane crash
• Explosion (blast) (I) Damage is not possible,
• Pipe breakage (II) Damage is improbable
(III) Improvement is required and
Operational vibrations usually show only small damage is possible.
displacements and stress. Yet they can lead,
on a long-term basis, to pipe fatigue and vibra- Permissible displacement amplitudes are spe-
tion crack corrosion. Alternating stresses that cified in µm for the individual areas depending
may be below the static yielding point of the on the frequency.
pipe material can also lead to micro slips,
which cause submicroscopic cracks near the Frequency Hz
top surface. Due to crack propagation and Area 2 4 6 8 10 20 30 40 50 60
unification, technical cracks may develop with
Vibration Velocity in µm
a large stress peak at their tip. And finally,
under continuously alternating loads, fatigue I 250 230 200 180 165 120 95 85 75 70
fractures may appear. II 500 450 400 360 330 230 180 145 135 130

III 1250 1100 950 800 750 500 420 350 320 300
As a result, operational vibrations are often the
cause of pipe damage. Material fatigue increa-
Currently the ANSI/ASME OM3-1982 Proce-
ses with vibration velocity. The amplitude and
dure 1 [4] has become widely accepted.
frequency of the vibration are determinant fac-
tors causing pipe damage.
C1 ⋅ C 4 ⋅ (0.8 ⋅ S el ) ⋅ 3.64 ⋅ 10 3
Vallow =
C3 ⋅ C 2 ⋅ K 2
Evaluation of Pipework Vibrations
A main problem in the evaluation of operating C1 Factor for mass distribution
vibrations in piping systems is the lack of C2, K2 Parameter for stress condition
internationally accepted and consistent criteria. C3 Factor for pipe contents and
insulation
Based on the particular standard, displace- C4 Factor for restraints
ment or velocity amplitudes are assessed (0.8 Sel) Fatigue limit
depending on the frequency. Peak- or RMS-
values are sometimes used as acceptable The bases for the use of the specified formula
vibration limits. Some examples of evaluation are the measured or calculated values of the
criteria: velocity, displacement, and corresponding fre-
quency. By using of the physical correlations
Plim + Plex 2003, New Orleans, USA

for a beam between bending moment and
elongation, these values are assigned to stress
levels. Factors reflect the geometry, installation
condition, load distribution, and stress concen-
tration of the piping system and/or section.
The pipe sections with unacceptably high
vibrations must be analyzed dynamically with
the goal of reducing the vibrations to accep-
table values. An attempt should be made to
improve the source of vibrations.
velocity, v, between the damper piston and
damper case. The proportionality factor is
called the damping resistance, r.
F = r ⋅ v = r( f ) ⋅ v
In order to assure the proper function of the
damper, one damper component, either the
piston or the damper pot, must be fixed. For
practical applications, this means that a
sufficiently stiff mounting support is required.
Then, the absolute velocity of the moving part
can be used for the design calculations.

Dynamic Restraints for Piping Systems

Several types of dynamic restraints are used in
power and chemical plants:

• Mechanical and hydraulic snubbers

• Elastic-plastic absorbers or stoppers
• Axial shock absorbers
• High viscous fluid dampers

Dynamic restraints should provide the following

features:

• High damping capacity for any dynamic

excitation (seismic, shock, vibration)
• Negligible forces under thermal expansion
• No delay under dynamic loads
• Long service life
• Easy inspection and maintenance Figure 1: Basic design of Pipework Damper
• Overload ability without losing functionality
With the ideal viscous damper, the damping
Although snubbers are widely used, there are resistance, r, is frequency-independent, figure
a number of shortcomings. For example, they 2. Therefore, the damper force is ideally pro-
are not suitable for damping operational vibra- portional to the velocity. In addition, when
tions. harmonically loaded, the phase angle between
the damper force and the displacement would
be 90°.
Viscous Fluid Dampers as Pipework
Dampers
Pipework dampers consist of a damper pot,
containing a highly viscous damping fluid, and
a damper piston, which is immersed in the
damping medium. The piston can move in all
directions, short of contact with the damper
pot, figure 1. Therefore, the damper is effective
in all six degrees of freedom.

The damping forces result from the shearing

and displacing of the damping fluid. They are Figure 2: Frequency dependency of the damping
approximately proportional to the relative resistance
Plim + Plex 2003, New Orleans, USA
In reality, viscous dampers have phase angles
between 60° and 80°, since there is always an
elastic component of the damper force, in
addition to the viscous component. Therefore,
the phase angle may be used as a measure of
the quality of a viscous damper [5].
Figure 3 shows the standardized time history
of force and displacement, as well as the
resulting hysteresis loop for a phase angle of
70° between force and displacement.
F/Fmax
1 generalized Maxwell-Model suits well, since it
0,5
0 for sudden shock-type loads over a large
-0,5
-1
0 2 4 6
Time [s]
0,5
F/Fmax
0
-0,5
-1
-1 -0,5 0 0,5
S/Smax
Figure 3: Time history and force-displacement loop
The area of the stationary hysteresis loop is a
measure of the damping effect, and cor-
responds to the dissipated energy per cycle.
Ideal damping behavior, with a 90° phase shift
between damper force and displacement,
would result in a circle.
The achievable damping depends on the
damping medium, the internal design, and the
damper load. Static loads are not supported
due to the velocity proportional behavior of the
damper.
Slow movements, like thermal expansions of
the pipe, cause only minor resistance forces.
The viscous elastic qualities of the damper can
be described with rheological models, which
are formed from the combination of ideal
springs and dampers, figure 4. The Voigt-
Kelvin-Model is well known and often used for
the description of vibration problems.
S/Smax
When describing basic damper behavior, the
has ideal relaxation qualities. It is able to
describe the viscous elastic qualities of the
damper for harmonious excitations, as well as
frequency range. However, the larger the
frequency range, and the more variables there
are to be considered, the more complex the
mechanical models have to be.
8 10
Figure 4: Rheological Models
Different parameters are used to select
dampers for specific tasks. These parameters
are determined experimentally for each
Pipework damper [11, 12]. They may be
1 characterized by the following:
• The vertical and horizontal damping
resistance [kNs/m]
• The vertical and horizontal equivalent
stiffness [kN/mm]
• The nominal load [kN]
• The permissible vertical and horizontal
displacements [mm]
The damping resistance is primarily used for
operational vibrations. It is determined experi-
mentally, assuming ideal viscous behavior,
Plim + Plex 2003, New Orleans, USA
from the dynamic amplitudes of force and
vibration velocity over a large frequency range.
Figure 5 shows the vertical damping resistance
of the aptitude-tested damper series VES. The
frequency influence is clear: the damping resis-
tance decreases with increasing frequency.
The equivalent damper stiffness is an auxiliary
parameter, which may be used for computa-
tional programs that cannot work with velocity
proportional damping forces acting in single
spots. During intermittent excitation, the
damper is handled like an elastic spring, which
otherwise is not existent.
Figure 5: Vertical damping resistance (VES type)
For this purpose, the equivalent stiffness is
defined according to the stiffness definition of a
snubber. The equivalent stiffness must be
measured, similar to the damping resistance of
each damper, figure 6. This parameter must
not be mistaken for the elastic stiffness
component of the damper force. The
equivalent stiffness should only be used for
emergencies, and not for normal operational
vibrations, since the energy dissipating
qualities and the phase shift between force
and displacement don't come into play.
Pipe damper design and selection can also be
made on the basis of the nominal force, FN [6].
The rated load is the three-dimensional,
dynamic force, which is approved as the
maximum damping force at operating tempera-
ture.
Figure 6: Vertical equivalent stiffness (VES type)
Dynamic impacts should always be below this
load limit, which is also determined experimen-
tally for every damper, and which is mainly
determined by the qualities of the damping
medium.
If the dampers are loaded above the rated
nominal load, the damping medium may be
sheared off, and no longer in contact with the
damper piston (F > 1,7 x FN). However, this
process is reversible, and after a short time the
damper is again fully functional [7]. A replace-
ment of the damping medium is not required.
The permissible displacement is the sum of all
straight movements, i.e. the thermal expansion
of the pipeline, the operating oscillations and
the impulse response.
In the case of large thermal expansion, the
dampers may be preset in all three directions.
With increasing temperature and thermal
expansion, the damper piston moves toward
the center position.
The damping behavior of some damping fluids
depends strongly on temperature. Therefore,
for these dampers, the damping effect
depends on the proper determination of the
working temperature in the damping medium
during continuous operation, and the proper
selection of the damping fluid. It is understood
that the operational temperature is the highest
temperature inside the damping medium
during continuous operation. This temperature
is influenced by the ambient temperature, the
Plim + Plex 2003, New Orleans, USA
medium temperature inside the pipe and the
potential heat transfer.
Installing insulating plates or spacer construc-
tions between the damper and pipe can further
reduce the heat transfer into the damper, thus
reducing the operating temperature.
Pipework dampers should be mounted at the
locations where experience or detailed calcula-
tions show that the largest displacements (anti-
nodes) will occur. Considering the first natural
frequency and mode shape, this is often also
the place where the largest thermal expansion
occurs. In most cases, it is better to employ
several smaller dampers instead of one big
damper, and to distribute them over several
points of support [8]. As a result, more mode
shapes can be effectively dampened. Even in
cases where dampers are installed close to
nodal points with no linear displacements,
Pipework dampers do affect the piping, as they
also provide rotational damping resistances. In
order to avoid the transfer of moments to the
pipe, they may be used symmetrically in
tandem arrangement as shown in figure 7.
Dampers must always be installed upright.
They can be mounted below, above, or beside
the pipe. Due to velocity proportional behavior,
they do not support static loads. These loads
have to be supported by other components, for
example, pipe hangers, sliding bearings, or
constant hangers.
Figure 7: Damper arrangements
The most important qualities of the Pipework
dampers can be summarized as follows:
• Effectiveness in all 6 degrees of freedom.
• High damping forces with shock-type
excitations.
At great load rates that occur in
emergency cases, the Pipework dampers
develop high resistances forces. As a
result, unacceptable deflections, e.g.
during earthquakes, aircraft crash or
pressure pulse, are suppressed.
• Damping of operational vibrations.
Pipework dampers increase the overall
damping of piping systems. They are
effective in emergencies, as well as during
operational vibrations.
• Immediate response without delay, time
lag or minimum response shift.
The piston is always in contact with the
damping medium, so that the damper
responds immediately as a dynamic
restraint.
• Small resistance forces during slow move-
ments. Pipeline movements due to thermal
expansions are not hindered.
• Maintenance free
Pipework dampers are virtually mainte-
nance free, since they are simply
designed, have no wearing parts, and the
damping media are not susceptible to
aging.
Damper Design and Selection
Dampers may be selected with or without
numerical verification.
If no proof or verification is required, the
damper selection will be made for a linear
system with one degree of freedom, based on
the nominal load of the damper. Shock loads
must be smaller than the nominal load of the
respective damper. If shock loads are
unknown, the so-called 1g-criterium is applied.
Under the assumption that no acceleration
Plim + Plex 2003, New Orleans, USA
larger than 1g occurs in the significant
frequency range up to 40 Hz, the weight of the
pipe or pipe section is used as the shock load.
If a numerical verification is needed, FEM
programs are available to represent the piping
system with all of its components. Some
programs are able to work with velocity pro-
portional damping forces, which act on indivi-
dual points of the structure. In those cases, the
energy-dissipating characteristics of the
damper can be taken into account. Examples
of those programs are ANSYS and dPipe.
Therefore, viscous dampers can be considered
during the design phase of a piping system.
However, they can also be installed into
existing piping.
Procedure for the Reduction of Opera-
tional Vibrations
The procedure for the reduction of operational
vibrations is depicted in figure 8. The evalua-
tion is performed in accordance to ANSI /
ASME requirements. The structural analysis is
carried out using a computation model that
was adapted, as well as possible, to real
measurements [9]. Unreliable load parameters
are determined as conservatively as possible.
Figure 8: Procedure for the reduction of operational
vibrations [10]
The goal of the damper selection is to optimize
the introduced damping in such a way that the
"decisive", mostly low-frequency modes
receive the maximal possible modal damping.
Because of the energy dissipation, the modes
that play the more substantial part in the
dynamic response are significantly reduced.
Deflections are unable to build up, and
resonance effects are softened.
By installing as many dampers as necessary,
damping can be selectively inserted into the
structure at optimal positions. Several “dange-
rous” modes are effectively reduced, and
resonance effects are eliminated. This practice
reduces metal fatigue of the piping, and
therefore, increases the service life of all
related pipe components.
In existing plants, this practice must be
complemented by site inspections to find a
compromise between the optimal, calculated
mounting points, and the installation options
feasible on site. The use of viscous fluid
dampers to reduce operational vibrations was
applied with great success on feed water lines
at the NPP PAKS, Hungary, figure 9. The
reduction of stress and deflections are shown
in figures 10 and 11.
Figure 9: NPP PAKS, Hungary, Feed-water piping
The subsequent installation of dampers
increases the service life of the piping system.
In addition, earthquake safety is improved.
Figure 10 depicts how the dampers effectively
reduce the stress values in the pipe. It is also
clear that the success of the measure depends
on the optimal selection of the dampers.
Plim + Plex 2003, New Orleans, USA

240

220 without VES VES VES VES

dampers 20(1)/10(2)/2.5(3) 20(1)/10(2)/5(3) 20(1)/20(2)/10(3) 30(1)/20(2)/10(3)
200

180

160
allowable 2 x Sa = 170 N/mm2
Stress [N/mm²]

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
169

301

110

228

169

228
110

361

361

110

228

361

110

228

361

301

228
39

39

39
Nodal point

Figure 10: Comparison Stress levels

2,4

2,2 Effective Values of Displacement

2
15,15 m Level

1,8

without dampers
Displacement [mm]

1,6

1,4 with dampers

1,2

0,8

0,6

0,4

0,2

0
15
23
56
57
74
93
115
127
141
152
174
186
196
204
211
245
265
275
290
303
318
333
335
344
378
383
426
432
512
516
616
626
656
666
696
706
733
746
786
926

Nodal point

Figure 11: Comparison Displacements

Plim + Plex 2003, New Orleans, USA

Figure 11 shows again the success of the
procedure by comparing the deflections with
and without dampers. The deflections could
be reduced to 10% of their initial values.
Conclusions
For decades, Pipework Dampers have suc-
cessfully protected piping and components
against impermissible operational vibrations,
shocks, and earthquakes. They are able to
provide selectively punctual damping, and are
inherent to the design pipe support concepts in
power and chemical plants.
Optimal results can be achieved when exact
data of the operating temperature and thermal
expansions are available, and when proper
support points are found. Measurements or
piping calculations usually provide sufficient
information for proper damper design and
optimal damper location.
Dampers can be considered during the design
phase of a plant or subsequently in the event
of unforeseen vibration problems.
[6] Reinsch, K.-H.; Barutzki, F.: Dämpfung
von Schwingungen in Rohrleitungs-
systemen. Handbuch „Rohrleitungs-
technik“ – 6. Ausgabe, 1994, S. 142-
147, Vulkan-Verlag Essen.
[7] Kuitzsch, W., Delinic, K.; Zerrmayr, F.:
Die Reduzierung von Rohrleitungs-
schwingungen im Betrieb und in Störfall.
VDI Berichte Nr. 603, S. 263-292, 1986.
[8] Delinic, K.: Eigenschwingungsverhalten
von Strukturen bei Einsatz von Dämp-
fern. VDI Berichte Nr. 627, S. 375-401,
1987.
[9] Katona, T.; Ratkai, S; Zeitner, W.;
Richter, G.; Delnic, K; Reinsch, K.-H.:
Reduktion der Betriebsschwingungen
der Speisewasserleitung des KKW
Paks. 20 MPA–Seminar, Stuttgart 1994.
[10] Zeitner, W.; Katona, T.: Ratkai, S.;
Reinsch., K.-H.: Reduction of operational
Vibrations. ENS TOPSAFE 95,
Budapest 1995.
[11] Guideline KTA 3205.3: Component
Support Structures with Non-integral
Connections. Part 3: Series-Production
Standard Supports. Carl Heymanns
Verlag, Köln, 1989.
[12] TÜV Hannover / Sachsen-Anhalt e.V.:
TÜV performance Test of VISCO-
DAMPERS. Manufactured by GERB,
Berlin. Test Certificate No. T08-91-12,
Rev. 2, January 1999.

Bibliography
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viskoser Dämpfer. VGB Kraftwerks-
technik 69, Heft 10, Okt. 1989.
[2] Gamble, R.M.; Tagart, S.W.: A Method
to Assign Failure Rates for Piping
Reliability Assessment. PVP-Vol. 215,
Fatigue, Fracture, and Risk, ASME
1991.
[3] Seligman, D.; Guillou, J.: Flow induced
vibration in a PWR piping system.
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Alegre, Brazil, August 13-18, 1995.
[4] Requirements for Preoperational and
Initial Start-up Vibration Testing of
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