Pulsation dampening system for a reciprocating pump

A reciprocating pump system comprising:

• a reciprocating pump with a piston-cylinder assembly, the piston-cylinder assembly operable to pressurize a working fluid and having an outlet;
• and
• a pressure pulsation dampening system comprising:
• a hydraulic cylinder having a piston movably disposed within a housing and dividing the housing into a working fluid chamber and a hydraulic fluid chamber, wherein the working fluid chamber is in fluid communication with the outlet;
• a valve in fluid communication with the hydraulic fluid chamber, the valve actuatable to a first configuration, wherein pressurized hydraulic fluid is supplied to the hydraulic fluid chamber, and to a second configuration, wherein hydraulic fluid is relieved from the hydraulic fluid chamber, and wherein fluid communication between the outlet and the hydraulic fluid chamber is restricted when the valve is in the first configuration and the second configuration;
• and
• a control unit configured to actuate the value to the first configuration in response to a pressure decrease at the outlet and to the second configuration in response to a pressure increase at the outlet;
• wherein the piston is movable relative to the housing under pressure from working fluid in the working fluid chamber and hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic fluid chamber, whereby working fluid is relieved from the outlet to the working fluid chamber and supplied to the outlet from the working fluid chamber.

A method for dampening pressure pulsations in a working fluid discharged by a pump, the method comprising:

• disposing a piston within a housing, the piston dividing the housing into a first chamber and a second chamber and being movable relative to the housing;
• providing fluid communication between an outlet of the pump and the first chamber;
• pressurizing the second chamber with a hydraulic fluid to a predetermined level;
• detecting a pressure decrease in the working fluid at the outlet;
• increasing the quantity of hydraulic fluid in the second chamber to thereby move the piston to decrease the volume of the first chamber in response to the detected pressure decrease;
• and
• increasing the pressure of the working fluid in the first chamber to the predetermined level as a result of the said increasing the quantity of hydraulic fluid in the second chamber.