Charts for water hammer in high head pump discharge lines resulting from pump failure and check valve closure

Abstract

Maximum pressure head drops and rises resulting from pump failure and subsequent check valve closure are calculated and plotted for a simple pump discharge line at pump end, midpoint, and three-quarter point. Basic parameters such as pipeline constant, pipe wall friction, complete pump characteristics, and pump inertia constant are accounted for in the analyses. Computer studies indicate that pipe friction, pipeline constant, and pump inertia have a major effect on pressure head drops and rises.Studies indicate further that whereas for large pump inertia the pressure head rise or drop at the midpoint is only moderately larger than one-half of the rise or drop at pump end, for small pump inertia this difference is much greater. For very small pump inertia, the pressure head drop or rise at midpoint approaches the values at pump end. This increase in pressure head drop and rise for very small pump inertia is even more pronounced at the three-quarter point.