Simulating flow through scour valve in the water distribution networks

Abstract

ABSTRACT In water distribution networks, the scour valves are used to flush out the sediments and contaminants accumulated over a period of time. Frequent operation of the scouring valves is needed for the effective maintenance of the system and efficient operation of the network. Sometimes, the draining of water is also necessary to repair broken components such as pipes and appurtenances or to perform regular maintenance. The sizing of the scour valve, its placement, and the actual number are a judgment decision by the design engineer. Generally, scour valves are located at the lowest elevated point to drain off the water by gravity. The scour valve will have a connection with a pipe on one side and on the other side it faces the atmosphere in order to drain off the water to an open drain. In the present available hydraulic simulation software, no provision is made to study the flow behavior of scour valve though there are options available for other types of valves such as flow control valve (FCV), pressure reducing valve (PRV), pressure sustaining valve (PSV), pressure breaker valve (PBV), throttle control valve (TCV) and general-purpose valve (GPV). This paper proposes a simple approach to study the flow through scour valve in the water distribution network by connecting the scour locations with an artificial reservoir using an artificial pipe consisting of a check valve. The proposed arrangement shows the rate of flow through scour valve and also it is able to assess the velocity of flow in the pipelines and to calculate the time of emptying the water during scouring. The simulation analysis of the proposed sequence of the artificial elements in the network is illustrated using three water distribution networks.