Water-hammer in the Pump Pipeline System with and without an Air-Chamber

Abstract

When the pumps stopped in the operation by the power failure, the hydraulic transients take place in the sudden change of a velocity of pipe line. Each and every water hammer problem shows the critical stage to be greatly affected the facts of safety and reliability in case of power failure. The field tests of the water hammer executed at Cheong-Yang booster pump station having an air chamber. The effects were studied by both the practical experiments and the CFD(Computational Fluid Dynamics : Surge 2008). The result states that the system with water hammering protection equipment was much safer when power failure happens. The following data by a computational fluid dyna- mic analysis are to be shown below, securing the system stability and integrity. (1) With water hammering protection equipment. ① Change of pressure : Up to 15.5 kg/cm 2 in contrary to estimating 16.88 kg/cm 2 . ② Change rate of water level : 52~33% in contrary to estimating 55~27%. ③ Note that the operational pressure of pump runs approx. 145 m, lowering 155 m of the regularity head of pump. ④ Note that the cycle of water hammering delays from 80 second to 100 second, together with easing the function of air value at the pneumatic lines. (2) Change of pressure without water hammering protection equipment : Approximate 22.86 kg/cm 2 . The comprehensive result says that the computa- tional fluid dynamics analysis would match well with the practical field-test. It was able to predict Max. or Min. water hammering time in a piping system. This study aims effectively to alleviate water hammering in a pipe line to be installed with air chamber at the pumping station and results in making the stability of pump system in the end.