Developments in multiple-valve water-hammer control

Abstract

This paper investigates multiple-valve closures in a simple reservoir-valve-pipeline-valve system. Multiple closing (or opening) of valves may induce large positive or low negative pressure waves due to wave interference (superposition of the waves). The effect of multiple-valve closure can be either beneficial or detrimental, with the outcome being entirely dependent on the position of the valves and the sequence and delay of the closures. Valves are incorporated as boundary conditions in the method of characteristics model. The staggered (diamond) grid with consideration of unsteady skin friction is applied. Experimental investigations of multiple-valve induced water-hammer have been performed in the University of Montenegro laboratory pipeline apparatus. The apparatus consists of an upstream end high-pressurized tank, horizontal steel pipeline (length 55.37 m, inner diameter 18 mm), four valve units positioned along the pipeline including the end points, and a downstream end tank. The transient event is initiated first by rapid closure of the downstream-end valve followed by the delayed closure of the upstream-end valve. Calculated and measured results are compared and discussed in the light of the effects of pressure wave interference.