The water hammer in the long-distance steam supply pipeline: a computational fluid dynamics simulation

Abstract

In this paper, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation based on FLUENT software was performed to analyze the flow and heat transfer of the accident pipeline network in the water hammer burst accident of a thermal power plant in Jiangsu Province, China. Furthermore, the CFD simulation is also performed on the modified pipeline network to verify the effect of pipe network modification. The simulation results from the original accident pipeline show that in the accident pipeline, the steam velocity can reach up to 50 m/s due to the aggregation of liquid water. And when the high-velocity steam strikes the pipe elbow, it will lead to a sharp pressure change and cause the burst accident finally. Then it can be concluded that in the modified pipeline network, the distribution of temperature, pressure, and velocity at the pipe burst place is more uniform and reasonable. In addition, the simulation is also used to analyze the variable working conditions, which ensures that the new design of the pipe network can be used in more complex conditions. The paper is expected to guide the design of other similar pipelines and ensure the safe production and operation of thermal power plants.