Parameters affecting water hammer in metal pipelines

Abstract

The water hammer related to rapid wave pressure changes in hydraulic systems have been subjected to intensive research for more than a hundred years. Nevertheless, a large number of new papers appear each year. Current literature indicates model differences resulting from the used material of the pipe. In the hydraulic machinery, elastic (metal) pipes are usually used, while water transport in water supply system is currently realized with pipes whose deformation of the walls is viscoelastic. In this paper, the individual and group impact of all parameters influencing the results of numerical modelling of the water hammer occurring in the pipes will be analysed. The method of characteristics will be used to solve partial differential equations describing the flow.