Valve Selection for the Purpose of Reducing the Water Hammer Effect in a Pressurized Pipeline

Abstract

This paper discusses the gravity-fed hydraulic system, which consists of the upper reservoir, the lower reservoir, the pipeline, and valves. To achieve simpler and more efficient protection of a system against water hammer, it is advisable to establish conditions in which the pressure rises as little as possible during transient regimes without using any protective equipment. The discussion focuses on the pressure rise caused by different valve types: butterfly, needle, and ball valves, as well as two valve closure intervals -20 and 40 seconds. The systems considered have nominal diameters of DN 300 and DN 600. The problem was studied using a simulation of unsteady flow regimes of hydraulic transport. The obtained results regarding the maximum pressure rise due to water hammer were used to select the most satisfactory control valve for the considered hydraulic system.