Numerical Modeling Of Water Hammer Pressure Waves In Steel Pipes

Steel pipelines used in the transport of pressurized fluids may be weakened due to mechanical collisions with external objects, which may lead to leakage or rupture of the system and cause human, economic and environmental disasters. In the pipeline network, the malfunction of the compressor, the fracturing of the pipe or the sudden change in valve status (opening or closing) produces a rapid flow that induces a pressure wave that could trigger the pipe to vibrate and hence to burst. This phenomenon is known as water hammer. In order to model the water hammer effect induced by instant valve closure/ opening at the end of a tube, the Method of Characteristic technique (MOC) is applied to mathematical models that define the transient flow of three separate fluids conveyed by a pipe assumed to have linear elastic behavior. In the equation, small time intervals are used to model the pressure spectrum caused by the water hammer phenomena with good precision. These results show that the valve's quick closing / opening can have a significant effect on the pressure range in the pipe, which can cause pipeline failure particularly in the case of defect.