SURGE CONTROL STRATEGIES FOR

WASTEWATER CONVEYANCE SYSTEMS

water resource specialists

Overview

Consequences of surge events

Events that create pressure surges
Surge control strategies
Surge analysis objectives and criteria
Surge analysis projects
Concluding remarks / Q&A
Consequences of pressure surges

High positive
pressure can rupture
pipe
Increased thrust
force can damage
joints
Negative pressure
can collapse pipe
Can cause flow
reversal
Events that create pressure surges in
wastewater systems
Pump power failure (creates the worst-
case surge events)
Pump shutdown/startup
Pipeline rupture
Pump operating at 1420 gpm (v = 4 ft/s)
Time = 1 sec

Air Tank
Air valve
valve

6800 ft long,
Pump 12-inch diameter
Station PVC pipeline
Drop in pressure proportional to
reduction in flow velocity
Pressure drop wave Joukowsky Equation: Time = 2.3 sec

Drop in pressure head (Δh) = a/g Δv

Δh

a = acoustic wavespeed for PVC pipe (1300 to 1500 ft/sec)

g = gravitational acceleration
Δv = change in velocity (v) of flow in pipeline
Pressure drops low enough to open
air valve
Time = 3.8 sec

1st air valve opens

HGL drops sufficiently below pipeline to
create vapor pressure
Time = 4.6 sec

2nd air valve opens

Vapor cavity formation and

water column separation
Water hammer wave reflection re-
pressurizes pipeline between air valves
Time = 5.6 sec

Pipeline re-pressurized by
water hammer wave reflection

Water columns rejoin and

Vapor cavity collapse
Water column rejoinder causes
vapor cavities to collapse
Positive pressure spike created- Time = 6.4 sec
impossible to accurately predict

Vapor pressure should be avoided

Controlled venting sewage vacuum
relief valves
Regulates air outflow to ensure gentle closure of air valves

(Courtesy of Vent-O-Mat)

(Courtesy of ARI) (Courtesy of APCO)

Flywheel

Motor

Flywheel

Vertical drive shaft to pump on

lower level
Pressurized Surge Tank
Pressure / Surge Relief Valve

Opens quickly when pressure

exceeds set point pressure and
closes slowly when it subsides
Variable Frequency Drive
Backup Generator

(Courtesy of MTU Onsite Energy)

Surge Tower/Standpipe
Objectives of Surge Analysis

Identify potential adverse surge pressures

If needed, recommend additional surge
control measures

Air entrainment in wastewater

Recommend safe startup and shutdown

procedures for pumps
Surge Control Design Criteria

Limit positive surge pressures to ~30

percent over the larger of static, working,
or rated pressure

Eliminate large negative pressures and

vapor pressure
Kihei 10 Wastewater PS Renovation
(County of Maui, HI)
 Parallel 12” diameter, 2,700’ long, proposed
PVC and backup DIP force mains
 3 X submersible pumps (1800 gpm @ 150’ )
 Swing check valves
 VFDs
 Sewage combination air/vacuum valve on
discharge header
Movie - Power failure without additional
surge protection (PVC)
Power failure without additional surge
protection (PVC)
Surge control alternatives
Provide satisfactory protection for both PVC and DIP force mains scenarios
Strategy 1 Strategy 2
(preferred)
Device involved 7 Controlled 100 ft3 surge
venting VVs tank with a
controlled
venting VV

Negative -16’ -10’

pressure heads
Pros/cons High level of force mains
maintenance subjected to less
stress; prolongs
effective life of
infrastructure;
less
maintenance
Movie - Power failure with surge tank (PVC), negative
pressure heads controlled to -10 ft
Power failure with surge tank (PVC)
Movie - Power failure with controlled venting vacuum relief
valves (PVC), negative pressure heads controlled to -16 ft
Power failure with vacuum valves(PVC)
Main Wastewater PS (Lexington, MA)
 Noise from force main
 Possible causes of noise -
transient events created
by
 Pump shutdown (no VFDs)
 Accumulated air (manual air
release valves)

 24” dia., 5,850’ long, DIP

force main
 3 X vertical centrifugal
pumps (3500 gpm @ 135’)
Movie - Pump shutdown (power failure)
without surge protection
Pump shut down (power failure) without
surge protection
Surge control alternatives
Strategy 1 Strategy 2 Strategy 3
(preferred)
Device involved 8 Controlled 2.5’ dia. X13” 396 ft3 surge
venting VVs and thick flywheels tank with 2
a surge relief controlled
valve
venting VVs
Negative -17’ -16’ -13’
pressure heads
Effectiveness at Least effective Moderately Most effective
controlling effective
pressure/noise
Pros/cons Requires the Introduces force main
highest level of harmonic issues subjected to
maintenance when installed less stress;
with VFDs prolongs
Additional recommendation: effective life of
automatic air release valves at infrastructure;
high points less
maintenance
Movie – Pump shutdown (power failure) with surge
tank, negative pressure heads controlled to -13 ft
Pump shutdown (power failure) with surge tank,
negative pressure heads controlled to -13 ft
Comparisons of pressure heads at
Pump Station
450

400

350
Loss of power to
pumps
300

250
Pressure Head (ft)

200

150

100

50

-20 ft
-50
No surge protection Surge Tank Flywheel Sewage vacuum valve with controlled venting feature

-100
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Time (sec)
Large diameter, multiple pump stations
system near San Francisco, CA
 Four wastewater pumps stations (Qtotal = 89 MGD)
 Force main diameters ranging between 30” and 60”
 HDPE and DIP force main alternatives
Movie - Power failure without
surge protection (HDPE)
Power failure without surge protection
(HDPE)
Surge control recommendations
Force main HDPE DIP
Material

Device involved 1500 ft3 - 2700 ft3 1500 ft3 - 2700 ft3
surge tanks at 3 surge tanks at all
out of 4 pump pump stations
stations
2 controlled
3 controlled venting VVs
venting VVs

Negative -11’ -8’

pressure heads
Movie - Power failure with
surge protection (HDPE)
Power failure with surge protection
(HDPE)
Concluding Remarks

 Many surge control options available

 Proper selection and installation are important
 Surge control strategy could involve multiple
devices
 Surge control device can maximize effective life of
infrastructure
Northwest Hydraulic Consultants
80 South Lake Avenue, Suite 800
Pasadena, California 91101
Tel: (626) 440-0080
www.nhcweb.com
Contact: Nami Tanaka, P.E.
ntanaka@nhcweb.com

water resource specialists

Valve closure creates upsurge and
downsurge

Tank
Tank

Flow
Control
Valve
Valve opening creates downsurge and
upsurge

Tank
Tank

Flow
Control
Valve
Dampened Swing Check Valve

Oil controlled bottom buffer recommended

when surge tank installed
Pressure Surge Analysis Computer
Model
 Method of Characteristics (MOC)
 Highest level of accuracy
 Extensively verified in lab and field
 Thousands of real-world systems
 Well suited to multi-core processors
Data Requirements

1. Pump performance curves

2. Pump and motor polar moment of inertia
3. Pipe length, diameter, friction factor, wavespeed
4. Pipeline alignment and elevation drawings
5. High and low tank/reservoir/clearwell levels
6. Pump station plan and elevation drawings
7. Diameter, manufacturer, and model number for existing
valves (e.g., check, air, relief, etc.)
8. Whether or not pumps have VFD’s, soft start/stops or
control valves
9. Junction demands
Pump Startup

Static HGL