Liquid Hammer

Refrigeration is all about phase change

- So is Liquid Hammer

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Liquid Hammer
Opening and Closing Valves in Liquid Lines
Pressure spike 2

High pressure
Subcooled liquid Cold vapour

Pressure Pressure
spike 1 spike 2

Estimation of pressure spikes:

(mass) x (original velocity-0) MxV
P = Time needed to bring liquid to rest = T It is more
Pressure spike 1 important to open
T  0,02 sec approx. closing time for solenoid valve valves slowly
rather than close
Pressure spike 2
Condensing (collapsing) vapour
slowly
P= MxV
T T  0 => P  

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Liquid Hammer
Collapse of Vapour in Liquid Lines

SVA stop valve exposed

to frequent liquid hammer
caused by collapsing
vapour in liquid line

Pressure spike

High pressure
Subcooled liquid
Cold vapour

Pressure spike Pressure spike

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Liquid Hammer
Hot Gas Defrost on All Systems

Hot gas Hot gas

Liquid
M
Hot gas
Hot gas
MRV
Motor valve Hot gas

To ”wet” suction line

Max. 6 bar CVC

EVM CVC back pressure regulator
To evaporator 10 bar

PM

Recommended guidelines:
• Keep hot gas lines drained for liquid
• Avoid liquid traps
• Consider using slow opening hot gas valves (MRV motor valve)
• Consider using back pressure regulators on hot gas lines

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Liquid Hammer
Collapse of Vapour in Liquid Lines

A Previous FA filter insert exposed to liquid hammer

caused by collapsing vapour in liquid line

B New version of FA filter inserts (different size FA

filter) with improved strength against liquid hammer
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Liquid Hammer

Condensed Liquid in Hot Gas Lines

Hot gas Hot gas

Liquid

Internal parts from solenoid valve

exposed to liquid hammer from
condensed liquid in hot gas lines.
Typical damage
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Liquid Hammer

Condensed Liquid in Hot Gas Lines

Hot gas Hot gas

Liquid

Solenoid valve in hot gas line

exposed to liquid hammer from
condensed liquid in hot gas line
Dangerous damage
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Liquid Hammer

Condensed Liquid in Hot Gas Lines

Hot gas Hot gas

Liquid

A EVM pilot valve exposed to condensed liquid in

hot gas line. Pressure ”spike” Ps > 220 bar

B New improved EVM can handle pressure ”spikes”

of 600 bar
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Liquid Hammer

Liquid Hammer in Hot Gas Lines

Liquid hammer in hot gas line has caused serious

deformation of the teflon seat under the piston
The valve was returned because of leaking problems with
the EVM hot gas pilot

Note!
Deformation

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Liquid Hammer

Hot Gas Defrost Liquid Overfeed Systems

p le
xam
n e
atio
p lic
Ap ”Wet” suction

Hotgas under
liquid

Liquid supply

Hot gas

Recommended guidelines:
Never inject hot gas under liquid
• Vapour in front of liquid may collapse and vapour propelled liquid might
”hammer” into valves, bends etc. and cause serious damage.

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Liquid Hammer

Hot Gas Under Liquid at Hot Gas Defrost

PM valve in suction line used as

pressure regulator and on/off
solenoid valve
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Liquid Hammer

Hot Gas Under Liquid at Hot Gas Defrost

Hotgas under
liquid

PM valve used as defrost pressure

regulator Pressure ”spike” (Ps) at
liquid hammer: Ps > 500 bar

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Liquid Hammer

Hot Gas Under Liquid at Hot Gas Defrost

Hotgas under
liquid

PM valve in drain line

used as pressure
regulator during defrost

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Liquid Hammer

Glass Evaporator at Danfoss Customer Center

Illustrates liquid and vapour locations in an

evaporator during operation

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Liquid Hammer

Glass Evaporator at Danfoss Customer Center

Illustrates liquid and vapour locations in

an evaporator during operation

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Liquid Hammer

Glass Evaporator at Danfoss Customer Center

Illustrates liquid and vapour locations

in an evaporator during operation

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Liquid Hammer

Flooded Evaporators Hot Gas Defrost

Problems seen on hot gas
initiation:
• Leaking gaskets on valves and
Collapsing vapour
Hot gas flange connections
Liquid
• Retightening of flanges
Coil Suction necessary
• Possible valve damage
• Possible coil damage

Counter measures/Guidelines:
• Evacuate most liquid before
opening hot gas valve (Pump
Impact down)
• Let liquid ”settle” in bottom of
Liquid evaporator without vapour
boubles (timer)
Impact • Use slow opening hot gas
valves (motor valve type
MRV) or use back pressure
regulators on hot gas line
(PM+CVC)
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Liquid Hammer

Liquid Hammer in Connection With Hot

Gas Defrost

• Gasket from valves which have been

leaking because of liquid hammer
• The gaskets were changed several
times
• The gasket assemblies had to be
retightened several times
• On the same plant was many identical
valves and gasket assemblies in the
same application that never leaked

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Liquid Hammer

Hot Gas Defrost Liquid Overfeed Systems

p le
xam
n e ”Wet” suction
tio
p il ca
Ap No solenoid
valve

Liquid supply

Hot gas

Recommended guidelines:
Use solenoid valve in the liquid supply line
• No pump down can be performed
• Two step suction line valves might not open step two as evaporator
pressure cannot be pumped down only with suction valve step one open
• When evaporator is full of liquid, it is most vulnerable to vapour propelled
liquid
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Liquid Hammer

Closing Times for Hot Gas Powered

Solenoid Valves
Valve Approx. Closing times in s at -40°C
R22 R717
PML(X) 32 15 45
PML(X) 40 25 75
PML(X) 50 43 129
PML(X) 65 85 255
PML(X) 80 80 240
PML(X) 100 130 390
PML(X) 125 230 690

Closing times for hot gas powered solenoid

valves depend on pressures and
temperatures.
Condensed liquid on piston needs to drain,
while evaporating

PMLX two step suction valve exposed to hot gas with

vapour propelled liquid while it is closing.
Result of opening hot gas injection before suction valve has
finished closing
High amounts of energy are lost while both hot gas line and
suction lines are open
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Liquid Hammer

Hot Gas Defrost Liquid Overfeed Systems

p le
xam
ione
t
lica ”Wet” suction
p
Ap

Liquid supply

Hot gas

Recommended guidelines:
• Inject hot gas upon liquid
• Use solenoid valve in the liquid line
• Make pump down before opening for hot gas
• Waiting time while suction valve close before open hot gas and keep fans running
• Waiting time before opening hot gas with fans stopped to make liquid settle
• Close liquid supply every time fans stops to avoid too much liquid in evaporator
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Liquid Hammer

Hot Gas Defrost Control / Sequence

Recommended guidelines !
Flooded air coolers

LIQUID SUCTION HOT GAS FAN TIMER REMARK

EVRA/T PMLX - GPS EVRA/T - PM SEC
COOLING OPEN OPEN CLOSED ON COOLING
REQUEST FOR DEFROST CLOSED OPEN CLOSED ON 120-600 EVACUATION OF LIQUID (PUMP DOWN)
TIME DEPENDING ON EVAPORATOR SIZE
CLOSED CLOSING CLOSED ON 45-700 CLOSING TIME FOR HOT GAS POWERED
SUCTION VALVE. TIME DEPENDING ON VALVE SIZE
REFRIGERANT AND EVAPORATING TEMPERATURE
CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED OFF 10-20 ALLOWING LIQUID TO SETTLE IN BOTTOM
OF EVAPORATOR WITHOUT VAPOUR BOUBLES
DEFROST CLOSED CLOSED OPEN OFF 1200-1800 DEFROST TIMER DEPENDS ON APPLICATION
STOP DEFROST CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED OFF 60-200 DRAIN TIME - PRESSURE EQUALISING
CLOSED OPEN CLOSED OFF 100-300 TWO STEP SUCTION VALVE OPENS SLOWLY
STATIC COOLING 1.(FREEZING WATER DROPS)
OPEN OPEN CLOSED OFF 60-100 STATIC COOLING 2.(FREEZING WATER DROPS)
COOLING OPEN OPEN CLOSED ON COOLING

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Liquid Hammer

Cavitation/Flashing

Vena Contracta
P1V1 VvcPvc P2V2

Important factors:
• The pressence of vapour
Vvc boubles in the liquid
before valve
VELOCITY (v)

• Vapour pressure:
depends on subcooling
V1 V2
• Pressure at vena
contracta: depends on
pressure drop over valve
Collapse of bubbles
Creation of bubbles
P1 P2 => Cavitation in valve • Pressure recovery: valve
PRESSURE (P)

design/selection and
Vapour pressure pressure drop
P2 => Flashing in valve
Pvc

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Liquid Hammer

Cavitation

Important factors:
• Small leaks or dirt makes
”wire drawing”
• Pressure drop over valve in
Cavitation damage/ liquid line
wire drawing
Cavitation damage on orifice in
EVM solenoid valves and TEA
expansion valve orifice

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Liquid Hammer

Cavitation/Erosion

Cavitation damage: TEAT Liquid injection oil cooling on

expansion valve orifice screw compressor

Important factors:
• Subcooling of the liquid (vapour pressure
at vena contracta)
• Low velocity in liquid line
• No vapour boubles in liquid line
• Stable condensing pressure, quick
variations makes vapour boubles
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Liquid Hammer

Cavitation

Wire drawing

Cavitation damage on NRVA check valves

• Small leaks creates wire drawing
• Dirt can create small leaks

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Liquid Hammer

Cavitation

AKVA expansion valve nozzles

damaged by cavitation

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Liquid Hammer
Cavitation

Special ”soft” seat materials introduced

in AKVA orifices. The ”soft” seat is
special resistant against cavitation and
reduces the cavitation impact

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Liquid Hammer

Cavitation

Danfoss Industrial Refrigeration Research & Development

works on new valves
Cavitation and erosion in MEV test valve after 15 months of
testing on a R717 system.
The test shows clearly the need for the special soft cavitation
resistant material in the nozzle area.
The cone is also exposed to cavitation and/or erosion, but the
small damage has no effect on the regulating capability.

Cavitation
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Liquid Hammer

Cavitation Erosion

MEV Test Motor Expansion Valve with Special Plast Orifice

After test as injection valve on NH3 flooded intermediate

cooler with pumps in 1 ½ year.
No traces of cavitation or erosion in valve orifice.
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Liquid Hammer

Fretting Corrosion

Parts from PMFL which got ”stuck”

The valve could periodically not regulate modulating,
due to increased friction caused by ”fretting corrosion”

Fretting corrosion in an
expansion valve

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Liquid Hammer

Erosion

Correct selection of valves can be

made with the DIRcalc program

Erosion damage on PM valve (pressure regulator). The

valve chosen to small leading to very high velocities.
The system contained large amount of impurities (dirt).
Liquid drops might have been present in the gas

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Liquid Hammer

Make Safe Systems

IIAR gives many very useful

guidelines in Bulletin No. 116

Recommended for all involved in Industrial Refrigeration

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