Water Hammer Analysis

By
Dr. Ajit Pratap Singh
Civil Engineering Group
BITS Pilani

WATER HAMMER

When water flowing in a long pipe is suddenly brought to rest

by closing the valve or by any similar cause then there will
be sudden rise in the pressure of the moving water being
destroyed. This causes a wave of high pressure to be
transmitted along the pipe which creates noise called as
KNOCKING.

This phenomenon of sudden rise in pressure in the pipe is

known as water hammer or hammer blow.

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 When water is moving quickly through a pipe and the faucet is
turned off, the water is forced to stop. But instead of coming to
an abrupt stop, it bounces against the closed valve, creating a
wave of pressure that moves back and forth within the pipe.
The rate at which the wave bounces is determined by the pipe's
resonant frequency, a natural frequency of vibration that is, in
turn, determined by several factors, including its length and
shape.

The rise in pressure in some cases may be so high that the pipe may even
burst and therefore essential to take into account this pressure rise in the
design of pipes.
The magnitude of the pressure rise depends on the following factors
- The speed with which the valve is closed.
- The velocity of flow
- The length of the pipe
- The elastic properties of pipe material as well as the flowing fluid.
The valve may be closed either gradually or instantaneously.

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 According to the nature of closure the expressions for
calculating the pressure head due to water hammer may be
developed .
1.GRADUAL CLOSURE OF VALVE:
Let the pipe of length ‘L’ and cross sectional area ‘a’ carrying
a liquid flowing with a velocity. Due to gradual closure of the
valve let the liquid is brought to rest in time ‘t’ seconds
Therefore the total mass of liquid contained in the pipe is
w (aL) /g

It is assumed that rate of closure of valve is so adjusted that liquid column in

the pipe is brought to rest with a uniform retardation from an initial velocity to
zero in ‘t’ seconds .
The rate of retardation = (V / t)
The axial force available for producing retardation is
inertia pressure * cross sectional area
= Pi*a
But the force = mass*retardation
Pi*a = (waL)V / (gt)
=> (Pi / w) = (LV / gt)
where (Pi / W) = Inertia head

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 2. PRESSURE GROWTH DUE TO QUICK CLOSURE OF
THE VALVE IN AN ELASTIC PIPE

First truck stopped

Distance All trucks stopped

As shown in the figure if the head of a loosely coupled trucks is

suddenly checked the following trucks still keep on moving until
all the gap between them has been covered and then whole train
will come to rest i.e. last truck will travel certain distance even
after the first truck has stopped.
(A)

Normal flow condition of the liquid in the pipe with normal

velocity ‘V’ under normal pressure ‘p’ at the moment just before
the valve at the end ‘B’ is instantaneously shut.

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 (B)

pi/w

M B

Condition immediately after the valve b is closed. Thus a wave of

inertia pressure has begun to travel with velocity Vo in the
upstream direction which results in compressing the water and
expanding the pipe. Mean while the liquid on the left of
advancing wave continues to move as nothing has happened to it.

HGL
Vo

M B

Wave advanced further on the upstream side with a velocity ‘Vo’

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 (D)

M M’ B

dL D+dD
Now liquid in the entire pipe is at rest under the pressure p + pi.
The whole of pipe having been distended under this pressure.

The pressure rise due to quick closure of the valve causes radial
expansion of the walls of an elastic pipe. The longitudinal and
circumferintial stresses are produced.

If dt is the time required to stop the liquid column. So in this time the liquid
column moves through a distance dL.
Let dqc= the volume by which the liquid is compressed due to pressure pi
dqe = the additional volume provided by stretching of the pipe walls under
pressure pi.
dD = the resulting increase in the pipe.
dt = time for pressure wave to traverse the pipe.
T = the thickness of wall.
E = Young’s modulus for the material of the pipe.
ft = tensile hoop stress in the pipe walls due to pressure pi.
1/m = poisson’s ratio

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 The strain in the direction of hoop stress or circumferential strain is
given by
dD/D = ft(1- (1/2m)) / E
as circumferential or hoop stress ft = piD/2T
dQ = dqe+ dqc
on substituting the values in the above expression the inertia
pressure is given by
pi = wLV/gdt
wLV
dt 
gp i
V
pi 
g 1 D  1 
 1  
w  k TE  2m 


If elasticity of the pipe material is not considered then the term

D/TE(1- 1/2m) may be neglected. Then the equation becomes
Pi = V (wK/g)
The above equation represents the maximum pressure rise for
instantaneous closure of the valve . However maximum pressure
rise is independent of dimensions of the pipe but depends on the
initial velocity of flow of liquid and its physical characteristics.
The velocity of the compressive wave Vo = L/dt. Again if the
term D/TE(1 – 1/2m) is neglected then Vo = gK/w
L g
Vo  
dt 1 D  1 
w  1  
 k TE  2m 
gk k
Vo  
w ρ

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 Which is identical with the velocity of the propagation of sound wave in the
liquid.
Rapid closure is meant any time t <= 2L/Vo
Valve closure is said to be gradual if t > 2L/Vo
where Vo is the velocity of pressure wave.
By substituting Vo in the expression for Pi the expression for the inertia head
may be obtained.
hi = Pi/w = (V Vo)/g
This is known as Allievi formula.
Further as an approximation if poisson’s ratio is not considered then
circumferential strain is given by

Pi = V/ g/w(1/K + D/TE)
If the elasticity of the pipe material is not considered the term D/TE
may be neglected.

Please solve example problems 11.15 and 11.16 which are based on
Water hammer analysis.

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 THANK YOU

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