1 What is a Surge Tank? Its Types, Definition, Functions, & Principles.

–Source
https://civilseek.com/surge-tank/

Surge tanks are installed on large pipelines to relieve excess pressure caused by water
hammer and to provide a supply of water to reduce negative pressure if a valve is
suddenly opened.

A simple surge tank is a vertical standpipe connected to a pipeline. The valve might
represent turbine gates which may open or close rapidly with changes in load on the
generators.

With steady flow in the pipe, the water level ‘Y1’, as shown in the below figure, in the
surge tank is below the static level (y = 0).

When the valve is suddenly closed, water rises in the surge tank. The water surface in
the tank then fluctuates up and down until damped out by fluid friction.

2 Surge Tanks Equation.

The energy equation for unsteady flow, neglecting fluid friction and velocity head in the
surge tank and loss at pipe and surge-tank entrances, can be written as

y + f * L / D * V2 / 2g + L / g * dV / dy * dy / dt = 0…….equation (1)

and the continuity equation as

AV = As * dy / dt…….equation (2)

where y is the water level in the surge tank measured from the static level (positive
upward), L, f, and D are characteristics of the pipe between the tank and the reservoir,

…and As is the cross-sectional area of the surge tank.

Combining these two equations, integrating, and solving for V yields.

V2 = 2gAD2 / LAsf2 ( 1 – fAs / AD * y) – Ce -(fAs / AD)y…….equation (3)

which expresses the relation between velocity in the pipe and water-surface level in the
tank over the interval from valve closure to the top of the first surge.

Equation (3) may be used to estimate the maximum height of surge ymax by finding the
constant of integration C for steady-state conditions at the instant of closure (y = y1)
and then solving for ymax when V = 0.

Since the derivation neglected tank friction and velocity head and entrance losses and
assumed instantaneous valve closure with all water-hammer effects dissipated in the
tank and not the pipe, the estimate of ymax will be too large.

However, the results provide a conservative estimate for preliminary design of simple
surge tanks.

3 Principles and Functions of Surge Tank.

Surge tanks are usually open at the top and of sufficient height so that they will not
overflow.

In some cases, overflow is permitted if the water can be disposed of without damage.

The bottom of the surge tank must be far enough below reservoir level so that the tank
contains water at all the times to prevent air from entering the pipe.

Surge tanks reduce the pressures only in the pipe from the tank to the reservoir, and
hence the tank should be as close to the turbine as possible.

A surge tank is not economical on an extremely high-head line because of the great
height of tank required.

In such cases, a decrease in the delivery of water to the turbine is best accomplished
by use of defection nozzles or bypasses, which do not require an immediate decrease
in flow through the pipe itself.

Surge tanks are often built partially or wholly underground.

An underground surge tank on the Appalachia project of the Tennessee Valley

Authority (TVA) is 233 ft high with a riser 16 ft in diameter and a tank 66 ft in diameter.

Exposed surge tanks are usually built of steel or reinforced concrete.

Surge chambers for tunnels may be excavated in the rock above the tunnel if geologic
conditions are favorable.
In cold climates, a surge tank must be protected from freezing. Electric heating units
have been used successfully for this purpose.

4 Types of Surge Tank.

 Simple Surge Tank.

The simple surge tank is often adequate for low heads, but under high heads some
modifications to improve the damping action and minimize cost are desirable.

 Restricted Orifice Surge Tank.

A restricted entry increases the damping action and reduces the initial surge.

If the tank is closed at the top, the air cushion absorbs a portion of the water hammer
and the tank need not be so high as a simple surge tank.

 Differential Surge Tank.

Differential surge tanks have a vertical riser about the same diameter as the pipe.
The flow of water into the main tank is limited by the capacity of openings in the riser or
an opening around the base of the riser.

Water levels fluctuate more rapidly in the riser than in the tank, with the result that the
fluctuations are out of phase and the oscillations in the riser are damped out more
quickly than in a simple surge tank.

The diameter of the outer tank of a differential surge tank needs to be only about 70
percent as great as that of a simple surge tank to achieve the same effect.

1 Gallery Surge Tanks.

In this type of surge tanks, extra storage galleries are constructed in it. They are
constructed above or below the surge tank level.

The above-constructed galleries are used to absorb the excess pressure.

And the below-constructed galleries are used to store excess water and release it at
the time of need.

2 Inclined Surge Tanks.

In this type, the surge tank is constructed with some inclination.

It is done when there is a limit in the height of the tank.

 Surge Tank Options 
source https://www.flo-dyne.net/pages/25_Surge_Tank_Other_Types.php

The purpose of a surge control tank is to provide a pre-determined amount of gas (often air)
and liquid (often water) at the moment a surge event occurs. The air and water volumes,
normally calculated by a hydraulic study which examines the hydraulics for the whole pipe
system, are chosen to mitigate the transient pressures during a surge event. When low pressures
occur in the connected piping the air in the tank will expand pushing the water into the system
to mitigate low pressures, when high pressures arise, the air in tank is compressed and acts like
a shock absorber to reduce the magnitude of the high pressures.

If the air and water volumes in the tank are not correct at the time of the surge event
then excessive high and low pressures will occur which can lead to pipes bursting or
pipes collapsing.

To ensure that the air/water volumes are correct, surge tanks are often provided with a
control system which will maintain the amounts of air and water at the required levels
within the tank at all times when the system is operating. There are many different
ways of providing such a control system with the most commonly used options being 5
Point Control and PV Control.

Bladder Type Surge Tanks 

An internal bladder is used within the tank to provide a barrier between the liquid and
the gas charge. The purpose of using a barrier type method is to prevent absorption of
the gas charge by the liquid and thereby maintain a fixed mass of gas within the
bladder under all operating conditions.
A bladder vessel is one of the simplest solutions available to provide a surge tank, the
absence of a control system means that it is a low maintenance solution.

The use of a bladder can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, the bladder
material may or may not be compatible with the liquid in the tank, it can be difficult to
detect if the bladder has failed, in which case the tank may not be providing any surge
protection at all, and with extreme ambient conditions the bladder may not provide the
correct gas volume needed to provide full surge protection.

A bladder tank is ideal for systems where the operating conditions, the system
configuration or ambient conditions do not generally reach extremes, such as where
the liquid freezes, or vaporises.

A bladder tank provide low cost of and is ideally suited to remote locations due to low
level of complexity of the equipment and the low level of skills required to perform
maintenance.

Compressor Type Surge Tanks 

A compressor type pressure surge tank is the generic, or common name, for a
pressure surge tank that is linked to an air compressor and level control system that
adjusts the liquid level in the vessel to some pre-determined requirement.

The level control system may be something as simple as a small control panel
mounted near to the equipment on the floor, or a nearby wall, perhaps using relay
logic, or something more complex that is remote from the equipment and uses a
programmable logic controller (PLC) within a main panel in the local control room.

In whatever manner the system is controlled the purpose of the control system is
always to ensure that the liquid level inside the surge vessel is at the correct position
when a pressure surge event occurs.
To do this the control system will control the addition of extra air, or the release of
excess air from the vessel in order to change the level up, or down, as may be
necessary.

Controlled Level Tank 

A controlled level tank is similar in operation to the P-V tank but instead of strictly
controlling the air volume according to the P-V law, a hybrid algorithm is used in which
the tank pressure is one of several inputs used to determine the liquid level that is
provided by the system.

This type of control system is ideal for systems where the operating conditions are
continuously changing and where the air/liquid volume requirements may not strictly
follow a P-V relationship across the entire operating range.

5 Point Level Control 

The liquid level in this design of system will be controlled to a set level for the tank.
Whilst it is possible to manually change the position of this level, it is not normally
intended for this type of vessel to provide variable level control. The most common
configuration of level instrumentation is that of a magnetic float liquid bypass level
gauge with magnetically sensitive switches set at the control points which are
connected to a control panel.
This type of tank will provide the correct liquid / air volumes at the design point for the
system and is ideal for pumped lines with fixed speed pumps and a consistent system
configuration where pumping pressures and flow remain constant.

Out gassing from liquid, or absorption of the gas by the water will therefore be
automatically corrected by the system.

Because of the simplicity of the control arrangement, and the prevalence of single
speed pumps, this type of tank and control system are the most commonly used.

Dip Tube Surge Tank

In this arrangement there is no air compressor or internal bladder as the air charge is
controlled by means of an air admittance valve on top of the vessel and an internal dip
tube that penetrates the vessel to a set depth.

During normal operation the liquid inside the vessel will have a normal level that is
above the bottom of the dip tube.

When a surge event occurs the liquid level in the tank will rise and fall within the length
of the dip tube.

Should the air charge be absorbed by the liquid in the tank, or be lost through a leak,
then on the next surge event the water level in the tank will fall below the bottom of the
dip tube, thereby allowing the air admission valve to open and replenish the air charge.

In some arrangements the size of the vessel is reduced and the liquid level during a
surge event is deliberately allowed to fall below the bottom of the dip tube, at which
time the air admission valve will open and allow air into the system in order to sustain
system pressure.

Whilst dip tube vessels can in some circumstances be smaller than other types of
surge tank, their correct operation requires a greater certainty of the piping geometry
than other types, they are often less tolerant of changes in the system, and require all
the associated equipment, air valves, check valves, isolating valves etc to be working
perfectly.

P-V Tank 

The liquid level and air volume in a P-V tank is continuously monitored and adjusted
according to an algorithm in an electronic control system which will take action to either
raise or lower the liquid level in the tank depending on the operating conditions.

The tank requires a control system that can maintain the volume of the air according to
the Pressure to volume, or PV, relationship.

This type of control system is ideal for systems where the operating conditions vary
due to changes in the pumping conditions which would normally require a surge tank
with multiple set levels, one for each pumping condition. In such conditions where the
pumping pressure changes, usually due to a change in demand, but sometimes due to
a change in the suction and/or discharge reservoir water level then a control system
following a P-V relationship can permit the sizing of a surge tank that is suitable for all
possible conditions.

This type of tank is widely used in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
Expansion Tank

An expansion tank is used either to protect piping systems and vessels from over-
pressure, due to expansion of the contained fluid, and/or under-pressure or vacuum
due to contraction of the contained fluid, or as a reservoir that can provide
instantaneous supply of the liquid on demand, to either sustain flow in the event of
system failure, or to initiate flow where system start up takes too much time.

The most common cause for fluids in a piping system to expand, or contract, is due to
a change in temperature of the fluid. So whilst is is commonly known that solids will
expand or contract when their temperature changes, according to their coefficient of
expansion, the same is also true for fluids.

If there is a miss-match between the expansion/contraction of the piping system and

that of the fluid that it contains, then an expansion vessel will be needed to prevent the
piping from being over-stressed as the fluid expands more than the piping, or be
subjected to vacuum like conditions as the fluid shrinks more that the piping.

Expansion tanks are normally provided with an internal bladder, or membrane to

separate the process liquid from the gas charge. Bladders, or membranes are used
because they separate the liquid from the gas and prevent absorption of the gas by the
liquid. They also prevent escape of the gas charge from the vessel when the system is
depressurised.

The tank will allow the process liquid to flow into, and out of it's volume, thereby
regulating the pressure in the system. In this respect they act like a surge vessel,
however the detail design requirements are quite different.

Where expansion tanks are provided to deliver instantaneous flow to support a system
then it is usually necessary to regulate the flowrate out of the vessel by way of an
orifice plate, otherwise the pressure in the tank may fall too quickly.
Constant Mass 

The mass of the air or liquid in the tank may be controlled to give the correct level in
the tank that correlates with a pre-determined mass characteristic. It is important to be
aware that nearly all commercially available surge analysis software determines the
requirements of a surge tank in terms of liquid and gas volume. Using a mass
controlled tank will often mean that there is no direct correlation between the levels and
volumes that the surge engineer decides are necessary for surge protection as the
mass controlled surge tank does not provide a level, or volume, it provides a mass of
gas instead.

In this arrangement instrumentation may be used to detect conditions within the tank,
which, when their signals are passed to a control system that can perform suitable
calculations, enables the addition or release of the air charge to maintain the mass
charge within the tank.

A mass controlled tank, where the mass of the air charge is controlled, can be used on
systems where the operating conditions, system configuration and ambient conditions
do not vary significantly.