Hydraulic Transients

When the Steady-

State design fails!

School of Civil and

Monroe L. Weber-Shirk Environmental Engineering
 Hydraulic Transients: Overview

In all of our flow analysis we have assumed

either _____
steady_____ gradually
state operation or ________
varied flow
______
What about rapidly varied flow?
How does flow from a faucet start?
How about flow startup in a large, long
pipeline?
What happens if we suddenly stop the flow of
water through a tunnel leading to a turbine?
 Hydraulic Transients
Unsteady Pipe Flow: time varying flow and pressure

 Routine transients Catastrophic transients

 change in valve settings unstable pump or turbine
 starting or stopping of pumps operation
pipe breaks
 changes in power demand for
turbines
 changes in reservoir elevation
 turbine governor ‘hunting’
 action of reciprocating pumps
 lawn sprinkler
 References

Chaudhry, M. H. 1987. Applied Hydraulic

Transients. New York, Van Nostrand
Reinhold Company.
Wylie, E. B. and V. L. Streeter. 1983. Fluid
Transients. Ann Arbor, FEB Press.
 Analysis of Transients

Gradually varied (“Lumped”) _________

ODE
conduit walls are assumed rigid
fluid assumed incompressible
flow is function of _____
time only
Rapidly varied (“Distributed”) _________
PDE
fluid assumed slightly compressible
conduit walls may also be assumed to be elastic
flow is a function of time and ________
location
 Establishment of Flow:
Final Velocity
1 How long will it take? g = 9.8 m/s2
H = 100 m
H EGL K = ____
1.5
2
V 2 f = 0.02
HGL L = 1000 m
2g
V2 V 2 D=1m

L 0.5
Ken= ____
p1 V12 p2 V22
 z2  h f   hL
1.0
Kexit= ____
  z1  
 2g  2g
 Final Velocity

H  z1  z 2  h f   hL g = 9.8 m/s2
H = 100 m
2 V2  K = 1.5
hf  f
LV2
D 2g
h L  K f = 0.02
2g
L = 1000 m
D=1m
V2  L 
H  f   K 
2g  D 

2 gH
Vf  9.55 m/s
fL
K 
D
What would V be without losses? _____
44 m/s
 Establishment of Flow:
Navier Stokes? Initial Velocity
before head loss becomes significant Vf 
2 gH
fL
mdV K 
F  ma F= 10 D

dt 9
8 g = 9.8 m/s2
F = pA = g HA 7
H = 100 m
velocity (m/s)
6
m = r AL 5
H  K = 1.5
4 V  gt
3 L f = 0.02
dV L = 1000 m
HA  AL 2

dt
1 D=1m
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
t V
HA dt  AL  dV time (s)

HAt V 
H
V 
0 0 gt
HAt  ALV AL L
 Flow Establishment:
Full Solution
d g hl D
F  (mV ) å gravity ________
F = ________, drag t0 =-
4L
dt
F = t 0 Lp D

  L  V 2  d   ALV 
 A  H   K  f     
  D  
2 g dt  g 

t V t
L dV
 dt  
V

  L  
V 2
dV  dt  
0 gH 1  K f  2
0 0
g  H   K  f   0    V
  D  2g  L 2 L D
 Flow Establishment:
tanh!
dV 1 - 1 bV
a
if V 
V
ò0 a 2 - b2V 2 = ab tanh a b
V < Vf

1  bV  gH 1  K f 
t  tanh  1

 a  b   
ab  a  L 2 L D
a a
V  tanh abt  Vf 
b b
2 gH  gH  K f  
V tanh  t   
fL  2L  L D  
K   
D
 Time to reach final velocity
1 1  bV  1  
1 V
a
t tanh   tanh   Vf 
ab  a  ab V 
 f  b

1 1
 0.9V f  tanh 1 (0.9)
t0.9V f  tanh    tanh 1 (0.9)  1.47
ab  V gH  K f 
 f   

2L  L D 
Time to reach 0.9Vf increases as:
tanh 1 (0.9)
L increases t0.9V 
gH  L
f

H decreases 2 
K  f 
2L  D
Head loss decreases
 Flow Establishment
12
g = 9.8 m/s2
10
H = 100 m

velocity (m/s)
K = 1.5 8

f = 0.02 6

L = 1000 m 4
D=1m 2

t0.9V  14.34 s
f
0
0 10 20 30 40
time (s)

2 gH  gH  K f  
V tanh  t    Was f constant?
fL  2 L  L D  
K    VD
D Re = 107
n
 Household plumbing example
 Have you observed the gradual increase in flow
when you turn on the faucet at a sink? No? Good!
 50 psi - 350 kPa - 35 m of head
 K = 10 (estimate based on significant losses in faucet)
 f = 0.02
 L = 5 m (distance to larger supply pipe where velocity
change is less significant)
 D = 0.5” - 0.013 m
 time to reach 90% of final velocity? T0.9Vf = 0.13 s
 V > Vf?
V dV 1 - 1 bV 1 a + bV a
t =ò 2 2 2
= ctnh = ln if V >
¥ a - b V ab a 2ab a - bV b
20
a If V0=
V = ctnh (abt )

velocity (m/s)
15
b
10

1 a + bV0 5
tV0 = ln
2ab a - bV0 0
0 5 10 15 20
time (s)
a sinh(2 x)
V = ctnh é
b ë (
ab t + tVo ù
û) ctnh ( x ) =
cosh (2 x ) - 1
Why does velocity approach final velocity so rapidly?
 Lake Source Cooling Intake
Schematic
Motor
Lake Water Surface

Steel Pipe
100 m ?

Intake Pipe, with

flow Q and cross
sectional area Apipe 1m
Pump inlet
length of intake pipeline is 3200 m Wet Pit,
What happens during startup? with plan
view area
What happens if pump is turned off? Atank
 Transient with varying driving
force
d
F  ( mv )
Q
dt
d  Apipe LV   L  Q2
Apipe H  hl   where hl   K  f  2
dt  g 

 D  Apipe 2 g

Apipe g
H  hl dt  dQ Lake elevation - wet pit water level
H = ______________________________
L
dzwetpit Q f(Q)
What is z=f(Q)? =
dt Awetpit
Apipe g
Q  H  hl t Finite Difference Solution!
L Is f constant?
 Wet Pit Water Level and Flow
Oscillations
2 4
Q z
1.5 3
1 2
0.5 1
Q (m /s)

z (m)
3

0 0
-0.5 -1
-1 -2
-1.5 -3
-2 -4
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
time (s)
What is happening on the vertical lines? constants
 Wet Pit with Area Equal to Pipe
Area
2 20
Q z
1.5 15
1 10
0.5 5
Q (m3/s)

z (m)
0 0
-0.5 -5
-1 -10
Pipe collapse
-1.5 -15
Water Column Separation
-2 -20
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Why is this unrealistic? time (s)
 Overflow Weir at 1 m

2 2
Q z
1.5 1.5
1 1
0.5 0.5
Q (m3/s)

z (m)
0 0
-0.5 -0.5
-1 -1
-1.5 -1.5
-2 -2
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
time (s)
 Period of Oscillation:
Frictionless Case
Apipe g
H  hl dt  dQ z = -H z = 0 at lake surface
L
Wet pit mass balance

dQ  Apipe g dz Awetpit d 2 z dQ
 z Awetpit Q 
dt L dt dt 2 dt

Awetpit d 2 z Apipe g
 z
dt 2 L
 gA   gA 
d z 2
gApipe  pipe   pipe 
 z0 z  C1 cos  t   C 2 sin  t 
 LA 
dt 2 LAwetpit  wetpit   LAwetpit 
 Period of Oscillations

L Awet pit plan view area of wet pit (m2) 24

T  2 pipeline length (m) 3170
g Ap inner diameter of pipe (m) 1.47
gravity (m/s2) 9.81
3170m 24m 2
T  2
2 4
9.81m / s 2 1.7 m 2 1.5
Q z
3
1 2

T = 424 s 0.5 1
Q (m3/s)

z (m)
0 0
-0.5 -1
Pendulum Period? -1 -2
-1.5 -3
L
T  2 -2 -4
g 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
time (s)
 Transients

In previous example we assumed that the

velocity was the same everywhere in the
pipe
We did not consider compressibility of
water or elasticity of the pipe
In the next example water compressibility
and pipe elasticity will be central
 Valve Closure in Pipeline

V2 V

Sudden valve closure at t = 0 causes change

in discharge at the valve
What will make the fluid slow down?____
↑p at valve
Instantaneous change would require
__________
infinite force
Impossible to stop all the fluid
instantaneously What do you think happens?
 Transients: Distributed System
Tools
Conservation of mass
Conservation of momentum
Conservation of energy
We’d like to know
pressure change
rigid walls
elastic walls
propagation speed of pressure wave
time history of transient
 Pressure change due to velocity
change
HGL

V0 V0  V

a
unsteady flow steady flow

velocity V0 V0  V V0  a V0  V  a

density 0 0   0 0  
pressure P0 P0  P P0 P0  P
 Momentum Equation

HGL

V0 V0  V
1 a 2
Neglect head loss!
M1  M 2  W  Fp1  Fp2  Fss
M 1 x  M 2 x  Fp1 x  Fp2 Mass conservation

M 1 x   1V12 A1 M 2 x   2V22 A2 1V1 A1   2V2 A2

1V1 A1 V2  V1   p1 A1  p2 A2 A1  A2
1V1V   p  p = p2 - p 1
 Magnitude of Pressure Wave

V0 V0  V
1 a 2

1V1V   p
V1  V0  a a  V0

 p   a  V Dp = gDH

- a DV increase in HGL.
Decrease in V causes a(n) _______
DH =
g
 Propagation Speed:
Rigid Walls
V0 V0  V
0 0  

a
A(V0  a )  0  A(V0  a  V )(  0   ) Conservation of mass

 0 
V  (V0  a )   1 Solve for V
  0   

  
V  (V0  a )  
  0   
 Propagation Speed:
Rigid Walls
V0 V0  V
0 0  

a
p    0 (V0  a ) V momentum

  
V  (V0  a )   mass
  0   

  
p   0 (V0  a )  2
 V0  a    0
  0   
p  a 2  Need a relationship between pressure and density!
 Propagation Speed:
Rigid Walls
p
K  definition of bulk modulus of elasticity
 
p K
a 
2
a
 
Example:
Find the speed of a pressure wave in a water pipeline
assuming rigid walls.
2.2 x 109
K  2.2 GPa (for water) a   1480 m/s
1000
  1000 Kg/m 3

speed of sound in water

 Propagation Speed:
Elastic Walls
V0 V0  V
0 0  

K a
a  D Additional parameters
0 D = diameter of pipe
t = thickness of thin walled pipe
E = bulk modulus of elasticity for pipe
K 0 effect of water compressibility
a 
K D
1 effect of pipe elasticity
E t
 Propagation Speed:
Elastic Walls
Example: How long does it take for a
pressure wave to travel 500 m after a rapid
valve closure in a 1 m diameter, 1 cm wall
thickness, steel pipeline? The initial flow
velocity was 5 m/s.
E for steel is 200 GPa
What is the increase in pressure?

solution
 Time History of Hydraulic
Transients: Function of ...
 Time history of valve operation (or other control
device)
 Pipeline characteristics
 diameter, thickness, and modulus of elasticity
 length of pipeline
 frictional characteristics
 tend to decrease magnitude of pressure wave
 Presence and location of other control devices
 pressure relief valves
 surge tanks
 reservoirs
 Time History of Hydraulic
Transients
1 H
3 H

V=Vo V=0 V= -Vo V=0

a a
L L
t L
t 
a

2 H 4
V=0 V= -Vo

L L
L 2L
t t
a a
 Time History of Hydraulic
Transients
5 H 7 H

V= -Vo V=Vo
V=0 V=0
a a
L L
2L 3L
t  t 
a a

6 8
H
V=0 V= Vo

L L
3L 4L
t t
a a
Pressure head Pressure variation over time

H

reservoir
level

Neglecting head loss!

time
4L 8L 12L
a a a
Pressure variation at valve: velocity head and friction
losses neglected Real traces
 Lumped vs. Distributed

4L lumped system
For _______
T >>
a pressure fluctuation period
T = __________________________

L Awet pit
T  2
For LSC wet pit g Ap
T = 424 s
4L
 a = 4*3170 m/1400 m/s = ____
9.1 s

What would it take to get a transient with a period of

9 s in Lake Source Cooling? ____________
Fast valve
 Methods of Controlling
Transients
 Valve operation
 limit operation to slow changes
 if rapid shutoff is necessary consider diverting the flow
and then shutting it off slowly
 Surge tank
 acts like a reservoir closer to the flow control point
 Pressure relief valve
 automatically opens and diverts some of the flow when
a set pressure is exceeded
 Surge Tanks

Reservoir Surge tank

 Reduces amplitude of pressure Penstock

tunnel by reflecting
fluctuations in ________
incoming pressure waves T

 Decreases cycle time of pressure Tail water

wave in the penstock
 Start-up/shut-down time for turbine
can be reduced (better response to
load changes) Surge tanks
 Use of Hydraulic Transients
 There is an old technology that
used hydraulic transients to lift
water from a stream to a higher
elevation. The device was called a
“Ram Pump”and it made a
rhythmic clacking noise.
 How did it work? High pressure pipe

Source pipe
Stream

Ram Pump
 Minimum valve closure time

How would you stop a pipeline full of water

in the minimum time possible without
bursting the pipe? r a = - (Ñp + r g ) + mÑ2 V
Apipe g
 H  hl  dt  dQ  p
H  

 z 
L
 g 
Apipe g  p  
  z   hl  dt   dQ
L   g  
H EGL

HGL
V

L
 Simplify: no head loss and hold
pressure constant
Apipe g  p  
  z   hl  dt   dQ H EGL
L   g   HGL
V

Apipe g  p  L

  z  dt   dQ
L g 
Apipe g  p  Integrate from 0 to t and from Q
  z  t  Q0
L g  to 0 (changes sign)
Q0 L V0 L
t t
 p   p 
Apipe g   z  g  z 
g  g 
 Back to Ram Pump: dV  g  p 
   z  hl 
dt L g 
Pump Phase
 Coordinate system?
12

10

velocity (m/s)
8

 P1 = _____
0
6
4

z3  g
 P2 = _____
2

0
0 10 20 30 40

 z2-z1 = ___
time (s)

-z1
p
 z  z3  z1
g High pressure pipe z3

z Source pipe
Stream
z1
 dV  g  p 
   z  hl 
Reflections dt L g 

What is the initial head loss term if the pump

stage begins after steady state flow has been
z1
reached? _____
p
What is  g  z  hl ?_____
z3
What is p  z  hl when V approaches zero?
g
______ z3  z1

Where is most efficient pumping? ___________

Low V (low hl)
How do you pump the most water? ______
Maintain high V
 Ram: Optimal Operation

What is the theoretical maximum ratio of

pumped water to wasted water?
Rate of decrease in PE of wasted water
equals rate of increase in PE of pumped
water
Qw z1  Q pumped  z3  z1 

Q pumped z1

Qw z3  z1
 High Q and Low loses?
Acceleration
dV  g  p 
12
   z  hl 
10 dt L g 
dV  g
  z1 
velocity (m/s)

8

6 dt L
Insignificant head loss
4 Deceleration (pumping)
2 Keep V high for max Q dV  g  p 
   z  hl 
0 dt L g 
0 10 20 30 40
dV  g
time (s)   z3  z1 
dt L
 Cycle times

dV  gtacc
tacc    z1  Change in velocities must match
dt L
dV  gtdecel dV dV
tdecel   z3  z1  tdecel  tacc
dt L dt dt

gtacc gtdecel
 z1    z3  z1 
L L

tacc z1

tdecel z3  z1
 Summary (exercise)

 When designing systems, pay attention to

 startup/shutdown

 Design systems so that high pressure waves

never occur

High pressure waves are reflected at reservoirs

or surge tanks


 Burst section of Penstock:
Oigawa Power Station, Japan

Chaudhry page 17
Collapsed section of Penstock:
Oigawa Power Station, Japan

Chaudhry page 18
Values for Wet Pit Analysis

Flow rate before pump failure (m3/s) 2

plan view area of wet pit (m2) 24
pipeline length (m) 3170
inner diameter of pipe (m) 1.47
elevation of outflow weir (m) 10
time interval to plot (s) 1000
pipe roughness (m) 0.001
density (kg/m3) 1000
dynamic viscosity (Ns/m2) 1.00E-03
gravity (m/s2) 9.81
 Pressure wave velocity: Elastic
Pipeline
E = 200 GPa
D=1m
t = 1 cm
K 0 2.2 x109 1000
a  a  9
 1020 m/s
K D 2.2 x10 1
1 1
E t 200 x109 0.01
0.5 s to travel 500 m
 aV  (1020 m/s)(-5 m/s)
H    520 m
g 9.8m/s 2
p  gH p  (1000 kg/m 3 )(9.8 m/s 2 )(520 m) = 5.1 MPa = 740 psi
 Ram Pump

Air Chamber

Rapid valve Water inlet

 Ram pump

H2

High pressure pipe

Source pipe
H1 Stream

Ram Pump
Ram animation
 Ram Pump
 0.9V 
tanh 1 (0.9)
 tanh 1  
1 f
Time to establish flow t0.9V f   gH1  K f 
ab  Vf   
12   
2L L D 

10
velocity (m/s)

dV
8
HA  AL
6 dt
4
dV g
2  H2
dt L
0
0 10 20 30 40
time (s)
Surge Tanks
Real pressure traces
At valve At midpoint