SURGE TANK SIZE AND COST CALCULATION

Enter data in blue cells only. Steel cost in cell E15

Virginia Falls
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Flood level at dam, meters 457.00 Low supply level at dam, meters Turbine rated head, m 140 Elevation at surge tank tee, meters Design full load flow, m3/s 20.24 Upstream conduit length, meters Upstream conduit diameter, meters 3 Average Manning friction coefficient Conduit velocity m/s 2.86 Tank diameter, meters Elevation top of tank, meters 470.79 Elevation bottom of tank, meters Tank height, top to bottom, meters 27.67 Tank volume, cubic meters Steel weight in tank and legs, tonnes 58.917 Total height of tank, tee to roof, m Cost of steel tank, millions of US$ 0.339 If in rock, total tank/ris. volume, m3 Rock excavation volume, allowing for a full concrete lining of tank and riser, m3 Concrete lining volume, m3 351 Curved formwork area, m2 Conduit area, m2 Acceleration n Accel. head loss, m Acceleration c Tank area, F m2 Acceleration N acc K acc y acc. = downsurge = m 7.07 0.01265 4.67 0.569 25.19 29.74 45.97 5.71 Steel price $/kg. Erected Deceleration n Decel. head loss, m Deceleration c Tank H/2 above tee. M Deceleration N dec K dec Y dec. = upsurge = m 454.00 432.00 2100.00 0.011 6.41 443.12 892 38.79 971 1323 662 5.75 0.01045 3.26 0.397 24.96 20.76 19.69 16.55

Ref: "Estimating weight of steel surge tank" HRW Vol.6, # 4, Sept. 1998, pages 26 - 29. Ref: Hydroelectric Handbook. 2nd. Ed. 1950. W. P. Creager & J. D. Justin, page 734 - 743. Note - this is a preliminary program, suitable for sizing and costing a restricted orifice surge tank. For a simple tank, with no internal riser and no restricted orifice, increase the diameter by 25% and keep the same high and low water levels. In such a case, the mimimum thickness of steel plate in the tank wall, in millimeters = 21.0 Calculate steel weight manually. A simple tank will be more expensive than a restricted orifice tank due to the larger diameter.