Chapter 3

WATER HAMMER
A. Definition

Water hammer is a phenomenon which occurs when water or any liquid flowing in a pipeline is
abruptly stopped by the closing of a valve such as that dynamic energy is converted to elastic and
series of positive and negative pressure waves travel back and forth in the pipe until damped out
by friction.
 Instantaneous closure

Transient HGL
Rapid closure

Ph


Normal HGL
xo
x

A V
c B

L
B

Consider a pipe of length L in which water is flowing from constant level upstream reservoir to a
valve located at the downstream end. Assume that valve is instantaneously closed at time t=0
from full-open to position to half-open position. This will reduce the flow velocity through the
valve thereby increasing the pressure at valve. The increase pressure will produce a wave that
will travel back and forth in the pipeline until it is dissipated because of friction and flow
condition have become steady again. This time when flow conditions have become steady again
is Tr.
B. Mode of Valve Closure

1. Instantaneous Closure (tc=0), the maximum pressure is Ph = ρcV

As shown in the figure, for instantaneous closure, the pressure increase reaches up to the
pipe entrance at A where it drops instantly to the valve it would have for zero flow.

2. Rapid Closure (0<tc≤Tr), the maximum pressure near the valve would still Ph = ρcV

No matter how rapid the valve closure maybe, so long as it is not the idealized instantaneous
case, there will be some distance xo from the intake within which the pressure rise cannot
extend all the way to the reservoir intake.
T 
3. Slow Closure(tc≥Tr), Ph'  Ph  r 
 tc 
4. Partial Closure, Ph = ρc(V1-V2)

where : Ph=water hammer pressure

ρ= density of fluid
c= celerity or speed of pressure wave in a pipe
V=velocity of fluid
tc= time of closure
Tr= time of a round trip of the pressure wave in a pipe with
length L
2L
Tr 
c
For Rigid Pipes:

Ev
c


For Non-Rigid Pipes:

Ev
c
  E D 
 1   v 
  Et 

where: D=diameter of pipe

t = thickness of wall of pipe
Ev=volume modulus of water or liquid flowing
E= modulus of elasticity of pipe walls

For water, average Ev = 2.07x106 kPa

For steel pipe, E = 200,000 MPa = 200x106 kPa
For cast iron, E = 103x106 kPa
Sample Problem

The elastic and dimensions of the pipe in the figure shown are such that celerity or pressure wave is 960
m/s. The pipe has length of 600m and the diameter is 1.20m. Initially the flow rate is 0.90m 3/s. Find
a) The water hammer pressure for instantaneous valve closure
b) The water hammer pressure when time of valve closure is 0.80 sec
c) The water hammer pressure when time of closure is 4.0 seconds
d) The water hammer pressure if valve is manipulated such that flow rate is reduced from
0.90m3/s to 0.30m3/s
e) The water hammer pressure at a point 90m from the reservoir if time of closure of the
0.30m3/s flow is 1.0 second

A V
c B

L
B
Solution:

Given: D= 1.20m
L=600m
C=960m/s
Q=0.90m3/s

Instantaneous closure

Ph=254.40 KPa
Transient HGL
Rapid closure Ph=254.40 KPa
Ph'  ?
Ph
Static HGL 

Xo =90m
Normal HGL

x =480m
x

A V
c B

L
B
a. Instantaneous closure, Ph = ρcV (it is impossible for a valve to be closed instantaneously, t c=0)

where: V  Q  0.90  0.796m / s

A 
(1.20)
4
then, Ph=1000(960)(0.796)=764,160N/m2 or 764.160kPa

b. Time of closure, tc=0.80 sec

2 L 2(600)
Tr    1.25 sec
c 960
Since tc<Tr, it is a rapid closure then,still Ph=764.16kPa

c. Time of closure, tc=4.0sec >Tr=1.25sec, it is a slow closure

T (1.25)
Ph'  Ph r  764.160  238.8kPa
tc (4.0)
d. Partial closure
Ph = ρc∆V
where: Q1=0.90m3/s Q2=0.30m3/s
0.30
V1=0.796m/s V2   0.265m / s
 2
(1.2)
4
Ph  1000(960)(0.796  0.265)  509,760 N / m 2 or 509.76kPa

e. Rapid closure since tc=1 sec <Tr=1.25sec

ct 1
xo  c  (960)(1.0)  480m
2 2
V  V2  0.265m / s

The maximum pressure at point beyond 480m from the reservoir is

Ph  cV  1000(960)(0.265)  254,400 N / m 2 or 254.40kPa

Since the point 90m from the reservoir falls within x o, the pressure expected is less than the
maximum pressure (at point beyond 480m from reservoir). The pressure increase can be
calculated by ratio and proportion

Ph' 254.40

90 480
Ph  47.7kPa
'