WATER

HAMMER
WATER HAMMER or
PRESSURE SURGE is the
sudden rise or fall in pressure
caused by an abrupt change
in the fluid velocity within the
pipe system. The usual cause
of these flow changes is the
rapid closing or opening of
valves or sudden starting or
stopping of pumps such as
during a power failure.
WATER HAMMER is the
resulting shock caused by
sudden decrease in the
velocity of fluid.
 CELERITY

It is the velocity of the pressure wave equal to the velocity of sound wave in
water.

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 CELERITY

Instantaneous Change in pressure due to water hammer,

2
 PROBLEM #1
A valve is suddenly closed in a 200mm dia. pipe. The increase in pressure is 700kPa.
Assuming that the pipe is rigid and the bulk modulus of water is 2.07x109 N/𝑚2 .
a.) Compute the celerity of the pressure wave.
b.) Compute the max. discharge.
c.) If the length of pipe is 800m long. Compute the water hammer pressure at the valve if
it is closed in 3sec.
SOLUTION: c.) Given:
𝑡𝑐 = 3𝑠
a.) b.) Q=AV L = 800m
d = 200mm 2(800)
No velocity T =1439.097 T = 1.112s
2.07𝑥109
c= 1000

c = 1439.097
𝑚 700(1000) = 1000(v)(1439.097)
𝑠
𝑚 2
v = 0.4865
𝑠
𝑁 t>T, therefore we will use case 1
𝜋
𝑚2 Q= 4 (0.2)2 (0.4865) P=
2(1000)(800)(0.4865)
𝑘𝑔 𝑚3
3
𝑚3 Q = 0.0153
𝑠
P = 259,466.67Pa
P = 259.47kPa
PROBLEM #2
Water from a reservoir flowing through a non-rigid 600mm diameter pipe with a velocity of 2.5m/s is completely
stopped by a closure of a valve situated 1050m from the reservoir. Assume that the pressure increases at a uniform
rate and that there is no damping of the pressure wave. The pipe has a thickness of 18mm. Bulk modulus of steel
water is 2060 MPa and modulus of elasticity of steel is 200000MPa.
a.)Compute the velocity of sound in water.
b.) Determine the max. rise of pressure in kPa above that the valve closure takes place in 5secs.
c.) Determine the max. rise of pressure when the valve closure takes place in 1secs.

SOLUTION:

a.) b.) 𝑡𝑐 = 5𝑠 c.)

L = 1050m 2(1050)
1MPa = 1M Pa T =1,238.345
2(1050)
T =1,238.345
T = 1.696s
2.06𝑥109
c= (2.06𝑥109 )(600) T = 1.696s
1000(1:
(2𝑥1011 )(18) t<T, therefore we will use case 2
t>T, therefore we will use case 1
𝑚
c = 1,238.345 2(1000)(1050)(2.5)
𝑠
P=
5
P = 1,050,000Pa
P = 1050kPa P = (1000)(2.5)(1238.345)
P = 3,095,862.5Pa
P = 3095.863kPa
 1GPa = 1x1𝟎𝟗 Pa

P = 2,101,071.155Pa
P = 2101.071kPa