OPTIMUM VALVE OPERATION IN WATERHAMMER

Abstract

In order to clarify fundamental aspects of the optimum valve operation to suppress pressure rises in waterhammer, two typical ploblems are studied for a single pipe line system without energy loss. One is closing a valve to minimize the maximum pressure in a specified valve closing time, and another is minimizing the valve closing time for a specified maximum pressure. The problems are solved by a graphical method based on the characteristics theory. From the results of the above two problems, the optimum valve movements and simple stepwise relations between valve closing time and the maximum pressure are derived. In addition the solution is improved for a similar problem proposed by Streeter, that is one of valve stroking.