Air Vessel Sizing for Water Hammer Prevention in Pipelines

Reference:: Simple Guide for Design of Air Vessels for Water Hammer Protection of Pumping Lines
Reference
http://www2.ce.metu.edu.tr/~ce534/links/docs/CE534-WebFiles/air-chamber.pdf 

Figure 1: Pipeline Profile

 

Figure 2: Maximum and minimum head envelopes based on incompressible flow theory

Figure 3: Air and Vessel Volumes

Terms In above charts:

S 0   g  H 0
S ' = ------------------- (1)
 A  L  v0
2

where:
S' = Dimensionless parameter
3
S0 = Initial gas volume in vessel, m
2
g= gravitational acceleration, 9.8 m/s
Ho = Static head above pump discharge nozzle plus destination pressure (in head terms), m
2
A= Cross-sectional area of pipeline, m
Cross-sectional
L= Length of pipeline, m
v0 = Initial Pipeline Velocity, m/s

Hmin = minimum static head above pump discharge nozzle plus destination pressure (in head terms), m
Hmax = maximum static head above pump discharge nozzle plus destination pressure (in head terms), m

For majority air vessel volume calculations consider the following values

 H min
= 0.4
 H 0

and

 H  max
= 1 .4
 H  0
 

From "Figurre 2" , S' = 1

Rearranging equation (1) considering S' = 1

 A   L  v 0
2

S 0 =
 g    H  0 ----------(2)

S  =  S 
  0
+ S w ----------------(3)

where:
3
S= Air vessel volume, m
3
Sw = Initial water volume in vessel, m

2
 A   L  v0
S w =
 g   hmin ------------(4)

where:

hmin =   H 
  0 − H min
----------(5)

Calculations
Inputs
 
Compressed Air or Nitrogen
S' = 1 (Hmin / H0 = 0.4)
 
Hmin / H0 = 0.4
H0 = 410 m
dp = 900 mm
L= 18000 m
v0 = 1.
1.4
4 m/s
m/s
Safety factor 1
on Vessel
Volume
(L/D)vessel = 2.38
Air Vessel Liquid
Outputs
2
A= 0.636 m
3
S0 = 5.6 m di
hmin = 246 m
3
Sw = 9.3 m
3
S= 14.9 m
3
S with SF = 14.9 m
      0
Dvessel  =       d
2.00 m
Lvessel = 4.75 m      t Inlet
    e
      l
     t
    u
      O

Pipeline dp

Outlet Connection (do)

1. do is generally 0.25 to 0.5 times the p ipe diameter dp
2. Size needs to be verified based
based on point number 1 to ensure that velocity is kept at or below 10 m/s in the outlet piping

Inlet Connection

1/ 4
  v0 2  
d i 1
=   -----------(6)
d  p   g  hmax   2

where:
di = Inlet connection size, mm
dp = pipeline size, mm
 

hmax =  H 
   max − H 0 ------------(7)

Since Hmax = 1.4*H0,

hmax =   0.4  H 0

Re-arranging equation (6), we get

1/ 4
d i   v0
2
  1
=   
d  p   g  0.4  H 0   2

Calculations (Inlet / Outlet Size)

Inputs
dp = 900 mm
v0 = 1.
1.4
4 m/s
m/s
H0 = 410 m

Outputs
do = 225 mm
8.
8.9
9 in
inch
ch
di = 11
118.
8.9
9 mm
4.
4.7
7 in
inch
ch
Selected Size
do = 10 in
incch
di = 6 inch

Prep
Prepar
ared
ed b
by:
y: An
Anku
kurr Sr
Sriv
ivas
asta
tava
va
Chemical Engineer
[email protected]