Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Pipe Material on the Leak Head-Discharge Relationship
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 8
Abstract
Torricelli’s formula is often used to define the dependence of the leak outflow on the flow conditions inside the pipe and on the leak characteristics. Some tests carried out at the Water Engineering Laboratory of the University of Perugia, Italy, show that differences in the leak head-discharge relationships may arise even when the same leak is machined in pipes with the same inner diameter but different thickness and material. These data can still be explained by Torricelli’s formula if the possible variation of the leak area because of the head is considered. When the pipe material behaves in a linear and elastic fashion, the leak area variation with the head is linear, whereas other formulations are needed when elastoplastic or viscoelastic materials are used. As a consequence, this effect can produce different leak head-discharge relationships, depending on the constitutive law and behavior of the pipe material.
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Acknowledgments
This research has been supported by Fondazione Cassa Risparmio Perugia under the Project “Leaks and blockages detection techniques for reducing energy and natural resources wastage”. The help of Federico Cluni, Massimiliano Gioffre’, and Vittorio Gusella for the strain gauge measurements is acknowledged.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 8 • August 2012
Pages: 736 - 743
Copyright
© 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 16, 2011
Accepted: Feb 14, 2012
Published online: Feb 16, 2012
Published in print: Aug 1, 2012
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