Experimental Study on Geysers in Covered Manholes during Release of Air Pockets in Stormwater Systems
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 148, Issue 5
Abstract
For stormwater systems, geysers in manholes are a risk to pedestrian and vehicle safety and the urban environment. Manhole covers dancing and blowing off are reported worldwide during heavy rainfall and geyser events. These manhole cover motions impact geyser characteristics but are rarely studied. This work experimentally studied geysers in covered manholes induced by air pocket release. Both fixed and mobile covers were tested, and the effects of manhole diameter and cover ventilation size were considered. The geyser regimes are classified into nongeyser, single-geyser, and multigeyser. The mobile covers can dance and blow off, resulting in pressure at the manhole headspace with characteristics of oscillation with high frequency, decline of peak magnitude, and negative pressure occurrence. The maximum positive pressure can be seven times higher for fixed covers than that for mobile covers. Increasing the manhole diameter decreases the number of geysers and the maximum positive pressure for both fixed and mobile covers. Decreasing cover ventilation reduces the number of geysers and increases the maximum positive pressure for the fixed covers, although it has limited effects for mobile covers.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial supports of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51809079 and 51779082), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. BK20201315), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 2019B18414).
References
Chan, S. N., J. Cong, and J. H. W. Lee. 2018. “3D numerical modeling of geyser formation by release of entrapped air from horizontal pipe into vertical shaft.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 143 (9): 04017039. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001416.
Chegini, T., and A. S. Leon. 2020. “Numerical investigation of field-scale geysers in a vertical shaft.” J. Hydraul. Res. 58 (3): 503–515. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2019.1625817.
Cong, J., S. N. Chan, and J. H. W. Lee. 2017. “Geyser formation by release of entrapped air from horizontal pipe into vertical shaft.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 143 (9): 04017039. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001332.
Fox News. 2018. “‘Dancing’ manhole cover takes internet by storm.” Accessed June 18, 2018. https://video.foxnews.com/v/5072496106001#sp=show-clips.
Guo, Q., and C. S. S. Song. 1991. “Dropshaft hydrodynamics under transient conditions.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 117 (8): 1042–1055. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1991)117:8(1042).
Holmes, S. 2017. “‘It could have killed her’: Manhole cover explodes and rockets 12ft in the air landing just a metre from where a woman was standing during flash floods in Gloucester city centre.” Accessed June 18, 2018. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4731532/Manhole-cover-explodes-rockets-12ft-air-cfamily.html.
Huang, B., S. Q. Wu, D. Z. Zhu, and H. E. Schulz. 2018a. “Experimental study of geysers through a vent pipe connected to flowing sewers.” Water Sci. Technol. 2017 (1): 66–76. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2018.085.
Huang, B., S. Q. Wu, D. Z. Zhu, and F. F. Wang. 2018b. “Mitigating peak pressure of storm geysering by orifice plates installed at the top of vent pipes.” Water Sci. Technol. 78 (7): 1587–1596. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2018.436.
Leon, A. S., I. S. Elayeb, and Y. Tang. 2019. “An experimental study on violent geysers in vertical pipes.” J. Hydraul. Res. 57 (3): 283–294. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2018.1494052.
Liu, L., W. Shao, and D. Z. Zhu. 2020. “Experimental study on stormwater geyser in vertical shaft above junction chamber.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 146 (2): 04019055. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001660.
Qian, Y., and D. Zhu. 2020. “Impact pressure on an orifice plate by a rising water column driven by an air pocket in a vertical riser.” Water Sci. Technol. 81 (5): 1029–1038. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2020.191.
Tijsseling, A. S., J. G. Vasconcelos, Q. B. Hou, and Z. Bozkus. 2019. “Dancing manhole cover: A nonlinear spring-mass system.” In Proc., 2019 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conf. San Antonio: ASME.
Vasconcelos, J. G., and S. J. Wright. 2006. “Mechanisms for air pocket entrapment in stormwater storage tunnels.” In Proc., World Water and Environmental Resources Congress. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Vasconcelos, J. G., and S. J. Wright. 2011. “Geysering generated by large air pockets released through water-filled ventilation shafts.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 137 (5): 543–555. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000332.
Wang, J., and J. G. Vasconcelos. 2018. “Manhole cover displacement caused by the release of entrapped air pockets.” J. Water Manage. Model. 26 (Feb): C444. https://doi.org/10.14796/JWMM.C444.
Wang, J., and J. G. Vasconcelos. 2020. “Investigation of manhole cover displacement during rapid filling of stormwater systems.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 146 (4): 04020022. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001726.
Wang, X. S., S. T. Qian, and H. X. Chen. 2019. “Experimental study on geysers induced by the release of trapped air in storage tunnel systems.” Appl. Sci. 9 (24): 5326. https://doi.org/10.3390/app9245326.
Wright, S. J. 2013. “Influence of air pocket volume on manhole surge.” J. Water Manage. Model. 2013 (Feb): 15. https://doi.org/10.14796/JWMM.R246-09.
Wright, S. J. 2021. “A new look at geyser formation in sewer systems.” J. Water Manage. Model. 29 (3): 478. https://doi.org/10.14796/JWMM.C478.
Wright, S. J., J. W. Lewis, and J. G. Vasconcelos. 2011a. “Geysering in rapidly filling storm-water tunnels.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 137 (1): 112–115. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000245.
Wright, S. J., J. W. Lewis, and J. G. Vasconcelos. 2011b. “Physical processes resulting in geysers in rapidly filling storm-water tunnels.” J. Irrig. Drain. Eng. 137 (3): 199–202. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0000176.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 148 • Issue 5 • May 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 28, 2021
Accepted: Jan 18, 2022
Published online: Feb 28, 2022
Published in print: May 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Jul 28, 2022
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
Cited by
- Abbas Sharifi, Sumit R. Zanje, Pratik Mahyawansi, Arturo S. Leon, Numerical Investigation of the Physical Mechanisms behind Geysers in Storm Sewer Systems: A Slug Analysis Based on a Computational Study of Geyser Eruptions, World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2024, 10.1061/9780784485477.074, (835-845), (2024).
- Jingkang Sun, Shangtuo Qian, Hui Xu, Yaohui Chen, Weichen Ren, Standing waves of the stepped dropshaft in a deep tunnel stormwater system, Water Science and Technology, 10.2166/wst.2023.005, 87, 2, (407-422), (2023).