Peak Pressure Surges and Pressure Damping Following Sudden Air Pocket Compression
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 143, Issue 4
Abstract
Surges caused by the sudden compression of entrapped air pockets are a source of serious issues in various hydraulic conveyance systems. Such surges may appear during rapid filling of storm-water sewers and storage tunnels, priming of water pipelines, and other applications when air is quickly displaced by inflows. When ventilation is inadequate during rapid filling conditions, sudden air compression can occur leading to pressures that may exceed design limits and cause structural damage. Past studies have provided various insights in air-water interactions in closed pipes during rapid filling conditions, but the focus of the majority of these studies was to support the development and improvement of numerical models. Fewer experimental studies focused on the effect of geometric characteristics such as pipe diameter and length/diameter ratios, as well as systematic investigation of various air pocket volumes and filling flow rates. The present work addresses this knowledge gap, measuring pressure surge peaks and the damping of pressure surges following the first peak. In this investigation, kinetic energy and linear momentum dimensionless groups were analyzed as potential alternatives to represent peak surges as as well surge damping. Findings in this study provide further insight into parameters governing air-water surge magnitudes, and on the peak surge attenuation following sudden compression.
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Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 143 • Issue 4 • April 2017
Copyright
©2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 30, 2014
Accepted: Aug 2, 2016
Published online: Oct 28, 2016
Discussion open until: Mar 28, 2017
Published in print: Apr 1, 2017
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