Water hammer (Fluid Hammer)

Water hammer is a pressure surge or wave caused when a fluid in motion is forced to
Stop (momentum is destroyed) or change direction suddenly (momentum change).
The pressure surge is of an amount depending on the velocity of flow, the retardation and the
physical charactersitics of the fluid and the pipeline.
This pressure wave can cause major problems, from noise and vibration to pipe collapse.
It is possible to reduce the effects of the water hammer pulses with accumulators, expansion
tanks, surge tanks, and other features.
A water hammer commonly occurs when a valve closes suddenly (hydraulic shock) at an end of a
pipeline system, and a pressure wave propagates in the pipe.
When a pipe is suddenly closed at the outlet (downstream), the mass of water before the
closure is still moving, thereby building up high pressure and a resulting shock wave. In
domestic plumbing this is experienced as a loud banging, resembling a hammering noise, e.g
when a toilet cistern shuts off water flow; the result may be heard as a loud bang, repetitive
banging (as the shock wave travels back and forth in the plumbing system)
On the other hand, when an upstream valve in a pipe closes, water downstream of the valve
attempts to continue flowing, creating a vacuum that may cause the pipe to collapse or
implode.

Recall and Definations

Water hammer represemts a case of unsteady flow in closed conduits
Unsteady flow: flow conditions such as velocity and discharge change with time
Transient State Flow: Flow conditio changes from one steady state to another steady state
condition
Steady Oscillatory or Periodic flow: Flow conditions are varying with time and repeating
after a fixed time interval (T), frequesncy of oscillation f=1/T
Column separation: If pressure in the pipeline drops below the vapour pressure i.e cavities
formed, liquid columns may separate
Water Hammer (Oil or Stream Hammer): Pressure fluctuation caused by a flow change
(Hydraulic Transient).

Sequence of Events for a sudden valve closure

When the fluid in a pipeline is brought to rest, for example by closing a valve, its momentum is
destroyed and there will be a rapid rise of pressure of an amount depending on the velocity of flow,
the retardation and the physical charactersitics of the fluid and the pipeline. The following is the
sequence of events for a sudden valve closure
Figure 1 shows the condition in the pipe at various times during the cycle and Figure 2 shows
the variation of pressure with time (a) at the valve and (b) at the mid-point of the pipeline

Figure 1

Figure 2

Incidents caused by water hammer when operating a piping system

Pressure rise:
Pipe rupture
Damaged pipe fixtures
Damage to pumps, foundations, pipe internals and valves

Pressure fall:
Buckling of plastic and thinwalled steel pipes
Disintegration of the cement lining of pipes
Dirty water or air being drawn into pipelines through flanged or socket
connections, gland packing or leaks
Water column separation followed by high increases in pressure when the
separate liquid columns recombine (macro-cavitation)

It is possible to reduce the effects of the water hammer pulses with accumulators, expansion tanks,
surge tanks, air and vacuum relief valves and other features.

The magnitude of the pressure surge

Water hammer can be analyzed by two different approachesrigid column theory, which ignores
compressibility of the fluid and elasticity of the walls of the pipe, or by a full analysis that includes
elasticity.

When the time it takes a valve to close is long compared to the propagation time for a pressure
wave to travel the length of the pipe, then rigid column theory is appropriate.

Example 2:-rigid column theory

Example 3: Considering Compressibility of the fluid