Comparison of the Controlling Methods of the Maximum and Minimum Pressures Resulting from Water Hammer Phenomenon in High Pressure Pumping Stations

Waterhammer is one of the destructive hydrodynamic phenomena which is established in most pumping stations, transmission lines and hydroelectric power plants. This phenomenon rises the abnormal pressures, cavitation occurence and finally pipe explosion and disturbance of the whole system. So, its accurate investigation is known as one the first and main steps in designing, which by compelet identifying the effects of waterhammer, the hydraulic facilities remain safe from the dangers of this phenomenon. To control the destructive effects of this event, different methods are advised. One of these methods is sometimes enough and a combination of two or more is necessary in some occasions. This paper is an attempt to study the waterhammer phenomenon in a pumping station and solve the governing equations with the use of characteristics method. In order to compare the effects of different methods on controlling the pressure due to waterhammer, the mentioned pumping station considering the presence of flywheel, surge tank, air chamber and a combination of air chamber and surge tank has been investigated. The result indicates that use of air chamber is the best instrument among the mentioned methods, to control the waterhammer destructive pressures.