A Study on the Upsurges and Downsurges Control Methods in a High Pressure Pumping Station

Water hammer is one of the destructive hydrodynamic phenomena which is established in most pumping stations, transmission lines and hydroelectric power plants. This phenomenon gives rise to abnormal pressures, cavitation occurrence and finally pipe explosion and disturbance of the whole system. To control the maleffects of this event, different methods are devised. One of which is sometimes enough and a combination of two or more is necessary in some occasions.
This paper is an attempt to study water hammer phenomenon in a pumpimg station and solve the governing equations with the use of complete method of characteristics. In order to compare the effect of different methods in the control of pressure due to water Hammer, the mentioned pumpimg station considering the presence of Flywheel, surge tank, air chamber and a combination of air chamber and surge tank has been investigated. The result indicate that use of air chamber is the best instrument among from the mentioned methods, to control the pressures due to water hammer.