Surge analysis and suppression techniques for a water supply scheme - a case study

Abstract

This paper describes a surge analysis which was undertaken on the Caledon-Bloemfontein supply scheme, a large-diameter pipeline (1.2 m) on which the static head is unusually high: over 240 m. Currently, the pipeline operates at less than 20% of the design flow, but transducer traces show that surge pressures following pump failure already cause concern, with a peak at least 16% above the pipeline rating. Moreover, these peak pressures are not compatible with those predicted by traditional methods. Thus, the computer analysis described herein was undertaken firstly to determine the reasons for the unexpectedly high transient pressures, and secondly, to study the effectiveness of alternative surge suppression methods.