NUMERICAL SIMULATION USING CHARACTERISTICS METHOD OF PRESSURIZED TRANSIENT FLOW IN A WATER SUPPLY GRAVITY PIPE

Abstract

The phenomenon of transient flows in charge is sometimes accompanied by excessive pressure and can cause huge damage to pipes and hydraulic devices. These flows have been for several years of relatively advanced investigations. However, given the vast area where these flows are likely to occur first, and difficulties, both practical and theoretical, to solve nonlinear equations relating thereto on the other hand, these flows remain a topical issue attracted the attention of designers of hydraulic engineering specialists.

In this contribution, the method of characteristics is applied to a special case and practice of transient flow in a gravity supply pipe provided downstream of an initially closed stop valve. The transient flow is caused by the movement of a valve arranged upstream and producing at the reservoir sinusoidal load fluctuations. The superposition of these fluctuations and the effect of closing the valve located downstream of the pipe were used to analyze the fluid structure interaction and to study the evolution of the head and flow over time. The results of this simulation perfect agreement with those obtained by other authors.