CE 304 Fluid Mechanics II

Hydraulic Transients - Lecture 1

Dr. Chandima Gunawardana
 Types of fluid flows
 Steady flow: Flow characteristics at a point do not change with time (Flow characteristics
can change with position)
Ex: Flow through a prismatic or non-prismatic conduit at a constant flow rate Q m3/s

 Uniform flow: Flow characteristics do not change with position. Characteristics such as
velocity do not change with position
Ex: Flow through a straight conduit with uniform diameter

 Non-uniform flow: In a given instance, flow characteristics varies with position.

Ex: Flow through a non-prismatic conduit,
Steady State Conditions
Pipe flow is described as steady state when the flow
conditions at each point in the fluid do not change with time.

Different points in the flow may have different flow

conditions, such as the flow in a converging pipe where the
area decreases and the velocity increases along the pipe.

Steady state conditions requires that the mass flow rate is

the same across any cross-section of the pipe.
Flow in closed conduit:

H EGL
2
V2

2g HGL
V2
2 V

p1 V12 p2 V22
  z1    z 2  h f   hL
 2g  2g
Frictional head loss
From Darcy’s law L V22
hf  f
D 2g

Minor losses
V2
hL  K
2g

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Unsteady Flow
A change from steady state conditions in a pipe flow (ex. pump
or valve operation) is communicated to the system by pressure
waves travelling at sonic velocity.

After a short time, the system will return to new equilibrium

conditions (so long as no damage has occurred).

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Unsteady Flow
A change from steady state conditions in a pipe flow (ex. pump
or valve operation) is communicated to the system by pressure
waves travelling at sonic velocity.

After a short time, the system will return to new equilibrium

conditions (so long as no damage has occurred).

During this short time, pressure and velocity waves move within
the fluid, that is pressure and velocity vary with time and from
point to point within the system.

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 Hydraulic Transients
Unsteady Pipe Flow: time varying flow and pressure

 Routine transients Catastrophic transients

 change in valve settings • unstable pump or turbine
 starting or stopping of pumps
operation
• pipe breaks
 changes in power demand for
turbines
 changes in reservoir elevation
 turbine governor ‘hunting’
 action of reciprocating pumps
Some typical damages

Burst pipe in power Pump damage in Azambuja

sation Big Creek #3, USA Portugal
Pipe damage in
power station Okigawa
Unsteady flow
 Unsteady flow may be defined as a state in which the flow
parameters are time dependent.
 By considering the rates of change of the various flow
parameters it is possible to place most unsteady flow
phenomena into one of three categories:
 Quasi-steady flows

 Rigid column theory (Mass oscillation, reservoir tunnel surge-tank

systems)

 Elastic theory (Water hammer)

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Unsteady flow
 Quasi-steady flows:
• Rate of change of mass flow is continuous with time,
• But the fluid acceleration and the forces responsible for
acceleration are negligible.
• The steady flow equations may be applied with
reasonable accuracy
Ex. Continuous filling and emptying of reservoirs and tanks

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 Rigid column theory
• Rate of change of fluid velocity is sufficient for the forces
causing fluid acceleration to be important
• But still so slow as to permit the compressibility of the
fluid to be ignored.
• The pressures generated within the affected system are
often termed surge pressures.
Ex : Fluid mass oscillation in reservoir surge tank systems
 Elastic column
• Time taken to change fluid velocity is comparable to the period of
the system based on the wave propagation velocity through the fluid,
modified by the pipe properties, and the pipe length.
• If these times are comparable then the compressibility of the fluid
becomes significant and the solution requires graphical or computer-
based numerical techniques.
• These unsteady flow conditions, referred to as water hammer

Ex: Water hammer may result from rapid valve operation, pump shutdown or
turbine load rejection and are commonly termed pressure or fluid transients