11/4/2020 Water Hammer in Process Plant - The Process Piping

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Water Hammer
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Water Hammer in Process Plant 

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Water hammer is a Name
pressure surge or 
wave caused when a Email*

uid (usually a
liquid but 
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sometimes also a 
gas) in motion is
forced to stop or THE PROCESS PIPING FACEBOOK PAGE
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change direction
The Process Piping
suddenly 2,875 likes

(momentum change). A water hammer commonly occurs

when a valve closes suddenly at an end of a piping system,
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and a pressure wave propagates in the pipe. It is also called
hydraulic shock. Be the first of your friends to like this

Water hammer is a commonly observed phenomenon taking

place during a uid ow. Presence of water hammer can be
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easily detected by the noise it makes. Noise is not the nal Select Category
effect of water hammer but just an indication of it. Water
hammer has multiple adverse effects on steam systems.
BLOG STATISTICS
Water hammer can damage equipment’s like ow meters
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351,121 Users
which are installed on the steam network. Instances of
rupture and disruption of piping on account of water 
hammer are also quite common. In a few cases, water
hammer has resulted into catastrophic hazards. Water 
hammer is not only a system issue but it is also a safety 
issue. It is possible to reduce the effects of the water
hammer pulses with accumulators, expansion tanks, surge 
tanks, blow off valves, and other features. 


Water Hammer – Steam 

System 
As soon as steam leaves the boiler, it starts losing heat. As a
result, steam stats condensing inside the pipe work.  The
rate of condensate formation is high particularly during the
start ups when the system is cold. As a result of the
condensation, the droplets of water are formed. After
condensate is formed, the ow inside the pipe has two
components, steam and the condensate. The ow velocity
of steam is much higher than that of the condensate.
During such dual phase ow, the heavy condensate which

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ows at the bottom of the pipe is pulled by high speed

steam and this creates ripples. If the level of condensate is
high enough, the ripples may ll the entire pipe cross
section. Under pressure, and with nowhere else to go, the
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ripples are transformed into a mass of water (often referred
as slug) which is much denser than steam and travelling 
with the velocity of steam. When this slug is stopped by any
obstacle like a bend or equipment, the kinetic energy of the 
slug will be suddenly converted into pressure energy which 
will create a shock wave in the entire pipework. The
pipework will keep on vibrating until this energy is 
dissipated in the structure. 

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Water Hammer –
Condensation Induced
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Condensation-induced water hammer may be caused either
by steam entering a piping system that contains water 
(cooled condensate) or by the injection of water into a
piping system containing steam. 

Below Figure depicts the four-step sequence that causes
condensation-induced water hammer. 

(a) As condensing steam loses its heat to the pipe wall and
cooler condensate, it changes phase from a vapor to a

liquid.

(b) Working together, the condensation and ow of steam
produce waves that build until they ll the pipe cross 
section, trapping steam between their peaks. The trapped
steam then condenses rapidly.

(c) Resulting liquid, due to condensation of steam, occupies

up to 1,000 times less space than it did as steam. The
pressure in the void falls to a much lower level than that of
the steam surrounding it. The void then collapses as the
water, under steam pressure, rushes in.

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(d) The collision of the water and condensate produces a

local, pressurized pulse of water that rebounds down the
pipe.

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The Impact of Water

Hammer
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One might wonder why water hammers are thought to be a

serious problem. The destructive nature of water hammer
can be realized through the following illustration:
Recommended velocity of saturated steam in pipe network
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= 20-35 m/s
Recommended velocity of water in pipe network= 2-3 m/s 

In case of water hammers, condensate is dragged by steam 

and hence, the water slug travels with velocity equal to that 
of steam which is around ten times more than the ideal
water velocity. As a result, the total pressure impact exerted 
by water hammer is very high. 

Best Practices to Avoid Water 

Hammer



Though water hammer cannot be completely eliminated, it
can certainly be avoided. There are certain best practices,
which when followed, ensure least chances of occurrence of
water hammer. Some of these practices are:

Steam lines should always be installed with a gradual

slope (gradient) in direction of ow.
Installing steam traps at regular intervals and also at
the low points ahead of any risers. This ensures removal

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of condensate from the steam system as soon as it is

formed.
Sagging of pipes should be avoided by providing proper
support. Sagging pipes can form pool of condensate in
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the pipework, increasing the chances of water hammer.
Standard start up procedures are required for cold start 

of the plant. Operators should be trained to open

isolation valve slowly during the start-up modes.

Do not allow steam into any line lled with subcooled 

condensate or into any cold steam line suspected of

containing condensate.

Drain pockets should be properly sized to ensure that 

condensate just not jumps over it. Instead, the drain

pockets should be sized enough so that all the

condensate reaches the trap. 

Eccentric reducers should be used against concentric

reducers.


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