Study on Wave calculation of

an air cushion surge chamber

Xiaohong Zhang
Xi’an University of Technology, Institute of
Water Resources and Hydro-Electric
Engineering, Xi’an,Shaanxi
 Abstract.
 To constant flow, the varying rule
between gaseous volume and pressure
meets Boyle Gas Law. But, in transient
process of water diversion system, kinetic
characteristic of the gas in air cushion surge
chamber has certain complexity when there
is great fluctuation in surge chamber.
 Therefore, when computing surge of air
cushion surge chamber, firstly, it is
necessary that gaseous volume and
pressure meet actual rule and important to
establish correct mathematic model.
Secondly, initial height and pressure of the
chamber should be confirmed correctly.
 Then the computing method of water level
surge of air cushion surge chamber is
acquired.
 The basic equations and boundary
conditions of the surge chamber were
established in this article. Parameters
selection, structure design and surge
calculation of the air cushion surge chamber
were conducted.
 The effect of the initial air height and
Polytrophic Exponent n in the chamber on
the fluctuations of pressure and changes
of water level is discussed.
 The results are quite important to fluid
transient study of the air cushion surge
chamber and may promote its use in water
power plant.
 1.Basic equations of the transient flow in
Pressure pipelines

 1.1 motion equation and continuity

equation
 H V V f V V
g V   0
 x x t 2D

 H  a V  V H  V sin   0
2

 t g x x
1.2 Characteristic equation and its differential
form
g dH dV fV V 
   0
a dt dt 2D  
C
dx 
 a
dt 
g dH dV fV V 
    0
a dt dt 2D  
C
dx 
 a
dt 

 Differential form of Characteristic equations:

C  : H pi  C p  BQ pi
C  : H pi  C m  BQ pi

C p  H i 1  BQi 1  RQi 1 Qi 1
Cm  H i 1  BQi 1  RQi 1 Qi 1
 2.Surge chamber boundary
conditions
 Boundary conditions of air cushion surge
chamber are showed in Figure 1.

 Fig. 1..Boundary conditions of Air Cushion Surge Chamber

 equation:
C  : H p1, NS  C p1  B1Q p1, NS C  : H p 2,1  C M 2  B 2 Q p 2,1

H p1, NS  H p 2,1  H p Q p1, NS  Qc  QP 2,1

t QP21, NS Pa P Qc2
Z  Z10  (Qc 0  Qc ) H p1, NS   Z  (1  k )
2 Fc 2 gf1 2
g g 2 gFc2

P  P10 ( L10 / L) n
 HP1,NS, 、 QP1,NS, QP2,1, 、 Z, 、 QC,
、 P, and L are seven unknown
parameters in t moment when calculating
water hammer pressure and surge
chamber fluctuations jointly. The air
pressure change, water level fluctuation
and other physical parameters can be
determined by solving the boundary
equations of the chamber jointly.
3 Examples and results analysis
 A hydropower station has 100 meters high roller
compacted concrete arch dam. The total installed
capacity is 3×2.4 million watt. The entire power
generation system consists of water intake tower,
diversion tunnel, surge chamber, pressure pipeline
fork tubes and branch pipe. The hydropower
station design discharge is 93m3/s, design head is
90m, maximum flood level is 512.5m, dead water
level is 485m,
 pressure diversion tunnel is 2715.213m long (to
centerline of surge chamber), tunnel centerline elevation
near surge chamber is 463.524 meters, and tunnel
diameter after lined is 6.0m. Considering the terrain and
environmental protection requirements, air-cushion type
surge chamber is designed. After the chamber is buried
pressure pipe with 5.5 meters inner diameter and
134.281 meters long main pipeline. The main pipe
divided into three 3.0m inner diameter branches before
enter the main power house and the distance between
them is about 102 meters.
 3.1 Results analysis of air-cushion surge
chamber calculation
 3.2.1 Influence of initial heights to the
pressure and surge of air cushion surge
chamber
 In order to compare and show the relationship
between initial height and surge of air chamber ,
L0 is chose as 10 m (L0/24=0.42), 12m
(L0/24=0.50) and 16 meters(L0/24=0.67)
respectively, and partial results are showed in
Table 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3.
Fig. 2 ． Fluctuation Course of Surge in air
cushion Surge Chamber (Lo=10m, n=1.4)

493
492
491
490
489
Zp/ m

488
487
486
485
484
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
t/ s
Fig. 3 ． Fluctuation Course of Pressure in
air cushion Surge Chamber (Lo=10m, n=1.4)
80
70
60
50
P/ m

40
30
20
10
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
t/ s
 Table 1. Surge Water Level When Three Sets
Discard all Loads at the same time in Air Cushion
Surge Chamber
 Based on calculation, It was found that
under the same calculation conditions, same
surface area of surge chamber, and same
polytrophic exponent, with different initial
height or a different initial pressure of air
chamber (volume), the highest surge
(maximum pressure chamber) comes in
quite close time with different value, and has
some rules.
 It shows that the lower the initial air chamber
height Lo the higher the maximum and minimum
swell height of air chamber, and vice versa.
Therefore increasing the initial pressure can
reduce the height of the air chamber and the total
amount of excavation. However, increase of the
initial pressure is restricted by the minimum water
level of air chamber. Air is not allowed to enter the
diversion tunnel.
 In air cushion surge chamber the existence of "air
cushion" buffer the effects of water level
fluctuations. Its water level fluctuation differs to the
conventional normal open chamber. When the
hydropower station load change, water level
fluctuations of the conventional open surge
chamber likes sine wave attenuation curve, but the
water level fluctuations of air cushion surge
chamber have the following characteristics: water
level fluctuation waveform has steep wave crest
and mild trough. It can be clearly seen from fig.3
 that the amplitude of water level fluctuation
of air cushion surge chamber is smaller than
that of the conventional open surge
chamber. While along with continuing
fluctuation time, the attenuation speed is
slower than that of conventional open surge
chamber.
 3.2.2 The impact of polytrophic exponent n on the
pressure and surge of air cushion surge chamber

 The indoor air cushion surge chamber

characteristics ranges from constant
temperature and adiabatic process in the
transition process. In order to illustrate the
impact of different states of the transition
process, a different combination of n value
is calculated.
Fig. 4 ． Fluctuation Course of the maximum
pressure of air cushion surge chamber with
index n
Lo=10m
Initial height of air chamber
Maximum pressure of

70
air chamber(m)

68
66
64
62
60
0 0.5 1 1.5
Polytropic exponent(n)
 68
Lo=12m
Maximum pressure of

Initial height of air chamber

air chamber(m)
66

64

62

60

58
0 0.5 1 1.5
Polytropic exponent(n)
Maximum pressure of

66
Lo=16m
air chamber(m)

64
Initial height of air chamber
62

60

58

56
0 0.5 1 1.5
Polytropic exponent(n)
 5 Conclusion
 Through a real example this article is about more
in-depth study on air cushion surge chamber
fluctuations in the course of several main
parameters and the relationship between them,
shows the range of initial height L0 of air cushion
surge chamber (initial air surge chamber pressure
P0), and polytrophic exponent n. That has great
important influence to the application of air
cushion surge chamber in China.
Thank you