Article

Practical Paper Water pipe system response under dynamic effects

Helena Ramos

Didia Covas
ABSTRACT Recent developments based on the flow acceleration/deceleration, mechanical responses of the
pipe-wall material and leakage are analysed in order to better understand the pipe system response under
transient conditions for pressurised flows, in terms of amplitude, phase and shape. These events have been
performed by using collect data in transient tests obtained for different pipe system characteristics (two
experimental facilities and a real-life system). Current commercial transient solvers cannot accurately predict the
head oscillations in pipes with non-elastic rheological pipe-wall behaviour, such as polyethylene PE, whose
application in water supply systems has increased during the last years. Experimental procedures are carried out
aimed at the collection of data sets of dynamic effects through pressure time variation and flow velocity fields.
Pressure transients that naturally occur in pipe systems propagate back and forth in the pipes and carry
information about features of the system, such as the presence of a leak, providing a potential tool for leak
detection.