The use of air valves as protection

devices in pressure hydraulic

transients
Vicent Espert (1)
Jorge Garca-Serra (1)
Edmundo Koelle (2)
(1)

Institute for Water Technology. Valencia (Spain)

(2) Unicamp Faculty of Engineering. Sao Paulo (Brazil)

Pressure Surges 14 - 16 May 2008

Contents
Objectives of air valves in pressure systems
Case studies to simulate the effects of air valves as transient
protection devices

Case 1. Pumping system. Substitution of an intermediate surge

tank by an air valve
Case 2. Pumping system. Substitution of an air vessel by air
valves along the pipe
Case 3. A long pipeline. Air valves to protect the pipe in case of
a burst

Conclusions

Pressure Surges 14 - 16 May 2008

Objective of air valves in pressure systems

To discharge air in pipe filling operations (large orifice)
To admite air in pipe draining operations (large orifice)
To discharge air in normal operation conditions (small orifice)
As protection devices in case of hydraulic transients (large orifice)
FOR AN ADEQUATE TRANSIENT PROTECTION,
THE AIR VALVES MUST HAVE:

High inflow capacity, for the pressure not to drop below

atmospheric pressure and to prevent a possible pipe collapse
Reduced outflow capacity, to prevent important pressure
peaks when the air valve closes

Pressure Surges 14 - 16 May 2008

Objective of air valves in pressure systems

TO OBTAIN THE REQUIRED AIR VALVE CHARACTERISTICS
Air inlet
valve

Large orifice
air valve

Small orifice air valve

Air accumulator

Air valve association

to achieve a high
inflow capacity and a
reduced outflow
capacity

Secondary float
Small orifice float
Main Float
Float support

Controlled closure air valve

Air flow
Pressure Surges 14 - 16 May 2008

Case studies to simulate the effects of air valves as

transient protection devices

Case 1. Pumping system. Substitution

of an intermediate surge tank
by an air valve

Case 2. Pumping system. Substitution

of an air vessel by air valves
along the pipe

Case 3. A long pipeline. Air valves to

protect the pipe in case of a
burst

Pressure Surges 14 - 16 May 2008

Case studies to simulate the effects of air valves as

transient protection devices
These case studies have been simulated using the ALLIEVI
program, developed at the Institute for Water Technology
In this program, the air inside the pipe is not alloved to move
along the pipe, but it remains accumulated next to the air
valve through which it has been admitted.
Qatm
Air valve
C-

C+
Vp

QM

QN
HM = HN = HMN

ZMN

Pressure Surges 14 - 16 May 2008

Case studies to simulate the effects of air valves as

transient protection devices

Pressure Surges 14 - 16 May 2008

Case 1. Pumping system. Substitution of an intermediate

surge tank by an air valve
PUMPING SYSTEM
Pipe length: 14.56 Km
Pipe diameter: 1600 mm
Number of pump units: 4
Geometric head: 25.1 m
Total flow rate: 4.0 m3/s

AIR VESSELS
Number of air vessels: 6
Volume per unity: 50 m3
Initial gas volume: 10.88 m3

SURGE TANK
Diameter: 14 m
Height: 7 m
Location: 12.58 Km

Envelope of maximum and minimum piezometric head

Pmin = 1.10 m
Pmax = 53.18 m
Hinit
Hmax

Position of
the surge
tank

Hmin
Pipe profile
Cavitation line

Pressure Surges 14 - 16 May 2008

Case 1. Pumping system. Substitution of an intermediate

surge tank by an air valve
Surge tank substituted
by an air valve
Hmax

Position of
the air valve

Hinit

Pipe profile
Hmin
Cavitation line

Air valve
Double acting air valve
DN 150 mm

Envelope of maximum
and minimum
piezometric head
Pmin = -10 m (cavitation)
Pmax = 73.78 m

Pressure evolution in
the air valve
Overpressure due to
the first air valve
closure: 45 m

Pressure Surges 14 - 16 May 2008

Case 1. Pumping system. Substitution of an intermediate

surge tank by an air valve
Surge tank substituted
by an air valve
Position of
the air valve

Hinit

Hmax
Hmin
Pipe profile
Cavitation line

Air valve
Air inlet valve
DN 150 mm
Double acting air valve
DN 25 mm

Envelope of maximum
and minimum
piezometric head
Pmin = -0.32 m
Pmax = 53.18 m

Pressure evolution in
the air valve
Overpressure due to
the first air valve
closure: 1.50 m

Pressure Surges 14 - 16 May 2008

Case 2. Pumping system. Substitution of an air vessel by

air valves along the pipe
PUMPING SYSTEM
Pipe length: 6.6 Km
Pipe diameter: 800 mm
Number of pump units: 3
Geometric head: 117.3 m
Total flow rate: 1.0 m3/s

AIR VESSELS
Number of air vessels: 1
Volume per unity: 35 m3
Initial gas volume: 15 m3

Envelope of maximum and minimum piezometric head

Pmin = 7.60 m
Pmax = 153.65 m

Hinit

Hmax

Hmin

Pipe profile
Cavitation line

Pressure Surges 14 - 16 May 2008

10

Case 2. Pumping system. Substitution of an air vessel by

air valves along the pipe
Air vessel substituted by 22 air valves along the pipe

Hmax

Hinit
Pipe profile
Hmin
Cavitation line

Air valves
Air inlet valve DN 80 mm
Double acting air valve DN 15 mm

Pressure Surges 14 - 16 May 2008

Pmin = -9.34 m
Pmax = 336.64 m

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Case 3. A long pipeline. Air valves to protect the pipe

in case of a burst
PIPELINE
Pipe length: 36.1 Km
Pipe diameter: 1792 mm
Geometric head: 75 m
Total flow rate: 4.25 m3/s

Air valves
Number of air valves along the pipe: 117
Air inlet valve DN 150 mm
Double acting air valve DN 15 mm

Initial conditions
The control valve is closed
Pipeline to static pressure

Envelope of maximum and minimum piezometric head. Burst located at 10.2 Km

Pmin = -8.29 m
Pmax = 123.17 m

Hmax
Hinit

Burst
Hmin
Pipe profile
Cavitation line

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12

Case 3. A long pipeline. Air valves to protect the pipe

in case of a burst
Envelope of
maximum and
minimum
piezometric head.
Burst located at
28.3 Km

Hmax
Hinit

Burst

Hmin
Pipe profile

Pmin = -8.41 m
Pmax = 121.80 m

Cavitation line

Envelope of
maximum and
minimum
piezometric head.
Burst located at
35.0 Km

Hmax
Hinit

Hmin
Pipe profile

Burst
Cavitation line

Pressure Surges 14 - 16 May 2008

Pmin = -9.75 m
Pmax = 121.41 m

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Conclusions
1. Air valves can be used as hydraulic transient protection devices.
2. Air valves used as protection devices must have high admission
capacity and controled discharge capacity.
3. The high admission capacity can be achieved by an air inlet valve
of large orifice.
4. The controled discharge capacity can be achieved by a double
acting air valve of reduced orifice.

5. In an undulating pipeline with air valves as protection devices, it is

difficult to simulate the effect of these valves because the air can
move inside the pipe.
6. The results obtained by simulating transient air valve operations
have to be considered as aproximate values, but not a clear
explanation of what really happens in the system.
Pressure Surges 14 - 16 May 2008

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