IChemE - Webinar: An Introduction to Pressure Surge Analysis

Whenever the flowrate in a pressurised system changes, transient pressures are generated. In extreme cases these pressures can rupture pipelines or damage fittings. It is therefore important that the transient operation of the system is properly considered.

Whenever pumps stop/start, a transient event will be produced at the pumping station and the system may be subjected to pressures for which it was not designed. The closing of a valve is another potential threat to the durability of pipes and fittings. When a valve closes, the sudden velocity reduction to zero may produce an upsurge which has to be minimised.

These wide pressure fluctuations are particularly undesirable if they were to occur regularly. The objective of a surge analysis is to identify the locations along the transmission mains where the surges are likely to be a problem and to recommend additional surge protection, if found to be necessary, in order to mitigate the surge events.

This presentation will highlight why surge analysis is important, outline the basic governing equations and give a high-level overview of how systems are analysed.