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Tutorial
Water hammer (part 3)
Dynamic Analysis using
Caesar II
The Water hammer tutorial is a 3 part tutorial describing the
phenomena of water hammer in a piping system and how BOSfluids
can be used to examine the resulting pressure spike and unbalanced
forces in the system. The third part of the tutorial describes how
unbalanced forces can be exported by BOSfluids and imported in the
pipe stress analysis program Caesar II to perform a dynamic stress
analysis.
BOSfluids Water Hammer Part 3
Copyright Dynaflow Research Group. Page 1 of 13
1. INTRODUCTION
A piping system, illustrated in Figure 1, is subject to a sudden valve closure at the pump
suction end, resulting in a water hammer. BOSfluids
2
With the pressure difference between the two elbows and
2
+2
2
BOSfluids Water Hammer Part 3
Copyright Dynaflow Research Group. Page 7 of 13
Figure 7 | Frequency spectrum of the pressure results at node 50
A conservative assumption where no dampening is assumed (=0), would lead to a dynamic
amplification of:
=
1
1
4.16
0.69
2
= 0.028
So the first structural mode of interest would be excited by the periodic part of the fluid
dynamics with an amplification of 2.8%. This means no problems are expected for this
dynamic interaction. However the excitation of the higher mode shapes is more complex
and should not be dismissed so easily. To get a more thorough understanding of the
dynamic response of the piping system under the loads of the water hammer, a dynamic
analysis using the time history of the unbalanced forces should be performed.
4.3. Time history analysis
To perform a time history analysis the results of the unbalanced loads are imported in
CAESAR II using the Export Forces feature in BOSfluids. But first the output range and
resolution are redefined.
4.3.1. Output range and temporal resolution
The output range and temporal resolution was already determined in part 1 of the tutorial
before performing the dynamic flow analysis, however the dynamic stress analysis might
require some adjustments of the analysis parameters.
BOSfluids Water Hammer Part 3
Page 8 of 13 Copyright Dynaflow Research Group.
During the fluid flow analysis the temporal resolution was set automatically by BOSfluids.
Investigation of the results showed that it was sufficiently small to capture the initial force
peak and the following harmonic oscillations, see Figure 8.
Figure 8 | Force results at node 50
The temporal resolutions used by the solver and used for the output are found by opening
the Transient Warning & Messages report. The time step used by the solver is found to be
0.3657 ms and the output interval is 6.0 ms.
For the dynamic stress analysis, the temporal resolution should be small enough to capture
the highest natural frequency of interest. A conservative approximation would be to choose
the temporal resolution to be 10% of the time period of the highest frequency. To determine
the highest frequency of interest again the dynamic load factor is used. From Figure 9 it can
be seen that for frequency ratios below 0.2 the dynamic load factor remains 1.0 (no
amplification).
Figure 9 | Dynamic load factor
BOSfluids Water Hammer Part 3
Copyright Dynaflow Research Group. Page 9 of 13
The highest natural frequency of interest could therefore be estimated by:
= 0.2
Using this relation with an excitation frequency of 4.16 Hz, the highest frequency of interest
becomes 20.8 Hz. The required output interval to capture this frequency can be estimated by
0.1 1/20.8 = 5.
The output range should be long enough to capture at least 2 periods of the smallest natural
frequency of interest. This frequency was found in the modal analysis to be 0.69 Hz. This
would mean the output range should be approximately 4 seconds (where an extra 1.2
seconds was taken for the initial transient).
4.3.2. Rerun the simulation and export the results from BOSfluids
The new parameters for the output range and interval can entered in the analysis settings.
Since the valve in the water hammer case closes after 1 second the Output Start Time is taken
to be 1 second, the End Time and the Simulation Time are increased to 5 seconds and the
output interval is set to 0.005 seconds, see Figure 10.
Figure 10 | Analysis settings
Rerun the simulation in the Run tab.
BOSfluids Water Hammer Part 3
Page 10 of 13 Copyright Dynaflow Research Group.
The unbalanced forces can be exported by selecting ToolsExport Forces. By selecting File
Type : Caesar II, the time history results for each node pair (these were defined in part 1) are
stored in separate files, see Figure 11.
Figure 11 | Export the unbalanced forces
The data files consist of simple ascii based text and can be opened by any text editor. Before
importing the files in CAESAR II confirm that the correct units are used for the time history
results (force in Newton and time in milliseconds).
4.3.3. Importing the data file in CAEAR II
When the data files are made, store the data files in the same directory as the CAESAR
model. The time history data files can now be imported in CAESAR by selecting Time
History from the Analysis Type drop down menu.
Multiple data files can be imported and solved in a load case, however the user should be
carefully evaluate the sign of the applied forces. The forces on different pipe sections should
work against each other in such a way the resulting deformation represents the worst case
scenario in terms of resulting stresses. Since the current tutorial is primarily written to
provide an example for the import/export of BOSfluids models/results, only one data file is
imported in CAESAR II. The other file and the combined case are left for the user to carry
out themselves.
The unbalanced force for the pipe section from node 45 to 75 are imported in the CAESAR II
dynamic stress module by following the steps below:
BOSfluids Water Hammer Part 3
Copyright Dynaflow Research Group. Page 11 of 13
1. In the first tab Time History Definitions the time history file is referenced by typing #<file
name> in the name field. Delete all default input lines, untick the the comment (Cmt)
checkbox for the first line and give the input parameters as shown in Figure 12.
Figure 12 | Time History Definitions
2. Select the Force Sets tab. Add a force set in the X-direction at a node anywhere on the
pipe section of interest except for the bend nodes, in this case on Node 50. The
magnitude is set at 1.0, since the actual magnitude of the forces is defined by the data
file. Define a force set with number 1 as shown in Figure 13.
Figure 13 | Force Sets
3. Select the Time History Load Cases tab. This tab links the time history profile set in the first
tab with the force set in the second tab. Define one load case as shown in Figure 14.
Figure 14 | Time history load cases
4. Select the Static/Dynamic Combinations tab. According to the code the dynamic loads
(occasional loads) should be combined with the static sustained loads in a combined load
case and tested against the allowables. Create one static/dynamic load case combination
combining the static sustained load case (S2) with the dynamic time history load case
(D1), as shown in Figure 15.
Figure 15 | Static/Dynamic Combinations
BOSfluids Water Hammer Part 3
Page 12 of 13 Copyright Dynaflow Research Group.
5. Select the Control Parameters tab. Define the following parameters:
- Static Load Case for Nonlinear Restraint Status: 2 (the sustained static load case)
- Stiffness Factor for Friction: 1.0
- Frequency Cutoff: 20Hz
- Time History Time Step: 5ms
- Load Duration: 6.5 sec (the total time of the time history 5 sec + one period of the
lowest natural frequency 1.5 sec)
- Damping ratio: 0.03
- Mass Model: Consistent (gives more accurate results)
See also Figure 16.
Figure 16 | Control Parameters
6. Run the dynamic analysis.
Figure 17 | Dynamic Output: Stress report
BOSfluids Water Hammer Part 3
Copyright Dynaflow Research Group. Page 13 of 13
4.3.4. Results
The results of the dynamic analysis show the highest stress, 136MPa occurs at node 90. This
stress is still below the allowable (74% of the allowable), see Figure 17. The largest
displacements are found in the pipe section where the force was applied, see Figure 18.
These large displacements of 212 mm are caused by the lack of horizontal supports.
Figure 18 | Dynamic Output: Displacement report
4.4. Conclusion
This concludes the Water Hammer tutorial, where the fluid dynamics and the structural
dynamics of a water hammer event on a piping system were investigated. This tutorial is not
written with the intention to give a thorough overview of the CAESAR II dynamic module.
For a more elaborate overview of all the functions of the CAESAR II dynamic module you
are referred to the CAESAR II user manual.
For more BOSfluids tutorials you are referred to the BOSfluids website.