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TCE.M6-CV-HS-G-
024 DESIGN GUIDE ON AIR CHAMBER FOR PUMPING
SHEET i OF iii OF
PLANTS

DESIGN GUIDE ON

AIR CHAMBER FOR PUMPING PLANTS

FILE NAME: TCEM6CVHSG024(R1).DOC VALID UTPO: 21-03-2013

REV.NO R0 R1 ISSUE

INITIALS SIGN INITIALS SIGN INITIALS SIGN INITIALS SIGN

PPD.BY PVR/PMK Sd/- PLNR Sd/-

CKD.BY RS/MSI/MVB Sd/- GMA Sd/- R1

APP.BY FSAP Sd/- BKR Sd/-

DATE 1997-05-21 22-03-2010

FORM NO. 020R4

 TATA Consulting Engineers Limited SECTION:
CONTENTS
TCE.M6-CV-HS-G-
024 AIR CHAMBER FOR PUMPING PLANTS SHEET ii OF iii

CONTENTS

1.0 SCOPE

2.0 FUNCTION OF AN AIR CHAMBER

3.0 NOTATIONS

4.0 DATA

5.0 ASSUMPTIONS

6.0 DESIGN PROCEDURE

7.0 DESIGN EXAMPLE

8.0 STRUCTURAL DESIGN

9.0 REFERENCES

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REVISION STATUS SHEET

REV. NO. DATE DESCRIPTION

R1 22-03-2010 GENERALLY REVISED

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024 AIR CHAMBER FOR PUMPING PLANTS SHEET 1 OF 14

1.0 SCOPE

This design guide presents the standard method employed in order to

determine the preliminary air chamber capacity and compressed air
requirements for stipulated up surge and down surge conditions.

A final computer simulation is advisable to study the interrelated effects of

line friction, pump rotational inertia and other factors.

2.0 FUNCTIONS OF AIR CHAMBER

In long pump discharge lines air chambers are provided in order to effectively
control the pressure surges in the water conductor system. Following a
power failure and consequent trip out of the pumps, the initial negative surge
wave may cause water column separation at high points in the discharge line
which are near the hydraulic gradient. Such a water column separation is
undesirable because of the high pressures created when the water columns
rejoin. Wherever possible, this condition should be avoided by using an air
chamber.

In the case of power failure, the head developed by the pump and the flow
decreases rapidly. The compressed air in the upper portion of the chamber
then forces water out of the bottom of the chamber into the discharge line
and reduces the velocity changes and water hammer effects in the discharge
line. When the pump speed is reduced to the point where it cannot deliver
any more water against the existing head, the check valve at the discharge
side of the pump closes and the pump slowly comes to a stop. The water in
the discharge line then comes to rest, reverses and flows back into the
chamber. During the process of flow reversal, the conduit is subject to water
hammer pressure all along its length with the maximum pressure occurring at
the location of the air chamber which is situated close to the pump. However,
this maximum pressure is reduced to a considerable extent by the air
chamber due to high head loss imposed on the reverse flow entering the
chamber.

A typical sketch indicating air chamber in the pumping system is shown in

Fig.6.

3.0 NOTATIONS

Ho* Pump rated head with respect to absolute zero (m)

a Velocity of wave (m/sec)

A Cross-sectional area of pump discharge line (m2)

C Volume of compressed air in air chamber at any time (m)

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Co Initial volume of compressed air in air chamber (m) R1

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024 AIR CHAMBER FOR PUMPING PLANTS SHEET 2 OF 14

C Total volume of air chamber (m)

d Inside diameter of the pump discharge line (m)

e Thickness of pipe shell (m)

E Modulus of elasticity of pipe (kg/m)

g Acceleration due to gravity (m/sec)

H* The pressure head in the air chamber at any time (m)

H*min = H0* - max. down surge adjacent to the pump (m)

H1 Maximum upsurge value (m)

H2 Maximum downsurge value (m)

K1 Bulk modulus of water (kg/m)

K Co-efficient of head loss such that K Ho* is the total

head loss for a flow of Qo into air chamber
L Length of pump discharge line (m)

Vo Initial velocity of flow in the pump discharge line (m/sec)

Qo Initial flow through the pump discharge line (m/sec)

2Co a/QOL Air chamber characteristic

w Unit weight of water (kg/m3 )

** Pipe line characteristic = aVo /2g Ho*

Poissons Ratio

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4.0 DATA

The data required for designing an air chamber are :

(a) Pump rated head

(b) Allowable upsurge and downsurge values (either stipulated by client

or from water hammer analysis)

(c) Length of the pipeline

(d) Pipe material and its thickness

(e) Discharge carried in pipeline

(f) Diameter of the pipeline

5.0 ASSUMPTIONS

Figures 2, 3, 4 & 5 are based on the following assumptions:

(a) The air chamber is located near the pump

(b) The check valve at the pump closes immediately upon power failure

(c) The pressure volume relation for the compressed air in the air
chamber is H* C1.2 = a constant

(d) The ratio of the total head loss for the same flow into and out of the air
chamber is 2.5 to 1.K Ho* is the sum of the hydraulic losses in the
discharge line and the throttling losses at the differential orifice when
a reverse flow equal to Qo is passing into the air chamber.

6.0 DESIGN PROCEDURE

(a) Calculate velocity a of pressure wave from the following equations :

1/ 2

K
a =

( D * K * C1)
*1
g Ee
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Where,
K = Bulk modulus of elasticity of fluid (kg / cm2)
= Density of fluid (kg / m3)
D = Diameter of pipe (mm)
E = Modulus of Elasticity (kg / cm2)
e = Thickness of pipe (mm)
C1 = constant which varies with end condition of pipe
C1 = 5/4 - for a pipe anchored at the upper end and without
expansion joints
C1 = 1 - 2 for a pipe anchored against longitudinal movement
throughout its length
C1 = 1- /2 for a pipe with expansion joints
C1 = 1 for buried pipes

Values of modulus of elasticity and Poissons ratio for commonly used pipe
material are presented in Table-1. Bulk modulus of elasticity and density of
water are presented in Table-2.

TABLE 1

YOUNGS MODULUS OF ELASTICITY AND POISSONS

RATIO FOR VARIOUS PIPE MATERIALS

Material Modulus of Elasticity Poissons Ratio

kg/cm

Mild Steel 2.0389 x 106 to 0.27

6
2.1612x 10

GRP 2.447 x 105 0.27-0.30

Concrete 1.4272 x 105 to 0.10 to 0.15

3.0583x105

Cast iron 8.1555x105 to 0.25

1.7330 x106

Ductile Iron 1.6 x 106

4
PVC 2.804 x 10 3.171 0.35-0.40
x 104 ISSUE
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024 AIR CHAMBER FOR PUMPING PLANTS SHEET 5 OF 14

TABLE 2

BULK MODULUS OF ELASTICITY AND DENSITY

Liquid Temperature Density Bulk Modulus of

O
C Elasticity

kg/m kg / cm

Water, fresh 20 999 2.2326 x 104

Water, sea 15 1025 2.3141 x 104

The wave speed for the pipes commonly encountered in practice is presented
in Figure 1. This chart can be used for preliminary wave celerity.

I) Find wave speed using equation / chart

II) Calculate pipeline characteristic 2 * avo / gHo *

III) Calculate coefficient of head loss K from KHo* = total loss for a flow
Qo into the chamber

IV) For computed K value select the appropriate figure to be used from
Fig.1 to 4

V) From selected figure, calculate air chamber characteristic 2 Coa/QoL

to satisfy upsurge and downsurge conditions

2Coa
VI) From determined, calculate the compressed air Co required
QoL
in air chamber

VII) To ensure that air will not enter the discharge line when the maximum
downsurge is attained, the total volume of air chamber must be
greater than C where C is defined as follows:

1 Ho * 1 / 1.2
C = Co
H * min

Where H* min = Ho* - maximum downsurge adjacent to the pump

which can be computed from the same figure.
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7.0 DESIGN EXAMPLE

Data Ho* = 71.0 m

Diameter of pipe d = 1500 mm

Thickness of pipe e = 8 mm

Expansion joints are provided along the pipe line

Constant which C1 = 1- /2 = 1 (0.27 / 2) = 0.865

varies with end condition of pipe

Air vessel is to be designed to limit

Maximum upsurge adjacent to pump < 0.43 Ho*

And maximum downsurge at mid length < 0.21 Ho*

Velocity in the pipeline Vo = 1.524 m/sec

Pipeline characteristic = 2 * avo / gHo * = 2

Length of the pipe line L = 610 m

Pipeline friction loss = 0.91 m

Loss across differential orifice = 20.42 m

Discharge Qo = 2.83 m/sec

NOTE :

The values of maximum upsurge and downsurge not to be exceeded are

fixed after estimating their values from water hammer analysis without an air
chamber in position.

Procedure

1. KHo* = 0.91 + 20.42 = 21.33 or K x 71 = 21.33

K = 0.3

2. Wave velocity for mild steel pipe

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1/ 2

a = K

( D * K * C1)
*1
g Ee

1/ 2

a = 2.2326* 108
899.7m / sec
999 (1500* 2.2326* 108 * 0.865)
*1
9.81 2.12 * 10^10 * 8

3. From figure 2 (k = 0.3) and

Max.downsurge 2Coa
*
= 0.21, = 21
QoL
Ho
2Coa
21 20.163m3
QoL

5. From figure 2, corresponding maximum upsurge adjacent to pump =

0.27 Ho* i.e., < 0.43 Ho*

2Coa
6. From figure 2 for =21, maximum downsurge adjacent to
QoL
pump = 0.32 Ho*

1 / 1 .2
Ho
7. Now C = Co
H * min

H* Min = Ho* - 0.32 Ho* = 0.68 Ho*

1 / 1 .2
1 1
C = Co
0.68
3
= 27.80 m

8.0 STRUCTURAL DESIGN

After hydraulic design for surge calculation, the air chamber is designed as a
pressure vessel using maximum upsurge and downsurge values as per IS :
2825.
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9.0 REFERENCES

1. John Parmakian, WATER HAMMER ANALYSIS Prentice Hall Inc.,

New York, 1955

2. IS:2825 Code for Unfired Pressure Vessels

3. A.R.D.Thorley, Fluid Transients in Pipeline System D. & L. George

Ltd, England, 1991

4. Chaudhary, M.H., 1987 Applied Hydraulic Transients, Van Nostrand

Reinhold Co., New York, 2nd Edn

5. D.Stephensen, Simple Guide for Design of Air Vessels for Water

Hammer Protection of Pumping Lines, Journal of Hydraulic
Engineering / August 2002.

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Figure 1: Wave Propagation Speed for Different Pipe Materials (ref 3)

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Figure 2: Surges in Pump Discharge Line, K = 0

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Figure 3: Surges in Pump Discharge Line, K = 0.3

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Figure 4: Surges in Pump Discharge Line, K = 0.5

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Figure 5: Surges in Pump Discharge Line, K = 0.7

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Figure 6: A Typical Air Chamber Arrangement

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