The influence of pipeline supports stiffness onto the water hammer run

Water hammer (WH) phenomenon may produce various undesired effects in pipelines. Dynamic interaction between the liquid and the structure is known to influence the transient pipe flow parameters in non-rigid systems. One can expect that due to basic energy conservation considerations the energy outflow from the liquid to the elastic structure would result in lowering of WH pressures. However, this effect is not unambiguous and is not clearly and uniquely explained in literature. Thus, its proper understanding is of great practical importance. In the paper the authors try to examine these effects mainly on the basis of experimental results acquired from measurements at a special test rig designed and constructed at the Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery in Gdansk. The main part of the rig is a cooper pipeline of the length of about 59m, fixed to the floor with a number of elastic supports. WH runs were generated, measured and analyzed for supports of varying stiffness. Pipeline free vibrations induced by mechanical shock were measured as well. The conclusions have been found and they are presented in the paper. Still, a very important part of the job was to find the physical interpretation and explanation of the results, which allows for understanding of that phenomenon.