Waterhammer
|GUIDANCE MATERIALS / INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS |
The Hydraulic Institute Waterhammer Committee compiled the information in these lists to make this more accessible to the world-wide community of engineers.
First is a centralized list of guidance materials from trustworthy sources. The guidance materials are in the form of industry and regional standards, best practices and highly regarded textbooks. In general, industry could use more authoritative and practical standards and guidance for addressing waterhammer. HI hopes that the information collected here will help spur such efforts.
Second is a centralized list of incidents and accidents. Waterhammer can be dangerous if not handled well by the system design and/or operations. It is an unfortunate reality of today’s world that entities who experience an incent or accident are reluctant to share that publicly. Many waterhammer engineers are aware of such incidents and accidents but are not at liberty to publish them. Hence, we are left with, at best, a partial list. The intention here is to gather publicly available reports of a waterhammer incident or accident with the hope that the engineering community can better understand the importance of waterhammer and the many different ways it has impacted safety.
Guidance Materials
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49 CFR § 195.406 – Maximum Operating Pressure: Code of Federal Regulations
U.S. Domestic Code
No operator may permit the pressure in a pipeline during surges or other variations from normal operations to exceed 110 percent of the operating pressure limit established under paragraph (a) of this section.
Publication Date: 10/01/2022
Author: U.S. Government Information
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33 CFR 154.550 – Emergency Shutdown – Code of Federal Regulations
U.S. Domestic Code
Transfer fluids between ship and shore.
1) 60 seconds on any facility or portion of a facility that first transferred hazardous material before October 4, 1990; and (2) 30 seconds on any facility that first transfers hazardous material on or after October 4, 1990.Publication Date: 07/21/2021
Author: U.S. Government Information: Coast Guard
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ASME B31.3 301.2.2
Standard
Provision shall be made to safely contain or relieve any pressure to which the piping may be subjected. Piping not protected by a pressure relieving device, or that can be isolated from a pressure relieving device, shall be designed for at least the highest pressure that can be developed.
Sources of pressure to be considered include ambient influences, pressure oscillations and surges, improper operation, decomposition of unstable fluids, static head, and failure of control devices.
Publication Date: 2023
Author: ASME
Link: ASME B31.3
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ASME B31.3 302.2.4
Standard
Occasional variations of pressure and/or temperature may occur in a piping system. Such variations shall be considered in selecting design pressure (para. 301.2) and design temperature (para. 301.3). The most severe coincident pressure and temperature shall determine the design conditions unless all of the following criteria are met.
Occasional variations above design conditions shall remain within one of the following limits for pressure design.
Subject to the owner’s approval, it is permissible to exceed the pressure rating or the allowable stress for pressure design at the temperature of the increased condition by not more than.
33% for no more than 10 hr at any one time and no more than 100 hr/yr, or 20% for no more than 50 hr at any one time and no more than 500 hr/yr.Date: 2023
Author: ASME
Link: ASME B31.3
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ASME B31.4 401.2.2
Standard
401.2.2 Internal Design Pressure
The piping component at any point in the piping system shall be designed for an internal design pressure which shall not be less than the maximum steady-state operating pressure at that point, or less than the static head pressure at that point with the line in a static condition. The maximum steady-state operating pressure shall be the sum of the static head pressure, pressure required to overcome friction losses, and any required back pressure. Credit may be given for hydrostatic external pressure, in the appropriate manner, in modifying the internal design pressure for use in calculations involving the pressure design of piping components (see para.404.1.3). Pressure rise above maximum steady-state operating pressure due to surges and other variations from normal operations is allowed in accordance with para. 402.2.4.402.2.4 Ratings – Allowance for Variations From Normal Operations
– Surge pressures in a liquid pipeline are produced by a change in the velocity of the moving stream that results from shutting down of a pump station or pumping unit, closing of a valve, or blockage of the moving stream.
– Surge pressure attenuates (decreases in intensity) as it moves away from its point of origin.
– Surge calculations shall be made, and adequate controls and protective equipment shall be provided so that the level of pressure rise due to surges and other variations from normal operations shall not exceed the internal design pressure at any point in the piping system and equipment by more than 10%.Publication Date: 2022
Author: ASME
Link: ASME B31.4
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AWWA M51 Ed 2 – Air Valves: Air Release, Air/Vacuum, and Combination
Standard
Publication Date:
Author: AWWA
Link: AWWA M51 Ed 2 – Air Valves: Air Release, Air/Vacuum, and Combination
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AWWA M68 Water Quality in Distribution Systems – Chapter 9
Standard
Chapter 9 discusses low pressures in distribution systems due to transient pressures.
Publication Date:
Author: AWWA
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AWWA M55 PE Pipe – Design and Installation, 2nd Ed
Standard
Chapter 4 Discusses Surge considerations in Polyethylene Pipe.
Publication Date:
Author: AWWA
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AWWA M23 PVC Pipe – Design and Installation, 3rd Ed
Standard
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Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology
International Code
- GRP, asbestos cement, and cement lined ductile/cast iron and steel-limit 1 metre of vacuum (-1 metre).
- Bitumen lined ductile/cast iron and steel-limit 3 metres of vacuum (-3 metres).
- uPVC, ABS, HDPE, MDPE – limit 3 metres of vacuum (-3 metres).
Publication Date: 2007
Author: QCS
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Technical Standard TS 147 Surge Mitigating Infrastructure
International Code
0 m for all components and at any location within the system to minimize the creation of air pockets in both water and wastewater systems and avoid possible contamination via the ingress of external groundwater into potable water systems.
However, if this minimum surge pressure cannot be achieved using dedicated surge mitigation infrastructure or otherwise, and the likelihood and impact of column separation is considered acceptable, then a minimum surge pressure to -9 m (full vacuum) may be accepted by SA Water.
Publication Date: 04/07/2016
Author: SA Water, Government of South Australia
Link: Technical Standard TS 147 Surge Mitigating Infrastructure
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Fluid Mechanics, Water Hammer, Dynamic Stresses and Piping Design
General Resource
Power and Process Piping.
Publication Date: 2013
Author: Robert Allan Leishear
Link: Fluid Mechanics, Water Hammer, Dynamic Stresses and Piping Design
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Fluid Transients
General Resource
This book is more theory based.
Publication Date: 1994
Author: Wylie, E.B. and Streeter, V.L.
Link: Fluid Transients
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The Rules for Hydraulic Transient Design Analysis
General Resource
Hydro Power.
Publication Date: 2018
Author: Stanislav Pejovic
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Pumping Station Design (3rd Edition)
General Resource
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Fluid Transients in Pipeline Systems (2nd Edition)
General Resource
Publication Date: 2004
Author: A R David Thorley
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Applied Hydraulic Transients (3nd Edition)
General Resource
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Design and Selection of Check Valves
General Resource
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Dynamic Characteristics of Check Valves
General Resource
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Pressure Transients in Water Engineering – A Guide to Analysis & Interpretation of Behaviour
General Resource
Publication Date: 2008
Author: J. Ellis
Link: Pressure Transients in Water Engineering – A Guide to Analysis & Interpretation of Behaviour
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Water Hammer: Practical Solutions
General Resource
Publication Date: June 3, 2011
Author: B.B. Sharp & D.B Sharp
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Guidelines for Transient Analysis in Water Transmission and Distribution System
Best Practice
Table 1. Overview of maximum allowable incidental pressures (MAIP) in international standards, expressed as a factor of the nominal pressure class.
Publication Date: December 12th, 2012
Author: Ivo Pothof and Bryan Karney
Link: Guidelines for Transient Analysis in Water Transmission and Distribution System
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A Proposed Guideline For Applying Waterhammer Predictions Under Transient Cavitation Conditions Part 1 Pressures
Best Practice
Publication Date: October 26, 2018
Author: Matthew Stewart, Trey W. Walters, Greg Wunderlich, Erin A. Onat
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Avoiding Pressure Surge Damage in Pipeline Systems
Best Practice
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Verification and Control of Pressure Transients and Intrusion in Distribution Systems
Best Practice
Publication Date: May 23, 2005
Author: Melinda Friedman, Lori Radder, Steven Harrison, Douglas Howie, Michael Britton, Glen Boyd, Hua Wang, Rich Gullick, Mark LeChevallier, Don Wood, Jim Funk
Link: Verification and Control of Pressure Transients and Intrusion in Distribution Systems
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Criteria for Optimized Distribution Systems
Best Practice
Publication Date: January 1, 2012
Author: Melinda Friedman, Gregory Kirmeyer, Jason Lemieux, Mark LeChevallier, Steven Seidl, Jan Routt
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Guidelines for the Avoidance of Vibration Induced Fatigue Failure in Process Pipework
Best Practice
Publication Date: 2008
Author: Energy Institute
Link: Guidelines for the Avoidance of Vibration Induced Fatigue Failure in Process Pipework
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Guidelines for the Safe Design and Operation of Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers to Withstand the Impact of Tube Failure
Best Practice
Publication Date: 2008
Author: Energy Institute
GUIDANCE MATERIALS / INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS
Incidents and Accidents
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Sinkhole Shuts I-25 in Denver; Water Main Ruptures
News
Incident ID: INC-0001a
Incident Country: USA
Incident Locality: Denver, CO
Industry: Water
Publication Date: February 8, 2008
Author: Unknown – Engineering News-Record
Link: Sinkhole Shuts I-25 in Denver; Water Main RupturesNews
Incident ID: INC-0001b
Incident Country: USA
Incident Locality: Denver, CO
Industry: Water
Publication Date: February 7, 2008
Author: Joey Bunch – The Denver Post
Link: Sinkhole Shuts I-2 at I-70Thesis
Incident ID: INC-0001c
Incident Country: USA
Incident Locality: Denver, CO
Industry: Water
Publication Date: Summer, 2013
Author: Ali EL-Turki – Colorado State University
Link: Modeling of Hydraulic Transients in Closed Circuits -
Water Hammer Resulting from Cavitating Pumps
Article
Incident ID: INC-0002a
Incident Country: USA
Incident Locality: Central Florida
Industry: Phosphate Ore Slurry
Publication Date: November 1964
Author: M.R. Carstens & T.W. Hagler Jr – HY-6
Link: Water Hammer Resulting from Cavitating Pumps -
Waterhammer Event on Aboveground Section of Oil Piping During Hydro Test
Proceedings
Incident ID: INC-0003a
Incident Country: Ukraine
Incident Locality: Unknown
Industry: Oil
Publication Date: July, 2016
Author: Igor Orynyak, Anatolii Batura, Iaroslav Dubyk – Proceedings of the ASME 2016 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference.
Link: Water Hammer Event on Aboveground Section of Oil Piping During Hydro TestArticle
Incident ID: INC-003b
Incident Country: Ukraine
Incident Locality: Nadvirna, Ivano-Frankivsk
Industry: Oil
Publication Date: 2023
Author: Unknown – IPP-CENTRE LTD
Link: Water Hammer Event on Aboveground Section of Oil Piping During Hydro Test -
Modeling of Hydraulic Transients in Closed Conduits
Thesis
Incident ID: INC-0004a
Incident Country: USA
Incident Locality: Denver, CO
Industry: Raw Water
Publication Date: Summer, 2013
Author: Ali EL-Turki – Colorado State University
Link: Modeling of Hydraulic Transients in Closed Conduits -
Water Hammer Likely Cause of Large Oil Spill in North Sea
Proceedings
Incident ID: INC-0005a
Incident Country: Norway
Incident Locality: Offshore North Sea
Industry: Oil
Publication Date: July 9, 2010
Author: Erik D. Nennie, Harry J. C. Korst, Knud Lundle, Rune Myklebust – Proceedings of the ASME 2009 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference.
Link: Water Hammer Likely Cause of Large Oil Spill in North Sea -
Kaplan Turbine Incidents due to Reverse Water-hammer and Mathematical Model Confirmed by the Field Tests
Proceedings
Incident ID: INC-0006a
Incident Country: Yugoslavia
Incident Locality: Unknown
Industry: Hydropower
Publication Date: November, 1993
Author: Aleksandar Gajic – Proceedings of the International Symposium on Aerospace and Fluid Science.
Link: Kaplan Turbine Incidents due to Reverse Water-hammer and Mathematical Model Confirmed by the Field Tests -
Water hammer and column separation due to accidental simultaneous closure of control valves in a large-scale two-phase flow experimental test rig
Proceedings
Incident ID: INC-0008a
Incident Country: Neatherlands
Incident Locality: Boussinesqweg, Delft
Industry: Water
Publication Date: July 18-22, 2010
Author: Anton Bergant, Jos M.C. van ‘t Westende, Tiit Koppel, Janez Gale, Qingzhi Hou, Zoltan Pandula, Arris S. Tijsseling – Proceedings of the ASME 2010 Pressure Vessels & Piping Division / K-PVP Conference
Link: Waterhammer and column separation due to accidental simultaneous closure of control valves in a large-scale two-phase flow experimental test rig -
The Theory of Resonance in Hydropower Systems. Discussion of Incidents and Accidents Occurring in Pressure Systems
Journal
Incident ID: INC-0009a
Incident Country: Unknown
Incident Locality: Unknown
Industry: Hydropower
Publication Date: December, 1963
Author: Charles Jaeger – ASME Journal of Basic Engineering Volume 85, Issue 4
Link: The Theory of Resonance in Hydropower Systems. Discussion of Incidents and Accidents Occurring in Pressure Systems -
Forensic transient analyses of two pipeline failures
Journal
Incident ID: INC-0010a, INC-0011a
Incident Country: Italy
Incident Locality: Cosenza
Industry: Water
Publication Date: June, 2004
Author: Marko V. Ivetic – Urban Water Journal, Vol. 1, No. 2
Link: Forensic transient analyses of two pipeline failures -
A Special case of Transient Forces on Pipeline Supports Due to Waterhammer Effects
Proceedings
Incident ID: INC-0012a
Incident Country: Portugal
Incident Locality: Unknown
Industry: Oil
Publication Date: September, 1986
Author: Almeida & Pinto
Link: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Pressure Surges, Hanover F.R.Ger., Sept 22-24, 1986 -
Failure Analysis of a Water Supply Pumping Pipeline System
Journal
Incident ID: INC-0013a
Incident Country: Mexico
Incident Locality: Unknown
Industry: Water
Publication Date: September 12, 2016
Author: Oscar Pozos-Estrada, Alejandro Sánchez-Huerta, José Agustín Breña-Naranjo, Adrián Pedrozo-Acuña – MDPI Water Journal 2016 Issue 8
Link: Failure Analysis of a Water Supply Pumping Pipeline System -
All Thing Nuclear Pipe Rupture at Surry Nuclear Plant Kills Four Workers
Blog Post
Incident ID: INC-0014a
Incident Country: USA
Incident Locality: Williamsburg, Virginia
Industry: Surry Nuclear
Publication Date: August 9, 2018
Author: Dave Lochbaum – Union of Concerned Scientists
Link: All Thing Nuclear Pipe Rupture at Surry Nuclear Plant Kills Four Workers -
Mokhtar Morsy’s Post
LinkedIn Post
Incident ID: INC-0015a
Incident Country: Unknown
Incident Locality: Unknown
Industry: Unknown
Publication Date: April 1, 2022
Author: Mokhtar Morsy – LinkedIn
Link: Mokhtar Morsy’s Post -
Investigating the Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydro Power Plant Disaster
Powerpoint Presentation
Incident ID: INC-0016a
Incident Country: Russia
Incident Locality: Sayano-Shushenskaya
Industry: Hydropower
Publication Date: August 24, 2009
Author: Euler Cruz, Rafael CesarioArticle
Incident ID: INC-0016b
Incident Country: Russia
Incident Locality: Sayano-Shushenskaya
Industry: Hydropower
Publication Date: August 18, 2009
Author: Unknown – Daily Mail
Link: Explosion at Russia’s biggest hydroelectric plant leaves up to 76 workers deadArticle
Incident ID: INC-0016c
Incident Country: Russia
Incident Locality: Sayano-Shushenskaya
Industry: Power
Publication Date: December 1, 2010
Author: Alexander Boyko, Sergey Popov, Nemanja Krajisnik
Link: Investigating the Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydro Power Plant Disaster -
The Benefits of a Calibrated Surge Model. Protecting Rockville Maryland’s Water Transmission Main
Proceedings
Incident ID: INC-0017a
Incident Country: USA
Incident Locality: Rockville, MD
Industry: Water
Publication Date: Unknown
Author: Crystal Broadbent, Craig Daly – AWWA -
Operating Reactors Events Briefing 98-05 Flooding of ECCS Pump Rooms Caused By Fire Water System Valve Rupture
Briefing
Incident ID: INC-0018a
Incident Country: USA
Incident Locality: Hanford, WA
Industry: Nuclear
Publication Date: July 1, 1998
Author: C. I. Grimes
Link: Reactor Program Management, NRR -
Waterhammer Event in Alumina Refinery Causes Catastrophic Slurry Pump Failure
Article
Incident ID: INC-0019a
Incident Country: Jamaica
Incident Locality: Clarendon
Industry: Mineral Processing
Publication Date: April 12, 2023
Author: T W Walters, S Chamberlain, Eval Robotham – Proceedings of the 14th International Pressure Surge Conference
Link: Waterhammer Event in Alumina Refinery Causes Catastrophic Slurry Pump Failure -
Analysis of hydraulic pressure transients in the waterways of hydropower stations
Paper
Incident ID: INC-0006b, INC-0020a, INC-0021a, INC-0022a
Incident Country: Yugoslavia, Sweden
Incident Locality: Unknown, Stuguns, Jokkmokk
Industry: Hydropower
Publication Date: April, 2011
Author: Nicklas Hillgren – Uppsala University
Link: Analysis of hydraulic pressure transients in the waterways of hydropower stations -
Diagnostic Evaluation of a Severe Water Hammer Event in the Fire protection System of a Nuclear Power Plant
Proceedings
Incident ID: FEDSM99-6891
Incident Country: USA
Incident Locality: San Francisco, CA
Industry: Water
Publication Date: 1999
Author: Arastu, A. H., LaFramboise, W. L., Noble, L. D., and Rhoads, J. E -
Water Hammer Handbook for Nuclear Plant Engineers and Operators
Report
Incident ID: INC-0023a
Incident Country: Various
Incident Locality: Various
Industry: Nuclear
Publication Date: May, 1996
Author: Unknown – Electric Power Research Institute
Link: Water Hammer Handbook for Nuclear Plant Engineers and Operators
|GUIDANCE MATERIALS / INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS|
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