Pump Power Failure Response

Bryan Karney

Hydratek
Associates
 Outline

 Description of a transient event

 Structural considerations
 Network representation and assumed data
 Types of valves used to control transients
 Example of a transient analysis
 Conclusions

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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
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 Transients and Power Failure
 In general, when power to pumps is cut, the
following events occur:
 Rapid decrease in rotational speed of pumps
 Results in the rapid propagation of a low pressure wave
into the system toward the elevated tank
 Closure of the check valves at each pump
 The low pressure wave reflects off the elevated tank
and back into the system
 Pressure in the line increases, direction of flow
reverses
 Pressure continues to oscillate until transient dies out
and new steady state is reached
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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Structural Considerations
 Ingeneral, negative pressures are to be avoided
 Pipes may withstand some degree of negative
pressures
 We often accept negative pressures up to -8 m
 Structuralloading due to negative pressures
should also be checked to prevent collapse of the
line
 Large positive pressures also a cause for concern
 Hydraulic surge analysis seeks to mediate
negative pressures while also reducing
positive pressures Hydratek
III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Network Representation
 Seldom necessary to analyze an entire water
distribution system
 Must sequentially construct a skeletal
representation of the system
 That is, gradually add pipe segments adjacent to
upgraded line and observe change in transient
response of system
 When change in response negligible, stop adding
pipes

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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Worst Case Testing
 Typically, in a distribution network, most severe
transient conditions occur when:
 all electric pumps experience a power failure;
 both elevated storage tank and ground reservoir are
filling; and
 network demand is very low (e.g., during the night)
 However, there are no general rules that apply to
all systems, and each must be handled with
insight.

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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
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 Assumed Data
 The combined inertia of pumps, motors, shafts,
and couplings must be obtained for the transient
analysis of pump power failure
 Moments of inertia for the pumps and motors are
frequently not available
 Therefore, may need to approximate the inertia
values using some method (e.g., A.R.D. Thorley,
1991, Fluid Transients in Pipeline Systems)

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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Determining Moment of Inertia
 Data from five different pump manufacturers was
analyzed using linear regression techniques
 For the pump impeller, entrained water, and shaft,
the moment of inertia Ip is:
0.9556
 P
I p  0.03768 3 
N 
 where N = rotational speed in thousands of
revs/min; and P = shaft power in kW supplied to
the pump at its rated conditions and maximum
efficiency
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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Determining Moment of Inertia
 For the motor, the moment of inertia Im is:
1.48
 P
I m  0.0043 
 N
 Shaft power P can be expressed in symbols as:
gQo Ho
P

 where r = density of water; g = acceleration due to
gravity; Qo = design flow rate; Ho = operating
head; and h = assumed efficiency

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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Determining Moment of Inertia
 The combined result of these two values (Ip and
Im) is the “pump inertia”
 To check estimates for existing systems, one
should contact the pumping station operator
 A good check on whether estimates of pump
inertia using Thorley’s method are reasonable

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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
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 Some Protection Approaches
 Some of the more common control measures
include:
 Profile change
 Lowering the static head
 Changing the pipe diameter or material
 Controlled valve operation
 Specialized devices
 Flywheels for pumps
 Transientanalysis is needed to determine the
most appropriate control measure(s)
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 And A Few More ...
 Airchambers (hydropneumatic tank)
 Surge tanks
 Valves (e.g., PRVs, surge anticipation valves)
 Flywheels
 Changing pipeline profile
 Increasing diameter of pipeline
 Reducing water hammer wave velocity (e.g.,
choice of pipe material)

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 Check Valves
 PURPOSE:
 prevent reverse flow;
 prevent runaway pump
speeds;
 keep the pipeline full of
water to prevent entrance
of air; and
 minimize water hammer
and surges for pump start-
up and shut-down

Figure 1. A swing check valve.

After GA Industries, Inc.
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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Check Valves (continued)
 Major concern of check valves is slam
 Sudden stop and violent impact of the disc upon
valve seat causes explosive noise and vibrations
 At worst, slam can rupture pipe or crack pump
 At best, slam is just an annoyance
 In between, slam pounds system and may
eventually result in leaks

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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Check Valves (continued)
 Methods of avoiding slam:
 increase inertia of pump by using a larger flywheel;
 use a valve that closes quickly - before flow reversal;
 add a dashpot or buffer to valve;
 close valve with an external actuator;
 install pressure-actuated relief valve; and
 use rubber seats

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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Surge Relief and Anticipation
Valves
 PURPOSE:
 to vent water from high
pressure wave reflected
from reservoir following
pump power failure
Main flow
 Relief valves respond to
high pressure activation
 Anticipation valves also
respond to low pressure
signals - BEWARE
Figure 2. Surge anticipation valve.
After GA Industries, Inc.
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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Surge Relief and Anticipation
Valves
 Connected to pump header via a tee and isolation valve
 Usually controlled to ensure valve does not open until
positive pressure wave approaches pump station
 A timer keeps the valve open for a specified time and then
closes it slowly
 If a second pressure wave follows, the valve acts like a
surge relief valve
 Does not reduce or control initial low pressure wave;
anticipation waves can, in fact, make this much worse!

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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Air and Vacuum Valves
 PURPOSE:
 to release air from high
points (air reduces
Large orifice
open to chamber cross-section of pipe 
Small orifice high head loss)
 prevent negative
Chamber Float
pressures when pump
head drops quickly (e.g.,
prevent column
separation)

Figure 3. Combination air valve.

After APCO Valve & Primer Corp.
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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Air and Vacuum Valves (cont.)
 Select a profile which minimizes their number
because they are difficult to maintain
 If combination valve is too large, air cavity
grows excessively and pressures caused by
cavity collapses (column rejoinder) will be greater
 If combination valve is too small, line not
adequately protected from the down surge
following power failure (i.e., not enough air
admitted to the system)

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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Transient Response
 Low pressure wave may be large enough to
warrant installation of a combination air/vacuum
valve
 Surge anticipating valve is often not required at
pumping station to mediate the reflected positive
pressure wave because:
 found that it causes the vacuum breaker valves to
remain open for long periods thus filling the line with air;
and
 the positive pressures are not large enough to warrant
such a valve
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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Transient Response (continued)
 The flow reversal causes air at the vacuum
breaking valve to be expelled
 When this air cavity finally collapses, a positive
pressure wave propagates both upstream and
downstream in the pipeline
 May be several cycles of growth and collapse of
air cavities
 However, each cycle is progressively damped
relative to the first cycle

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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Transient Response (continued)
 Many systems are insensitive to:
 distribution of network demand;
 reservoir levels;
 pipeline details (e.g., number of connections);
 wavespeed; and
 pump inertia values (50%)
 These generalizations are not always valid!

Hydratek
III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates
 Conclusions
 Difference in transient response to a power failure
between systems can range in significance
 However, pump power failure may cause significant
regions of negative pressure and large transients
 Negative pressures often undetectable with typical
measurement equipment
 Could lead to long-term degradation, high O/M costs
 Water quality may also be a problem if bacteria admitted
through cracked pipes subject to negative pressure

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III. Pump Power Failure Response Associates