A Review of Water Hammer Theory and Practice

Hydraulic transients in closed conduits have been a subject of both theoretical study and intense practical interest for more than one hundred years. While straightforward in terms of the one-dimensional nature of pipe networks, the full description of transient fluid flows pose interesting problems in fluid dynamics. For example, the response of the turbulence structure and strength to transient waves in pipes and the loss of flow axisymmetry in pipes due to hydrodynamic instabilities are currently not understood. Yet, such understanding is important for modeling energy dissipation and water quality in transient pipe flows. This paper presents an overview of both historic developments and present day research…