WATER HAMMER PRESSURE/ SURGE PRESSURE CAL

Ratio of elastic modulus of water to

0.09
that of pipe material, Khs
Gravitational constant, g (ft/s)

32.2

Fluid flow rate, (ft3/s)

Specific Gravity of fluid
Internal pipe diameter (in)

1.114
1
16

Actual flowing velocity, vw (ft/s)

Pipe wall thickness (in)
Ratio of internal pipe diameter
(I.D) to pipe wall thickness, Br
Length of pipe before valve, L (ft)

6.56
0.251968
63.5002
328

Velocity of propagation of elastic vibration in the discharge pipe, aw (ft)

Maximum pressure developed by hydraulic shock, hwh (ft of liquid)
Time interval required for the pressure wave to travel back & forth in the pipe, ts (sec)

You add the h wh to the existing pressure from the system to determine the Total Pressure on the pipe system
Pipe distance before valve (ft)

aw (ft/s)

ts (sec)

hwh (ft of liquid)

hwh (psi)

1798.301

366.3618861

158.5982

100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
1300

1798.301
1798.301
1798.301
1798.301
1798.301
1798.301
1798.301
1798.301
1798.301
1798.301
1798.301
1798.301
1798.301

0.111216
0.222432
0.333648
0.444864
0.556081
0.667297
0.778513
0.889729
1.000945
1.112161
1.223377
1.334593
1.445809

366.3618861
366.3618861
366.3618861
366.3618861
366.3618861
366.3618861
366.3618861
366.3618861
366.3618861
366.3618861
366.3618861
366.3618861
366.3618861

158.5982
158.5982
158.5982
158.5982
158.5982
158.5982
158.5982
158.5982
158.5982
158.5982
158.5982
158.5982
158.5982

1400
1500

1798.301
1798.301

1.557025
1.668242

366.3618861
366.3618861

158.5982
158.5982

1600
1700

1798.301
1798.301

1.779458
1.890674

366.3618861
366.3618861

158.5982
158.5982

1800
1900
2000

1798.301
1798.301
1798.301

2.00189
2.113106
2.224322

366.3618861
366.3618861
366.3618861

158.5982
158.5982
158.5982

URE/ SURGE PRESSURE CALCULATION (Developed by Engr. Abiodun Asade)

Some typical Khs values for water/metal (Source: Pump Engineering data, Economy Pumps, Inc,
1951, Philadephia, Pa )
Khs

Metal
Copper
Steel
Brass

0.017
0.01
0.017

Wrought Iron

0.012

Malleable cast iron

0.012

Aluminum

0.03

psi
the pipe system

Normal pressure upstream of

valve
hwh
Maximum shock pressure
upstream of valve

133
158.5982
291.5982

Notes:
1. The pipe distance can be increased to suit your pipe length
2. When the time of abrupt closure of a device that stop the fluid flow is shorter than ts, then the maximum
pressure hwh, will be exerted on the closed device and line.
Reference:
1. Applied Process Design for Chemical and Petrolchemical Plants, Vol. 1, Third Edition by Ernest E. Ludwig

Equations:
aw = {(4660)/(1 + KhsBr)} ft/s
hwh = (aw x vw)/ g ft of liquid(H2O)
ts = (2L/aw) secs