Water hammer analysis of pumping systems for control of water in underground mines

Abstract

This paper considers water hammer analysis of pumping systems for control of water in underground mines. The basic mechanisms causing water hammer events in pipe systems are introduced. Expressions for the wave speed in both an infinite fluid and in a thin-walled pipeline is presented. The equations of unsteady flow in pipelines and the method of characteristics solution to these equations are described. Methods for controlling water hammer in pipelines are described. Two boundary conditions are discussed including the reservoir and the pump. A case study for a pumping system in an underground mine in Velenje, Yugoslavia is presented in detail. Field measurements are compared with a computer simulation analysis of a transient during power failure to the pump. The results show that the method of characteristics is an acceptable method for water hammer analysis of mine pumping systems.