EFFECT OF AIR POCKETS ON PIPELINE SURGE PRESSURE

Through a series of analytical examples, it is demonstrated how the pr esence of air pockets can severely exacerbate surge peaks during pump shut-down in single water pipeline systems when operating unprotected against transient pressures. Single air pockets of small size and the multiple presence of air pockets are shown to be especially problemati c. It is suggested that such behaviour may trigger pipe failures in ci rcumstances where normal surge analysis may not predict such collapse.