Kann--You got my point precisely. I was just rereading papers on clearing slugs from pipe (i.e. "rho v^2" events) to see what type of accident the researchers were interested in since these incidents are not generally, to my way of thinking, very severe. It appears to be a sudden steam...
Davefitz--Just to avoid confusion, let's call this a rho v^2 event since it's not, technically, a waterhammer. Can you elaborate on the damage done. i calculate an order-of-magnitude maximum collison pressure of 811 psi for a water slug hitting an elbow at 250 fpm--that assumes the slug gets...
Kahn. Steam driven slug flow--which is commonly thought of as waterhammer in a steam system--is technically not "water hammer". Water hammer, whether it occurs in a plumbing system or a steam sys-tem creates a pressure pulse proportional to Joukowski's Eq : P= rho c v where rho is the density...
Kahn--I don't think the answers submitted to your question have been very responsive. First of all, the correct term for what you're asking about is "water hammer" in a steam system. "Steam hammer", as Davefitz points out in the first responce, is something else. Second--you've got the wrong...
I think the key point is--does the hammer take place upon initiation of pump operation. If so, you've got column-closure waterhammer and there is no need to theorize a "rapid condensation event" due to subcooled condensate surrounding saturated steam. The hammer is strictly due to the...
Katmar's questions and analysis are right on. I suspect the sparger is not submerged and the Froud # in Section I is what Katmar is after to see if the pipe is running full. if this is the case, then the hammer will be occurring in section I with the shock being transferred back thru the...
Tremolo--i wrote an article which addresses your water hammer situation--that is water hammer upon start-up of a condensate return pump when there's been an opportunity for flash steam to accumulate in the line. You can reference a copy on the Articles page of my website at www.kirsner.org...
Sandeepdalvi--isn't this a case where your returning condensate from traps dripping a 150 psig main steam line? If so, is it the case that there is a separate condensate return line for this "high pressure" condensate, or are you trying to put this 360oF condensate in a low pressure return line...
byblos--I believe you're interested in water hammer in steam systems. Suggest you read one of the articles at www.kirsner.org on water hammer in steam systems. You'll learn that it is imperitive to not let steam-- even flash steam-- become entrapped in subcooled condensate. The reason for a...
TBP--I'm not sure you weren't correct in your original post. At any rate, I think your solution makes good since too, i.e., install a thermostat that controls steam supply thru the sparger that throttles it off as low-tank water temperature reaches the point at which it no longer condenses the...
fvincent--I think your theory makes good sence: steam bubbles are coalescing under the baffles, then as they grow large, escaping to float up into the 75oC water where there's enough subcooling to make them violently collapse.
If you do inject non-condensable gas into the steam entering the...
fvincent--The "overpressure" due to the collapsing bubbles is due to the size of the bubbles and the ambient pressure surrounding the bubbles. Making the holes in the sparger smaller would help, so would interducing the steam at a higher elevation in the 9 meter tall tank to reduce...