Water Hammer, Condenser & Check Valve

[xeste]

Hello everyone,
I have been commissioned to study the effects of the water hammer in a cooling system made up by a pumping station that conveys cool water to a condenser and then to some cooling towers where the water cools down bak to the pumping basin.
The primary objective of this work is to design the check valves located downstream the pumps, as well as to check the surge in the pipes and eventually prescribe other attenuation devices.
I'm using an evaluation version of the software Hytran to analyze the problem, trying to maintain the hydraulic model as simple as possible.

I have 2 questions:[ol 1]
[li]Is it correct (or at least not so wrong) to model the condenser as a simple head loss, maybe with an inline control valve or a pipe minor loss?
My principal doubt regards how the condenser can affect the time necessary to invert the flow direction.[/li]
[li]Except for the time necessary to flow inversion said above, are there other design parameters i should consider in choosing one check valve rather than an other one? It's the first time I deal with check valves and valves in general.[/li]
[/ol]
Thanks to everyone who can help me.

 

[BigInch]

What do you mean by "invert the flow direction'?





Find what you like to do, earn a living at it, and then make your lifestyle fit your income. — Chuck Yeager

 

[BigInch]

What do you mean by invert the flow direction?

Normally a simple hydraulic element of any kind can be modeled by an orifice of a particular size, or by selecting a pipe of some agreeable diameter.

The slower moving check valve you have, the less dynamic pressures on closing will be generated as it closes. Chose a very well designed check valve that won't easily break.

Opening check valve pressures downstream should be kept low. Hopefully the condenser does not have a high operating pressure during pump startup, as can happen with a boiler.

Pump start and emergency stop cases can be severe.

Find what you like to do, earn a living at it, and then make your lifestyle fit your income. — Chuck Yeager