Author: YANG Kai-lin (China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China)

Abstract: A new type air-valve surge tank for controlling liquid column separation occurred to water supply projects is developed. It consists of a vertical short pipe and air valves installed on the top. The tanks are installed on the main to form a series of local convexities. They are full of water during normal operations. As soon as the water pressure drops to under the atmospheric pressure, air will be sucked into the tank through the air valve to form an air chamber. The air in the tank will be released slowly while the water pressure is greater than the atmospheric pressure. The application indicates that the tank not only can control the negative pressure during hydraulic transients, but also the positive pressure.

Key words: Air-valve surge tank, liquid column separation, water supply projects

Published in: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 42, No. 7, 2011
Article ID: 0559-9350 (2011) 07-0805-07