Pressure transients (water hammer events) can have an adverse effect on the integrity of pipelines. They are typically caused by an abrupt change in velocity of water, with the resulting high and low pressure waves causing water quality issues and pipelines to fail. Accurately identifying and measuring the operating pressure in a pipeline is an important aspect of understanding the system hydraulics and the effect of pressure surges.
Transient events can be caused by numerous operations in the network, from pump start up and shut down, closing of reflux valves, improper valve and hydrant operations, large consumer demand, process plant operations, fire service operations and water tanker filling ‑ all can lead to an unstable network and a reduction in asset lifecycle. Most pressure transients occur without ever being noticed because the event duration can be as short as 100 Hz and can cause incremental damage every time a transient occurs. It now believed that up to 60% of mains failures and bursts are pressure transient event related. Due to the speed of the shockwave conventional pressure data loggers are not adequate to detect and quantify pressure transients, they do not provide a complete understanding of the true condition within the pipeline.
We choose to use specially designed transient data loggers which have been manufactured and tested to meet stringent requirements. They are efficient in monitoring pipeline pressures in such a way that these most unexpected, short-duration events can be detected and accurately recorded.
