Investigation of Water Hammer Protection in Water Supply Pipeline Systems Using an Intelligent Self-Controlled Surge Tank

A surge tank is a common pressure control device in long pressurized pipelines. The performance is greatly influenced by the location, cross area, and the characteristics of the connector. In order to improve the property of the surge tank, the effect of the connector is numerically analyzed by the method of characteristics (MOC). A hysteretic effect can occur when the discharge capacity is limited. Therefore, the performance of the surge tank can be improved if the discharge capacity of the connector is appropriately controlled according to the different conditions. For the adjustability of the connector’s discharge capacity, a kind of intelligent self-controlled surge tank (IST) is proposed. In addition, through simulations and analysis, IST is proved to have advantages in pressure control and applicability compared to normal surge tanks.