This article needs additional citations for verification .(August 2023) |
A surge tank (or surge drum or surge pool) is a standpipe or storage reservoir at the downstream end of a closed aqueduct, feeder pipe, or dam to absorb sudden rises of pressure, as well as to quickly provide extra water during a brief drop in pressure.
In mining technology, ore pulp pumps use a relatively small surge tank to maintain a steady loading on the pump.
For hydroelectric power uses, a surge tank is an additional storage space or reservoir fitted between the main storage reservoir and the powerhouse (as close to the powerhouse as possible). Surge tanks are usually provided in high or medium-head plants when there is a considerable distance between the water source and the power unit, necessitating a long penstock. The main functions of the surge tank are: 1. When the load decreases, the water moves backward and gets stored in it. 2. When the load increases, the additional supply of water will be provided by a surge tank.
In short, the surge tank mitigates pressure variations due to rapid changes in the velocity of water.
Consider a pipe containing a flowing fluid. When a valve is either fully or partially closed at some point downstream, the fluid will continue to flow at the original velocity. In order to counteract the momentum of the fluid, the pressure will rise significantly (pressure surge) just upstream of the control valve and may result in damage to the pipe system. If a surge chamber is connected to the pipeline just upstream of the valve, on valve closure, the fluid, instead of being stopped suddenly by the valve, will flow upwards into the chamber, hence reducing the surge pressures experienced in the pipeline.
Upon closure of the valve, the fluid continues to flow, passing into the surge tank causing the water level in the tank to rise. The level in the tank will continue to rise until the additional head due to the height of fluid in the tank balances the surge pressure in the pipeline. [1] At this point the flow in the tank and pipeline will reverse causing the level in the tank to drop. This oscillation in tank height and flow will continue for some time but its magnitude will dissipate due to the effects of friction.
The surge tank is utilized in automotive applications to ensure that the inlet to the fuel pump is never starved for fuel. [2] It is typically used in vehicles with electronic fuel injection or that will be sustaining high lateral acceleration loads for extended periods. [3]
Aircraft surge tanks are used on a select few aircraft to ensure that fuel does not spill over onto the ground when the fuel expands. These tanks must be periodically emptied to prevent fuel from spilling, which they do fairly often.[ citation needed ]
A pump is a device that moves fluids, or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic energy.
Hydraulic shock is a pressure surge or wave caused when a fluid in motion is forced to stop or change direction suddenly; a momentum change. It is usually observed in a liquid but gases can also be affected. This phenomenon commonly occurs when a valve closes suddenly at an end of a pipeline system and a pressure wave propagates in the pipe.
A check valve, non-return valve, reflux valve, retention valve, foot valve, or one-way valve is a valve that normally allows fluid to flow through it in only one direction.
A siphon is any of a wide variety of devices that involve the flow of liquids through tubes. In a narrower sense, the word refers particularly to a tube in an inverted "U" shape, which causes a liquid to flow upward, above the surface of a reservoir, with no pump, but powered by the fall of the liquid as it flows down the tube under the pull of gravity, then discharging at a level lower than the surface of the reservoir from which it came.
An air lock is a restriction of, or complete stoppage of liquid flow caused by vapour trapped in a high point of a liquid-filled pipe system. The gas, being less dense than the liquid, rises to any high points. This phenomenon is known as vapor lock, or air lock.
A relief valve or pressure relief valve (PRV) is a type of safety valve used to control or limit the pressure in a system; excessive pressure might otherwise build up and create a process upset, instrument or equipment failure, explosion, or fire.
Hydraulic machines use liquid fluid power to perform work. Heavy construction vehicles are a common example. In this type of machine, hydraulic fluid is pumped to various hydraulic motors and hydraulic cylinders throughout the machine and becomes pressurized according to the resistance present. The fluid is controlled directly or automatically by control valves and distributed through hoses, tubes, or pipes.
An axial compressor is a gas compressor that can continuously pressurize gases. It is a rotating, airfoil-based compressor in which the gas or working fluid principally flows parallel to the axis of rotation, or axially. This differs from other rotating compressors such as centrifugal compressor, axi-centrifugal compressors and mixed-flow compressors where the fluid flow will include a "radial component" through the compressor.
In hydraulic systems, a fuse is a component which prevents the sudden loss of hydraulic fluid pressure. It is a safety feature, designed to allow systems to continue operating, or at least to not fail catastrophically, in the event of a system breach. It does this by stopping or greatly restricting the flow of hydraulic fluid through the fuse if the flow exceeds a threshold.
Hydropneumatic devices are systems that operate using water and gas. The devices are used in various applications.
Petroleum is a fossil fuel that can be drawn from beneath the Earth's surface. Reservoirs of petroleum are formed through the mixture of plants, algae, and sediments in shallow seas under high pressure. Petroleum is mostly recovered from oil drilling. Seismic surveys and other methods are used to locate oil reservoirs. Oil rigs and oil platforms are used to drill long holes into the earth to create an oil well and extract petroleum. After extraction, oil is refined to make gasoline and other products such as tires and refrigerators. Extraction of petroleum can be dangerous and have led to oil spills.
A pressure regulator is a valve that controls the pressure of a fluid to a desired value, using negative feedback from the controlled pressure. Regulators are used for gases and liquids, and can be an integral device with a pressure setting, a restrictor and a sensor all in the one body, or consist of a separate pressure sensor, controller and flow valve.
An oil production plant is a facility which processes production fluids from oil wells in order to separate out key components and prepare them for export. Typical oil well production fluids are a mixture of oil, gas and produced water. An oil production plant is distinct from an oil depot, which does not have processing facilities.
A Larner–Johnson valve is a mechanism used in dams and water pumping to control the flow of water through large pipes. The valve is suited to handling high velocity flow with minimal turbulence, even when partially open, and the actuating force can be provided by the water flow it is controlling. It was manufactured in the early 20th century by the Larner-Johnson Company in the US. The valves are still manufactured in the United Kingdom by Blackhall Engineering Ltd. These valves have been constructed in sizes up to 21 feet (6.4 m) diameter and controlling a hydraulic head of 1,000 feet (300 m).
Black powder is an industry name for the abrasive, reactive particulate contamination present in all gas and hydrocarbon fluid transmission lines. Black powder ranges from light brown to black, and the mineral makeup varies per production field around the world.
Surge control is the use of different techniques and equipment in a hydraulic system to prevent any excessive gain in pressure that would cause the hydraulic process pressure to exceed the maximum working pressure of the mechanical equipment used in the system.
Instrumentation is used to monitor and control the process plant in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries. Instrumentation ensures that the plant operates within defined parameters to produce materials of consistent quality and within the required specifications. It also ensures that the plant is operated safely and acts to correct out of tolerance operation and to automatically shut down the plant to prevent hazardous conditions from occurring. Instrumentation comprises sensor elements, signal transmitters, controllers, indicators and alarms, actuated valves, logic circuits and operator interfaces.
A pipe support or pipe hanger is a designed element that transfer the load from a pipe to the supporting structures. The load includes the weight of the pipe proper, the content that the pipe carries, all the pipe fittings attached to pipe, and the pipe covering such as insulation. The four main functions of a pipe support are to anchor, guide, absorb shock, and support a specified load. Pipe supports used in high or low temperature applications may contain insulation materials. The overall design configuration of a pipe support assembly is dependent on the loading and operating conditions.
In fluid dynamics, the wave method (WM), or wave characteristic method (WCM), is a model describing unsteady flow of fluids in conduits (pipes).
A sleeve valve is a device typically used in a water supply or distribution system when there is a need to reduce high pressure or throttle flow. The sleeve valve consists of a cylindrical gate (tube) which slides over an inner sleeve. The inner sleeve consists of a series of nozzles specifically sized and arranged to provide a solution to cavitation issues frequently encountered in throttling applications with other valve types. Because of its design, it minimizes cavitation. Cavitation that does occur in severe throttling conditions is directed from the valve down to center of the valve or pipe so that no erosion damage to the piping can take place.