Influence of changing penstocks diameters during transients

Abstract

This paper presents simulations of transient flow in closed conduits under diameter size changes. These transients can be produced either by sudden flow interruptions or by forced oscillations on the pressure field of the system. The effect of diameter change is analyzed together with specific movements on the circuit that can induce resonance. Numerical simulations are executed using the software TRANSPETRO, which gives velocity and pressure curves in chosen points along the pipeline. The proposed analysis can be used to identify some system configurations and changes on the flow that should be avoided in penstock systems.