Surge Tank Analysis

Hydrodynamic generation of electrical power requires the efficient transfer of water under pressure from an elevated storage area, or reservoir, to the generating plant, often several hundred meters away. The obvious solution of connecting a large pipe to both ends has a serious shortcoming. A large surge in the power supplied to the electrical customers requires an abrupt increase in the amount of water flowing into the turbine. A falling-off in power usage causes the water suddenly to flow more slowly. In both cases, a large mass of water in the pipe must suddenly change its velocity. The slight compressibility of the water, combined with the slight elasticity of the pipe, causes a wave of high pressure to propagate up and down the pipe, resulting in “water hammer” and often rupturing the pipes.