Finite volume simulation of unsteady water pipe flow

Abstract

The most commonly used hydraulic network models used in the drinking water community exclusively consider fully filled pipes. However, water flow numerical simulation in urban pipe systems may require to model transitions between surface flow and pressurized flow in steady and transient situations. The governing equations for both flow types are different and this must be taken into account in order to get a complete numerical model for solving dynamically transients. In this work, a numerical simulation tool is developed, capable of simulating pipe networks mainly unpressurized, with isolated points of pressurization. For this purpose, the mathematical model is reformulated by means of the Preissmann slot method. This technique provides a reasonable estimation of the water pressure in cases of pressurization. The numerical model is based on the first order Roe's scheme, in the frame of finite volume methods. The novelty of the method is that it is adapted to abrupt transient situations, with subcritical and supercritical flows. The validation has been done by means of several cases with analytic solutions or empirical laboratory data. It has also been applied to some more complex and realistic cases, like junctions or pipe networks.