Effects of Expelled Air during Filling Operations with Blocking Columns in Water Pipelines of Undulating Profiles

Entrapped air pockets can cause failure in water distribution systems if air valves have not been appropriately designed for expelling air during filling manoeuvres performed by water utilities. One-dimensional mathematical models recently developed for studying this phenomenon do not consider the effect of blocking columns inside water pipelines. This research presents the development of a mathematical model for analysing the filling process in a pipeline with an undulating profile with various air valves, including blocking columns during starting-up water installations. The results show how different air pocket pressure peaks can be produced over transient events, which need to be analysed to ensure a successful procedure that guarantees pipeline safety during the pressure surge occurrence. In this study, an experimental set-up is analysed to observe the behaviour of two blocking columns during filling by comparing the air pocket pressure pulses.