Simple waterhammer theory

Abstract

The hydraulic analysis of flow in networks is usually based upon the consideration of steady state conditions. This is due to historic reasons; the analysis of unsteady state is an order of magnitude more difficult than that of steady state and was only possible at all if grossly simplifying assumptions were made. Until the relatively recent development of computers the only methods available were graphical in type and these could only be applied to simple networks in which the hydraulic controls were of an elementary nature and in which the number of pipes was small.