Water Hammer Analysis for Khobar–Dammam Water Transmission Ring Line

Water hammer or hydraulic transient is a common problem in water distribution systems, especially for water transmission pipelines. Hydraulic transient events in water distribution system can cause significant damage and disruption in the system. One major pipeline that connects the water supply of two major cities (Khobar and Dammam) in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is the Khobar–Dammam Ring Line (KDRL). This transmission line is vulnerable to a potential water hammer problem as it is controlled by the water level in the two main tanks at its both ends. In addition, six other subtanks along the KDRL are expected to increase the probability of water hammer occurrences in the system. In this paper, two widely used hydraulic simulation models were adopted to model and analyze the hydraulic and transient (water hammer) behavior in the KDRL. The two hydraulic programs are WaterGEMS and HAMMER. The WaterGEMS was used to simulate the hydraulics of the transmission pipeline under normal conditions, while the HAMMER was used to analyze the occurrence of water hammer and simulate different water hammer protection scenarios. Based on the analysis, several water hammer protection devices were tested and approved to provide a complete protection against the water hammer for the system. Moreover, appropriate operational control measures were proposed to be adopted by the water authority to minimize the probability of water hammer occurrence and to protect the KDRL from any water hammer consequences.