Such processes result in the narrowing of the cross-section of the pipe in localised zones ( Figure 1). Blockages result from the combination of particles transported by the fluid, that are deposited, and the biofilm growth in the pipe inner walls due to physical, chemical and biological processes ( Jing et al. Pipeline deterioration and defects, such as leaks and partial blockages, are a frequent problem causing resource and economic losses ( Ferrante et al. This authorised exploring in detail the features of the flow through the orifice as a necessary premise to its use within the successive transient analysis.įluids, such as water, refined and crude oil, are transported daily by means of pressurised pipe systems over long distances within geographical boundaries of countries or beyond. The comparison of obtained results demonstrates good performance of the numerical model. The refined CFD model has been validated by considering experimental data selected from the literature. The main motivation is the fact that the interaction between pressure waves and a partial blockage – on which Transient Test-Based Techniques for fault detection are based – is strongly influenced by the pre-transient conditions at the partial blockage. This paper presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based analysis of the steady-state flow through a sharp-edged orifice which corresponds to the most straightforward partial blockage feature in a pipe. Thus, the refinement of reliable techniques for detecting partial blockages at an early stage is of great interest to water utilities. As partial blockages do not give rise to any external evidence, they are considered the most insidious fault occurring in pipe systems.

This reduces the carrying capacity in gravity pipes and increases the energy consumption in rising mains. Pressurised pipe systems transport fluids daily over long distances and sediment deposits are responsible for narrowing the cross-sectional area of the pipe.

Theory for orifice plate lab report