Waterhammer event -- Root cause analysis and prevention

Waterhammers in piping systems can occur for a variety of operating, design, and maintenance reasons. Many times the system design and operation can lead to unknown or unexpected conditions occurring that may allow a waterhammer to occur. A recent event at a nuclear power plant is analyzed and the cause of failure and the root cause have been determined. The cause of the failure was a condensation induced waterhammer. Enhancing the ability of an engineering and operating staff to recognize the conditions that lead to a waterhammer can significantly reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of condensation induced waterhammers