Approach for a modeling extension for relief valves in one-dimensional calculation codes with respect to the evaluation of water hammer effects in piping systems

Relief valves are used in industrial plants for instance as safeguarding of the system pressure in case of pump failures. Pump failures and automatic changeovers to redundant aggregates cause a flow reversal which induces the stop valve closure. This process can cause water hammer effects in the piping system. The backflow velocity defines the maximum load in the piping system. The presented approach taking into account this effect of medium displacement in the RELAP calculations yields significant differences to the former results. Validation using experimental data is required.