Study of the inhibitory effect of a soft cushion on the propagation of pressure pulsation in pumped storage power stations

Abstract

High‐frequency pressure pulsations are hydraulic phenomena that are frequently observed in pumped storage power stations. These pulsations can propagate through the steel pipes, concrete lining, and the surrounding rock system, which in turn may have detrimental effects on the environment, such as noise pollution, and relocation of the local residents. This paper proposes a vibration‐damping concept that involves wrapping a local soft cushion layer outside the buried steel pipe; this layer could partially eliminate the pressure fluctuations in the headrace tunnel, thereby reducing the ground vibrations caused by the pressure pulsations. In this study, the finite element method was used to model the propagation of vibrations in the surrounding rock and fluid‐filled pipes, including static simulation of the structure, and dynamic simulation of the surrounding rock. The simulation results suggest that adding an appropriate local soft bedding layer can effectively reduce the ground vibrations by more than 60% and the possible surface noise within the standard vertical vibration norms. The inhibitory effect of the soft cushion on the propagation of vibrations is determined by the wrapping angle, thickness, and material of the bedding layer. This effect increases with increasing wrapping angle and thickness of the bedding layer, and decreases with increasing elastic modulus of the material. After the addition of the bedding layer between the steel pipe and concrete lining, the pressure in the inner pipe is primarily borne by the steel lining rather than the coupling of the steel lining, concrete lining, and the surrounding rock. Hence, the thickness of the part of the steel liner in contact with the soft bedding layer should be increased. In addition, the thickness variations in the steel pipe joints should be smooth to avoid stress concentration.