Abstract. An outline is made of physical behaviour of water -filled large pipes. The fluid-wall coupling, the key factor governing the pipe dynamics, is discussed in some detail. Different circumferential pipe modes and the associated cut-on frequencies are addressed from a theoretical as well as practical point of view. Major attention is paid to the breathing mode in view of its importance regarding main dynamic phenomena, such as water hammer. Selected measurement results done at EDF are presented to demonstrate how an external, non-intrusive sensor can detect pressure pulsations of the breathing mode in a pressure pipe. Differences in the pressure measurement using intrusive and non-intrusive sensors reveal the full complexity of large-diameter pipe dynamics.
IntroductionThe effect of fluid-structure coupling (FSC) was known since more than a century ago 1 . Studies on transient pipe dynamics have already started at the turn of 20 th century 2 . Various models have been established so far to simulate effects of non-rigid pipe walls. Simplified formulae of sound speed subjected to pipe external mechanical conditions were published in papers 3 and books 4,5 . Further enhancement of pipe modelling was done by allowing the pipe to move via junction coupling which is not included in the classical pipe models 6 . A broad account of pipe dynamics under varying external boundary conditions aimed at diagnostics applications was recently presented in thesis work 7 . Based on thin-wall assumptions a comprehensive FSC model of a free fluid-filled cylindrical shell has been produced by Lin and Morgan 8 . It has been shown that the sound speed is not constant but changes with frequency. Using a frequency-dependent multi-mode model the excitation by a point source located in a free elastic cylindrical shell has been worked out 9 . Similar modelling has been extended to the propagation of pulsation and vibration energy along fluid-filled cylindrical shells 10 . This paper focuses at the dynamics of a large fluid-filled pipe which, free at the outer surface. The ultimate goal is to show how an external strain sensor can be employed to measure pressure pulsations using a pipe model which allows for pressure variation in axial, circumferential and radial directions.