Bentley HAMMER CONNECT Edition Help

Hydraulic Transient Theory

In pressurized networks, a steady-state condition or transient event at one point in the system can affect all other parts of the system. Consequently, computer models must consider every pipe that is directly connected to a pressurized system, regardless of administrative or political boundaries.

While a systemwide approach increases the information an engineer must consider, the physical principles that govern the behavior of the network provide a unified conceptual basis for tackling the problem. Two fundamental laws apply to steady-state, EPS or transient models:
  • Conservation of mass—also expressed as the continuity equation, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed.
  • Conservation of energy—also expressed as the momentum equation, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed.

The best way to arrive at sound, physically meaningful conclusions and recommendations is to keep these principles in mind whenever you interpret the results of a hydraulic model. Bentley HAMMER makes this easy by tracking the mass inflow or outflow of air or water at any location and by plotting or animating the resulting total energy at any point and time in the system.