Emergency Shutdown (ESD) Water Hammer Characterization

Upstream oil collection networks have emergency shutdown systems to protect against damage; however, when the trip activates, rapid valve closure can cause water hammer to occur. This can cause mechanical damage to the system, vessels and/or cause relief valves or rupture disks to blow, with safety, reliability, and environmental impacts. The challenge faced by oil and gas operators is being able to proactively detect where water hammer happens to focus re-engineering of emergency shutdown (ESD) and equipment. This improves ESD valve and system design, to "build in" long-term improvements and eliminate the problem.