Air Valve

• Single Orifice Air Valve
• Double Orifice Air Valve
• Kinetic Air Valve
• Tamper Proof Air Valve
• Dual Jet Air Valve
• Anti Vaccum Valve

The presence of free air in the pipeline can reduce the severity of water hammer considerably. Celerity(speed) of an elastic wave with, say 2% of air at a pressure head of 50m of water reduces celerity from about 1100m/s to 160 m/s for a typical pipeline. On the other hand air in a rising main, whether in solution or in the bubble from can have the number of ill effects.

• Cavitation - The formation of vacuous cavities which subsequently rapidly collapse and erode the pump or pipe
• Headloss - Accelerating water past air pockets formed in pipes, leading to head losses
• Other forms may include surging, Corrosion, reduced pump efficiency, malfunctioning of valves or vibrations

A pipeline designer therefore has to factor in all the aforesaid, the critical level of permissible vaccum inside a pipeline to prevent collapse vis-a-vis the suction and discharge capacity of an air valve (curves on request) before deciding upon the type, size, spacing and location of these air valves.