Appropriate control of pressure is a significant engineering concern in the management of pipeline systems. Pressure fluctuations caused by water hammers can cause substantial damages, such as ruptures and bursts in pipelines. The generation of vaporous cavitation at a pressure lower than the vapor pressure introduces column separation in the flow regime. The appropriate installation of a pressure relief valve (PRV) can be an efficient solution to reduce the impact of a transient event in the pipe network. In this study, the comprehensive design of an optimal PRV is explored considering pressure variation and cavity generation during transient events. The design parameters of the PRV include its cross-sectional area, opening and closing time, and location in the pipe network. Three distinct functions were implemented in optimization to consider various characteristics of the water hammer using both single-objective and multiple-objective genetic algorithms.

压力的适当控制是管道系统管理中的重要工程问题。由水锤引起的压力波动会导致严重的损坏，例如管道破裂和爆裂。在低于蒸气压的压力下产生蒸气空化会在流动状态下引起塔分离。适当安装泄压阀（PRV）可能是减少管网瞬变事件影响的有效解决方案。在这项研究中，探索了一种最佳PRV的综合设计，其中考虑了瞬态事件期间的压力变化和空腔生成。PRV的设计参数包括其横截面积，打开和关闭时间以及在管网中的位置。