A lumped parameter model for fluid transmission lines

Fluid transmission lines are frequently modeled by distributed parameter models in which the effects of the fluid inertia, compressibility, and friction are distributed along the line. These models may not be appropriate for simulating hydraulic systems where the transmission line is only a part of a most complex system as they need too large computational time and complexity of implementation. A lumped parameter model for hydrostatic systems is proposed in this paper. Its results are compared to that of the ‘exact’ first order model. The considered case was a straight closed-end pipe for which has been presented the frequency and the step response. It has proved to be an accurate solution within a specific frequency range and robust under variations of the fluid properties and the line geometry.