Dynamic Behaviour of Air Pockets in Urban Drainage Systems (DAirUDS)

This project aims to enhance the understanding of air-water dynamics in urban drainage systems (UDS) which is crucial for improving urban flood protection infrastructure, especially under the stresses of rapid urbanization and climate change. Experiments on pump ramp-up and ramp-down were conducted in the Beta-loop facility of Deltares, a DN100 looped PVC-pipeline system with an adjustable downward sloped section of 10° or 30°. The loop’s configurations was altered by closing valves and adding air intake and release valves at local high-points to study the impact of local changes on the air pocket behaviour. Data was collected using temperature sensors, flowmeters, and pressure sensors distributed along the loop. In addition, a high-frequency image acquisition system was installed to visualize the behaviour of the gas pocket. This report details the experimental equipment and an initial verification of data quality and system performance.