ES205

Day 12
Pipe Flow Review
Group Quiz
Examples
Pipe Flow
This should be a review. There are two main types of
problems.
Analysis. Given the system parameters,
calculate flow rate, pressure drop, energy loss, or
required pump power.
Design. Select system parameters ( pipe sizes,
lengths, numbers, location and size of pumps ) to
obtain a given flow rate.
For ideal flow along streamlines, fluids satisfy
Bernoullis equation
p1 v12
p2 v22
+ + gz1 =
+ + gz2
2

2
When viscous effects are included ( leading to
turbulence and losses, this equation is modified.

p1 v12
W!in p2 v22
+ + gz1 +
=
+ + gz2 + ghL
m!
2

2
where m! is the mass flow rate, W!in is pump or fan
input power, and ghL represents the sum of all losses.
Often this is written in terms of pump head.
p1 v12
p2 v22
+ + gz1 + ghP =
+ + gz2 + ghL
2

2
or, if we divide by g
p1 v12
p2 v22
+
+ z1 + hP =
+
+ z2 + hL
g 2 g
g 2 g
We get each term to have units of length, called
head.
W!in
hP =
hL , P
m!

Pump head

hL , P

Pump head loss

Losses in Piping System

Due to pipes own friction. Interaction of the viscous
flow with the pipe walls.
L v2
hL = f
DH 2 g
Heres what these terms represent.

f , the friction factor. f Re,

DH

important.

. Very

L, pipe length
v mean velocity in the pipe. Looks like flow rate
divided by cross sectional area.
vDH
, the Reynolds number.
Re =

, absolute viscosity of fluid.

. Pipe roughness. An experimentally
determined length determined by the height of
asperities on the pipes wetted surface.
DH , the hydraulic diameter. 4 times area divided
by perimeter. For a circular pipe, the hydraulic
diameter is the diameter. For a rectangular duct,
4bh
DH =
2(b + h)

Next, we will talk about getting the friction factor. Its

a bit on the messy side.
1. If you know Reynolds Number and relative
roughness / DH you can look it up directly on
the Moody diagram.
2. Another alternative is the Colebrook equation. It
represents the results of significant experimental
work on pipe flow.
DH
1
2.51
= 2.0 log
+
f
Re f
3.7

(Back when I was a student, this was a lot of work to

solve. But now it can be programmed in a hand held
calculator, or laptop running Maple, etc.)
3. Another alternative, easier to work is the Haaland
equation.
6.9 DH 1.11
1
= 1.8 log
+

f
Re 3.7
These equations are good for the nonlaminar flow
regimes. For laminar flow
f =

64
Re

Pipe flows are laminar when Re < 2300

Example - 1
Pump
10 ft
100 ft

What pumping power is required to produce a flow

rate of 0.4 ft3/s in the 100 ft length pipe shown. The
pipe is made of commercial steel with a roughness of
0.00015 ft. Its diameter is 2 inches. The fluid
properties are: =1.938 slug/ft3. = 2.09e-5 lb-s/ft2.
Steps along the way...
1. Calculate the mean velocity.
V = Q / A = 18.33 ft/s
2. Calculate the Reynolds Number
Re =

vd
= 283,420

3. Next get the friction factor. There are three

alternatives.
Use the Moody Chart with / D = 0.0009
The result is about f = 0.02 .

 Use the Colebrook equation. This is a

nonlinear solve using Maple.
Use Colebrook Equation to get friction factor. Looks like
> ce := 1/sqrt(f) = -2.0*log10(epsod/3.7 +
2.51/(Rn*sqrt(f)));
.8856122225 10 -5

ln .0002432432432 +
f
1

ce :=
= 2.0
ln( 10 )
f
> fsolve(ce,f,0.01..0.03);
.02023450869

Use the Haaland equation. This is an

explicit formula for f .
Use Haaland Equation to get friction factor. Looks like
> he := 1/sqrt(f)=-1.8*log10( 6.9/Rn + (epsod/3.7)^1.11 );
1
he :=
= 7.046261959
f
> solve(he,f);
.02014106496

Looks like a friction factor of 0.02.

4. Calculate the head loss in feet.
L v2
hL = f
= 62.7 feet.
D 2g
5. Use the energy equation to calculate the head
which must be supplied by the pump.
Student work session.

Note the following.

We can pick end points on supposed stream
lines ending at the free surface of each
reservoir. Pressures will be equal there.
Also, we assume steady state and that the
velocity of each of these end points is zero.
The difference in reservoir heights is z2-z1.
Let the lower reservoir be the z=0 reference.
p1 v12
p2 v22
+
+ z1 + hP =
+
+ z2 + hL
g 2 g
g 2 g
goes to
hP = z2 + hL = 10 + 62.7 = 72.7 ft
6. Calculate pump power, ignoring for now any
pump losses.
W!in = gQhP = 1813 ft-lb/s = 3.3 hp.
There are other correlations, given by Swamee and
Jain, cited later in these notes. I used one of them to
get head loss as a check.
Check of Swamee and Jain
> nu := mu/rho;

:= .00001078179923

> hLest := 1.07*Q^2*L/(g*d^5)*

( log( epsod/3.7 + 4.62 * (nu*d/Q)^0.9 ) )^(-2);
hLest := 63.62059937

Quick Example - 2

100 ft

10 ft

Same as above EXCEPT we take pump away and let

the upper reservoir drain into the lower one.
What is the expected rate of flow?
Write down the governing equations. You may use
symbols if you wish for now. Instead of solving them
one at a time, they must be solved simultaneously.

OK, heres what I got.

Energy:
p1 v12
p2 v22
+
+ z1 + hP =
+
+ z2 + hL
g 2 g
g 2 g
reduces to
z1 = hL
(1)
Definition of Reynolds Number: Re =

vD

L v2
Definition of Head Loss: hL = f
D 2g

(2)

(3)

Relationship between friction factor and Reynolds:

DH
1
2.51
= 2.0 log
+
f
Re f
3.7

(4)

Unknowns: hL , Re , v , f .
These are conveniently solved using Maple.

Please think of checking out our notebook at the

website. Please notice that I had to coach fsolve
with some reasonable starting values.

> energy := hL2=z1;

energy := hL2 = 10.

> headloss := hL2 = f * L/d * v2^2/(2*g);

headloss := hL2 = 9.325458500 f v22
> reynolds := Rn2 = v2*d/nu;
reynolds := Rn2 = 15458.14972 v2
> colebrook := 1/sqrt(f) = -2.0*log10(epsod/3.7 +
2.51/(Rn2*sqrt(f)));
2.51
ln .0002432432432 +

Rn2 f
1
colebrook :=
= 2.0
ln( 10 )
f
> eqs := {energy,headloss,reynolds,colebrook};

eqs := hL2 = 10., hL2 = 9.325458500 f v22, Rn2 = 15458.14972 v2,

2.51
ln .0002432432432 +

Rn2 f
1

= 2.0

ln( 10 )
f

> sols:=fsolve(eqs,{v2,f,Rn2,hL2},{f=0.01..0.025,v2=0..50,
hL2=9..11, Rn2=5000..200000});
sols := { f = .02165315186, v2 = 7.037272078, Rn2 = 108783.2054, hL2 = 10.00000000 }
> Q := subs( sols, A*v2);
Q := .1535294602

So it looks like a flow rate of about .153 ft3/s.

Minor Losses
Come from valves, bends, joints, entrances and exits,
and other flow obstructions.
These get added directly to the head loss (major)
associated with the run of pipe. Sometimes the minor
losses are numerically greater than the major loss.
hL = hL , major + hL , min or
The minor losses depend on local mean velocity.
They must be calculated based on experimental
results.
hL , min or

vi2

= K i
2g

The loss coefficients, K , depend on the geometry and

material of the valve. For valves, the result is
dependent, of course, on the percentage opening.
For a tabulation of the coefficients, see Table 12-4 in
your fluids text.
In practice, check carefully with the manufacturer of
the device.

Swamee and Jain formulas

These are good tools. You can avoid tedious
iteration. Why not? See your fluids book p. 524 or
540.
Conditions: 10 6 <
< 10 2 . And
DH
3000 < Re < 3 108 .
2
0.9
2
!

V L

D
hL = 1.07 5 ln
+ 4.62

!
V
gD 3.7 D

Conditions: Re > 2300

5

gD
hL
!

V = 0.965
L

0.5

0.5

3.17 2 L

+
ln
3
3.7 D gD hL

Conditions: 10 6 <

DH

< 10 2 . And

5000 < Re < 3 108 .

5.2
2

L
1.25 LV
9.4
!
+ V

D = 0.66

ghL
ghL

0.04

Be very careful with units. = is the kinematic

viscosity. D is the hydraulic diameter.