Equivalent diameter is not the same as hydraulic diameter.

The hydraulic diameter, DH, is a commonly used term when handling flow in
noncircular tubes and channels. Using this term one can calculate many things in
the same way as for a round tube. It is defined as

where A is the cross sectional area and P is the wetted perimeter of the cross-
section.
The Manning formula contains a quantity called the hydraulic radius. Despite
what the name may suggest, the hydraulic diameter is not twice the hydraulic
radius, but four times.
Hydraulic diameter is mainly used for calculations involving turbulent
flow. Secondary flows can be observed in non-circular ducts as a result of
turbulent shear stress in the turbulent flow.
Hydraulic diameter is also used in calculation of heat transfer in internal flow
problems.
The hydraulic diameter is also used to calculate the pressure loss in a ducts or
pipe.

Hydraulic Diameter
Note! - equivalent diameter is not the same as hydraulic diameter. The hydraulic diameter
express the rate between the area section of the duct or tube, and the wetted perimeter of
the duct or tube. Hydraulic diameter is used to determine if the flow is laminar or turbulent
and to calculate the pressure los

Less delta pressure will increase flow rate

P = 2 3.142 0.5 (( / 2)^2 + ( / 2)^2)^0.5

List of hydraulic diameters

Geometry Hydraulic diameter Comment

1
 For a circular tube
the hydraulic
Circular tube diameter is simply
the diameter of the
tube.

Annulus

Square duct

Rectangular duct
(fully filled)

For the limiting case

Channel of water or of a very wide duct,
partial filled i.e. a slot of
rectangular duct width a where a b,
then DH = 2b

For a fully filled duct or pipe whose cross section is a regular polygon, the
hydraulic diameter is equivalent to the diameter of a circle inscribed within
the wetted perimeter.

Hydraulic Diameter of a Circular Tube or Duct

Based on equation (1) the hydraulic diameter of a circular duct can be expressed
as:

2
dh = 4 r2 / 2 r

=2r (2)

where

r = pipe or duct radius (m, ft)

As we could expect the hydraulic diameter of a standard circular tube or duct is

two times the radius.

Hydraulic Diameter of a Circular Tube with an inside Circular Tube

Based on equation (1) the hydraulic diameter of a circular duct or tube with an
inside duct or tube can be expressed as

dh = 4 ( ro2 - ri2) / (2 ro + 2 ri)

= 2 (ro - ri) (3)

where

ro = inside radius of the outside tube (m, ft)

ri = outside radius of the inside tube (m, ft)

Hydraulic Diameter of Rectangular Tubes or Ducts

3
Based on equation (1) the hydraulic diameter of a rectangular duct or pipe can
be calculated as

dh = 4 a b / (2 (a + b))

= 2 a b / (a + b) (4)

where

a = width/height of the duct (m, ft)

b = height/width of the duct (m, ft)

Equivalent diameter:

The equivalent diameter is the diameter of a circular duct or pipe that gives the
same pressure loss as an equivalent rectangular duct or pipe.

The equivalent diameter of a rectangular tube or duct can be calculated as

(Huebscher)

de = 1.30 x ((a x b)0.625 / (a + b)0.25) (1)

where

de = equivalent diameter (mm, inches)

a = length of major or minor side (mm, inches)

b = length of minor or major side (mm, inches)

4
Oval Equivalent Diameter (Ellipse)
The equivalent diameter of a oval duct or tube (ellipse) can be calculated as
(Heyt & Diaz)

de = 1.55 A0.625 / P0.25 (2)

where

A = cross-sectional area oval duct (m2, in2)

P = perimeter oval duct (m, inches)

The cross-sectional area of an oval duct can be expressed as

A=ab/4

where

a = major dimension of the flat oval duct (m, in)

b = minor dimension of the flat oval duct (m, in)

The perimeter of an oval duct (ellipse) can be approximated to

P 2 (1/2 ((a / 2)2 + (b / 2)2))1/2 (2b)

Oblong Ducts

5
Equivalent diameters of oblong ducts or pipes can be expressed as

de = 1.55 ( b2 / 4 + a b - b2)0.625/( b + 2 a - 2 b)0.25 (3)

Perimeter of Ellipse

M3

(m2)