FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING DIPLOMA IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA LABORATORY MANUAL

COURSE WATER ENGINEERING LABORATORY

COURSE CODE ECW341
LEVEL OF OPENNESS 1
CATEGORY PARTIALLY OPEN
DEGREE OF OPEN ENDED 33%
PERIOD OF ACTIVITY 1 WEEK
LAB NO 3.1
DETERMINATION OF HEAD LOSS IN PIPES DUE TO FRICTION,
TITLE
FITTINGS, SUDDEN EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION.

INTRODUCTION

In these laboratory activities students will be exposed to the apparatus to

determine the head loss in pipes. Head loss is a measure of the reduction
in the total head (sum of elevation head, velocity head and pressure head)
of the fluid as it moves through a fluid system. Head loss is unavoidable in
real fluids. The head loss that occurs in pipes is dependent on the flow
velocity, pipe length and diameter, and a friction factor based on the
roughness of the pipe and the Reynolds number of the flow. Apart from
head loss due to friction occurring in pipe flow à head loss can also occur
due to flow separation which is also known as minor losses.

OBJECTIVES

1. To determine the head loss in pipes due to friction.

2. To determine the head loss in pipes due to fittings, sudden
expansion & contraction (associated with flow of water through
PREAMBLE standard fittings used in plumbing installations).

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Conduct the determination of head loss in pipes due to friction,

fittings, sudden expansion and contraction laboratory experiment.
(CO1 – PO4)
2. Analyze and interpret the data based on obtained data. (CO2 –
PO6)

THEORITICAL BACKGROUND

The frictional resistance as fluid flows along a pipe creates a continuous

loss of energy or total head as the fluid moves downstream. The head loss
due to viscous effects in straight pipes is named as the friction head loss
or major head loss. The head loss in a circular pipe running full due to
friction can be estimated using the following equation:

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 FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING DIPLOMA IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA LABORATORY MANUAL

where,

The characteristics of flow in pipes can be described by the Reynolds

number

The Reynolds number, Re determines whether the flow is laminar or

turbulent. For typical flows in smooth pipes, laminar flow conditions
correspond to Re<2000, while turbulent flow corresponds to Re>4000. For
laminar/turbulent transition regime, the Reynolds Number, Re, ranges
from 2000 to 4000.

The parameter that affects the flow inside the pipes is the friction factor.
For fully developed laminar flow, the friction factor can be described as
follows:

While for fully developed turbulent flow, friction factor can be determined
using Moody chart or Colebrook-White equation.

Minor losses (also called secondary losses, point losses or separation

losses) occur due to flow separation such as sudden enlargement, sudden
contraction, flow at pipe fittings, pipe exit and pipe entry. Minor losses are
negligible in large pipe systems and may sometimes be ignored, but in
smaller systems, they are substantial and must be taken into account.

The general expression for a minor loss is given by:

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 FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING DIPLOMA IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA LABORATORY MANUAL

Each group is required to determine head loss due to fluid friction for both
(smooth and roughed pipes).
PROBLEM STATEMENTS
Each group is required to determine head loss due to fittings, sudden
expansion & contraction (associated with flow of water through standard
fittings used in plumbing installations).

APPARATUS

i) Hydraulics bench
ii) Fluid Friction apparatus
iii) Stop watch
iv) Measuring cylinder
v) Portable meter (Digitron)

APPARATUS

Figure 1: Fluid friction apparatus

PROCEDURE/METHOD

Friction
WAYS AND MEANS
(Refer to Standard Methods for the
Examination of Water and
Wastewater
Fittings
ECW341 – WATER ENGINEERING LABORATORY
1. Open the bench valve to prime the pipe network with water.
2. Open and close the appropriate valves to obtain flow through the
required test pipe.
3. Take the flow rates reading.
4. Measure the head loss between the taping by referring to the
pressure water manometer.
5. Get enough data points on different flow rates by altering the flow
using the control valve on the system and head loss for the
different types of pipes.
1. Fill the pipe network with water. Open and close the valves to
obtain flows of water through the pipe and required fitting (to
ensure no bubble inside the pipes).
2. Take readings at several different flow rates by altering the flow
using the control valve on the system (ten readings is suggested
to plot a good head flow curve).
3. Take the flow rates reading.
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 FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING DIPLOMA IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA LABORATORY MANUAL

4. Measure the head loss due to to fittings, sudden expansion &

contraction using the portable meter (Digitron). Obtain readings
on all smooth test pipes
5. Repeat the whole procedures with roughened pipe and estimate
the roughened factor, k/d where k is given as 0.0015 mm.

Data required for this experiment are at least 10 readings of different

flowrate in order to make a good head flow curve.

Each group is required to submit a technical report of the laboratory result

highlighting the apparatus used, the procedure undertaken for the test,
RESULT, ANALYSIS data acquisition process, analysis carry out, and the relevancy of the
CONCLUSION setout output to address the given problem. Discussion of the report
should also contain the discrepancies between experimental and
theoretical results.

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