MEC241 Chapter 4

4.0 Introduction

 In most engineering system, fluid is usually distributed by using pipes or ducts.

Figure: Pipe and duct

 The fluid is usually forced to flow by a fan or pump through the flow section.

 During flow through pipes and ducts, friction occurs, which can result in pressure drop
and head loss (friction losses).

 The pressure drop can be used to determine the pumping power requirement.

5.1 Laminar and Turbulent Flow

 Fluid flow inside a pipe or duct can be either laminar or turbulent in nature.

 The change from laminar to turbulent depends on the geometry, surface roughness, flow
velocity, surface temperature, and type of fluid.

 Laminar Flow is characterized by smooth streamlines and highly ordered motion.

 Turbulent Flow is characterized by velocity fluctuations and highly disordered

motion.
MEC241 Chapter 4

Figure: Laminar, Transitional, and Turbulent Flow

 To determine whether the flow is laminar or turbulent, a dimensionless parameter called

Reynold’s Number is calculated using the following equation.

 The Reynold’s Number equation above is only used for applications involving flow
inside a circular pipe.

 For flow through non-circular pipes, the Reynolds number is based on the hydraulic
diameter, Dh defined as:

Where;

Ac = cross sectional area the pipe or duct

p = wetted perimeter
MEC241 Chapter 4

 For flow inside a circular pipe, under most practical conditions the condition of flow is as
follow:

5.2 Pressure drop and frictional losses in piping system

 As mentioned before, fluid flow through a pipe causes friction which results in pressure
drop and head loss (friction losses).

 The pressure drop for fluid flow inside a circular or non-circular pipe is determined using:

 Frictional losses are caused by flow inside the pipe itself and also flow inside pipe
connectors called fittings.

 For frictional losses due to flow inside the pipe itself, it is called the major head loss
(hL,major), which is determined using:

 L V
2
hL , major  f  
 D  2g
Where:

f = Darcy’s friction factor

L = total length of the piping system (m)

D = pipe diameter (m)

V = fluid flow velocity (m/s)

 The Darcy’s friction factor, f depends on the condition of fluid flow:

For laminar flow inside a circular pipe:

MEC241 Chapter 4

For turbulent flow inside a circular pipe:

i) Colebrook’s equation

ii) Moody’s chart

- refer chart

 For frictional losses due to flow inside fittings it is called minor head loss (hL,minor)
which is determined using:

V2
hL ,min or   KL
2g

Where:

∑KL = the summation of all fittings the is used for the piping system

 the total head loss (major + minor) in a piping system is determined from;

Where;

i – represents each pipe section with constant diameter (major losses)

j – represents each component that causes a minor loss.

5.4 The energy equation

 The energy equation is used to analyse problems involving flow in pipes.

 But first we must consider the piping network for the system.

 Pipes in a system can be connected either in series or parallel.

 In series pipes, flow rate through the entire system remains constant regardless of the
diameters of the individual pipes in the system.

 Total head loss, is equal to the sum of the head losses in each individual pipes in the
system, including the minor losses.
MEC241 Chapter 4

Figure: For pipes in series, the flow rate is

the same in each pipe, and the total head
loss is the sum of the head losses in
individual pipes.

 In parallel pipes, pipes are branched out and then re-joins at a junction, the total flow rate
is the sum of the flow rates in the individual pipes.

 The head loss, in each individual pipe connected in parallel must be the same.

Figure: For pipes in parallel, the head loss is

the same in each pipe, and the total flow rate is
the sum of the flow rates in individual pipes.

 The energy equation for a piping system which includes a pump and/or a turbine is:

 It is important to simplify the steady flow energy equation to make analysis in piping
system easier.

For example:

1. The pump head (hpump) = 0; if piping system does not involves a pump.
2. The turbine head (hturbine) = 0; if piping system does not involve a turbine.
3. The pressure head (P/ρg) = 0; if the reservoirs are at the free surface (open to
atmosphere)
4. The velocity head (V/2g) = 0; if the reservoirs are large and the pressures are at
atmospheric pressure.
MEC241 Chapter 4

 For pump head (hpump):

.
W pump
h pump  (m)
Qg
Where:
Ẇpump = pump power (watt)

 For turbine head (hturbine):

.
W turbine
hturbine  (m)
Qg
Where:
Ẇturbine = turbine power (watt)

Example #1: Flow in Pipes (Series)

Water at flows from large reservoir to a smaller one through a 5-cm-diameter piping
system as shown in the figure below, the volume flow rate is 6 L/s. Properties for water
are density = 1000 kg/m3 and dynamic viscosity = 1.307 x 10 -3 kg/m.s. The roughness of
the pipe, ε = 0.00026 m, Determine:
i. The Reynolds number and state the flow condition of water in the pipe
ii. The friction (major) head loss in the pipe
iii. The minor head loss in the pipe
iv. The elevation z1

The minor loss coefficients for the pipe fittings used are: Kentrance = 0.5, Kelbow = 0.3,
Kgate valve = 0.2 and Kexit = 1.06
MEC241 Chapter 4

i) The Reynolds number and state the flow condition of water in the pipe

Since pipe is circular:

VD
Re  ; We know that Q=VA = V (r 2 )

Q 0.006
V   3.06m / s
(r )  (0.025) 2
2

VD (1000)(3.06)(0.05)
 Re    117,061
 1.307  10 3

There flow condition in the pipe is turbulent (Re > 4000)

ii) The friction (major) head loss in the pipe

 L V
2
hL , major  f  
 D  2g

0.00026
The relative roughness, ε/D:  0.0052
0.05

The friction factor, f:

1  D 2.51   
 2.0 log    2.0 log 0.0052  2.51 
   3.7 
f  3.7 Re f   117,061 f 

f = 0.0315

 L V  89  3.06 2
2
hL,major  f    0.0315   26.76m
 D  2g  0.05  2(9.81)

iii) The minor head loss in the pipe

hL,min or   K L 
V2 3.06 2
 0.5  2(0.3)  0.2  1.06  1.13m
2g 2(9.81)

iv. The elevation z1

Using the energy equation:

2 2
P1 V1 P V
  z1  h pump  2  2  z 2  hturbine  hL,total
g 2 g g 2 g
MEC241 Chapter 4

Simplifying the energy equation:

z1  z 2  hL,total

Where we know that;

htotal = 26.76 + 1.13 = 27.89 m

 z1  z 2  hL,total  4  27.89  31.89m

MEC241 Chapter 4

Example #2

Figure Example #2

a)

V1 D1
Re pipe,1 

D1  0.289m
Q 0.05
V1    0.763m / s
A1  2
(0.289 )
4

(1000)(0.763)(0.289)
Re pipe,1   220218  2.2  10 5  4000  turbulent
0.001
MEC241 Chapter 4

V2 D2
Re pipe, 2 

D2  0.194m
Q 0.05
V2    1.70m / s
A2 
(0.194 2 )
4

(1000)(1.70)(0.194)
Re pipe, 2   329800  3.3  10 5  4000  turbulent
0.001

b)

L1  V12 
hL ,major, pipe1  f  
D1  2 g 
f  0.0164
60  0.7632 
hL ,major, pipe1  (0.0164)    0.1047m
0.289  2(9.81) 

L2  V22 
hL ,major, pipe2  f  
D2  2 g 
f  0.016
22  1.7 2 
hL ,major, pipe1  (0.016)    0.267 m
0.194  2(9.81) 

c)

V 2   0.7632 
hL,min or1   K L, pipe1  1   0.15  4(0.31)   0.0411m
 2g   2(9.81) 

V 2   1.70 2 
hL,min or 2   K L, pipe2  2   0.35  2(0.17)   0.1014m
 2g   2(9.81) 

d)

P1 V12 P2 V22
  z1  h pump  hL,total    z 2  hturbine
g 2 g g 2 g

Simplify:

P1 V12 P V2
  z1  hL,total  2  2  z 2
g 2 g g 2 g
MEC241 Chapter 4

Rearrange:

P1  P2 V22  V12
  z 2  z1  hL ,total
g 2g

 V22  V12 
P1  P2      g z 2  z1   g hL ,total 
 2 

hL ,total, pipe1  hL ,major, pipe1  hL ,min or, pipe1  0.1047  0.0411  0.1458m

hL ,total, pipe2  hL ,major, pipe2  hL ,min or, pipe2  0.267  0.1014  0.3684m

 hL ,total  0.1458  0.3684  0.4731m

z 2  z1  2.7  3  0.3m

 1.70 2  0.7632 
P1  P2  (1000)   (1000)(9.81) 0.3  (1000)(9.81)0.4731
 2 
P1  P2  1153.92  2943  5044.3  3255.22 Pa

Example #3
MEC241 Chapter 4

i)

QB  Q1  Q2  0.0126  0.0382  0.0508m 3 / s

ii)

iii)
MEC241 Chapter 4

Example #4
MEC241 Chapter 4