Pipe flow in water supply

Flow in pipes

A lecture by
Gilberto E. Urroz
March 2006

Pipe flow in irrigation

Pipe flow in dams

Pipe flow in dams

Pipes and pumps

Pipes over rivers

Pipes in industrial setups

Laminar & Turbulent Flows

Flow films

Laminar flow: orderly, in layers

Turbulent flow: disorderly, eddies
Transitional: intermittently turbulent
Criteria: Reynolds number
Critical Re = 2000

LaminarTurbulentFaucetFlow.MOV
LaminarPipeFlow.MOV
TurbulentPipeFlow.MOV
TransitionalPipeFlow.MOV
LaminarTurbulentCombo.MOV
TurbulentFlowAroundUs.MOV

Laminar & turbulent flow out of a faucet

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Laminar flow in a pipe

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Turbulent flow in a pipe

Transitional flow in a pipe

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Hydraulic Radius - 1

Laminar and turbulent flow visualization

A = cross-sectional area
P = wetted perimeter (length of boundary
in contact with water)

Hydraulic Radius: Rh = A/P

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Example

Hydraulic Radius - 2
FOR PIPE FLOW
A = D2/4 , P = D2, Rh = A/P = D/4

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Head losses and shear stress

Analysis of motion of pipe flow

hf = head loss in length L

o= wall shear stress
= specific weight
Rh = hydraulic radius

o L
hf =
R h

Applies to:
Any x-section
Laminar or turbulent flow
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Smooth and rough walls

Dimensional Analysis of Pipe Flow -1

Examples:
Glass
Plexiglass
PVC

Examples:
Copper
Concrete
Rough walls characterized by an absolute roughness (e)

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Dimensional Analysis of Pipe Flow -2

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Head Losses in Pipe Flow

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Head losses in circular conduits

Start from

hf = C f

Analysis of motion of pipe flow

L V

Rh 2 g

For a circular pipe, Rh = D/4

Replace
Cf = f/4
Darcy-Weisbach equation:

L V2
hf = f
D 2g
f = Darcy-Weisbach friction factor
Cf = 4f = Fanning friction factor (used in
gas flow)

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Head losses and shear stress

hf = head loss in length L
o= wall shear stress
= specific weight
Rh = hydraulic radius

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Shear stress distribution

Equilibrium of forces
on an element of
radius r , steady flow.

o L
hf =
R h

Fx = ma x , a x = 0

Applies to:
Any x-section
Laminar or turbulent flow

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Shear stress linear distribution

From an ealier result:
Also,

L
hf = o
R h
hf =

Wall shear stress and friction factor

hf =

Combine the result

2 (r ) L
r

L V2
hf = f
D 2g

With Darcy-Weisbach

With Rh = D/4 = ro/2

r
(r ) = o
ro

o L
o L
=
Rh (D / 4)

f
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o = V 2
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Friction in non-circular conduits

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Laminar flow in a circular pipe

Use D = 4Rh in Darcy-Weisbach

With

L V2
L V2
= f

hf = f
D 2g
4 Rh 2 g
Re =

VD V 4 Rh
=

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Velocity and shear stress distributions

Centerline and mean velocities

discharge and head losses

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Combining Hagen-Poiseuille with

Darcy-Weisbach

Hagen-Poiseuille law for laminar flow

32LV
hf =
gD 2
1. hf ~ V
2. Equation involves no empirical coefficient
3. Equation involves only fluid properties, g, and
V
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Exercises - 1

Exercises - 2

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Exercises - 3

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Rounded entrance produces uniform flow (inviscid flow behavior)

Velocities at the wall are zero (no-slip condition)
A viscous boundary layer develops, but an inviscid core remains
before flow is fully developed
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Exercise in flow development

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