TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES – Manila

363. P. Casal, Quiapo, Manila

Experiment No. 1
PIPE BRANCHING USING FLUID FRICTION APPARATUS
DE DIOS, Mary Jane T., DEL ROSARIO, John Matthew C., LETADA, Eugenio III R., LIM, Kassandra Charmaine C.,
MALIWAT, Kris Marielle H.

INTRODUCTION PROCEDURE
Fluid friction occurs between fluid layers that are
moving relative to each other. This internal resistance to 1. Using rubber tubing and manometers take note of
flow is named viscosity. In everyday terms, the viscosity pressure change by selecting two points.
of a fluid is described as its “thickness”. 2. Test this for the Y piece and T piece branch types.
All real fluids offer some resistance to shearing
and therefore are viscous. It is helpful to use the concept DATA AND RESULTS
of an inviscid fluid or an ideal fluid which offers no
resistance to shearing and so is not viscous. Y Piece
When separating a flow or combining two partial flows, a di = 17 mm I = 150 mm
significant pressure drop occurs at the branching point Separation Combination
V in Head Loss V in Head Loss
due to the change of direction and separation.
Vmin In mm Vmin In mm
The resulting flow losses depend on various parameters, hva hvd hva hvd
in particular the geometry of the branch piece and the 32,4 5 -120 30 130 -190
magnitude of the individual volumetric flows.
The reference speed is always the speed of the not yet T Piece
separated or already combined volumetric flow V and is di = 17 mm I = 150 mm
calculated using the familiar equation: Separation Combination
4 𝑥 𝑉̇ V in Head Loss V in Head Loss
𝑉= Vmin In mm Vmin In mm
𝜋 𝑥 𝑑2
hva hvd hv1 hv2
Under certain conditions, there may even be a pressure
30 130 -190 29,3 20 30
gain in one of the two branch flows, if the fluid pressure of
the other flow, reduced by flow processes, causes an
injector effect. CONCLUSION
For reasons of continuity, the total volumetric flow V is
equal to the sum of the outgoing or incoming volumetric It can be concluded that the use of the fluid friction
flow Va and the continuous volumetric flow Vd. apparatus is important in the determination of the fluid
velocity along the pipeline. The velocity can be calculated
𝑉̇ = 𝑉𝑎̇ + 𝑉𝑑̇
by iteration, given the cross-sectional diameter and area
The factors which affect fluid friction are: the
nature of the fluid, the shape of the pipe/container body, of the pipeline, the length of the pipeline, and the fittings
the amount of area faced by the body in the fluid, the used. Fluid friction greatly affects the pressure drop at a
viscosity of the fluid, the speed of the body, and the certain point in the pipe, to know if the material itself will
amount of pressure exerted on the fluid. be effective for efficient use.
The coefficients of resistance for branches
depend on the branch angle φ and the relationship Va/V.
For uniform separation of a volumetric flow in T-pieces,
the coefficient of resistance ꭉ can be calculated with the
simplified formula using the head loss h√.

RESOURCES
Fluid friction apparatus