Flow in Pipes

Flow in Pipes

1. Have a deeper understanding of laminar and

turbulent flow in pipes and the analysis of
fully developed flow
2. Calculate the major associated with pipe
flow.
 Introduction
• For pipes with variable diameter, Q is still the same
due to conservation of mass, but V1 ≠ V2
D1

D2

V1 Q V2 Q

1
Laminar and Turbulent Flows

• Critical Reynolds number

(Recr) for flow in a round
pipe
Re < 2300 ⇒ laminar
2300 ≤ Re ≤ 4000 ⇒
transitional
Re > 4000 ⇒ turbulent
 Velocity Profile
• In fully developed pipe flow, it turns out that τ = µdu/dr

2
 r  u 1 y
u
= 1 −   = ln
u max  R0  u** κ yoo

Laminar Turbulent

slope
slope

τw τw
τw = shear stress at the wall,
acting on the fluid τw,turb > τw,lam
 Velocity Profile
• Turbulent flow velocity profile

u 1 y
= ln
u** κ yoo

u** = τ ww / ρ
u**ε /ν > 67 − − − − yoo = ε / 33

u**ε /ν < 3.5 − − − − yoo = 0.1ν / u **

Smooth, Transition, Rough Turbulent Flow
• Hydraulically smooth 1  Re f 

= 2 log  
pipe law (von Karman, 
f  2 . 51 
1930) u**ε /ν < 3.5
• Rough pipe law (von 1  3 .7 D 
= 2 log  

Karman, 1930) u**ε /ν > 67 f  ε 
• Transition function for
ε D 
both smooth and rough 1 = − 2 log  +
2 . 51 
pipe laws (Colebrook)  3 .7 
f  Re f 

(used to draw the Moody diagram)

 Laminar Flow Friction Factor
64 µ 64
f= =
ρVD R
 Moody Diagram
0.10
0.08
0.05

f 0.06
0.05
0.04
0.03
0.02

ε
friction factor

0.015
0.04 0.01
0.008
0.006
0.03 0.004
D
laminar
0.002

0.02 0.001
0.0008
0.0004
0.0002
0.0001
0.00005
0.01 smooth

1E+03 1E+04 1E+05 1E+06 1E+07 1E+08

R
 Fully Developed Pipe Flow Friction Factor
• τw = func(ρ, V, µ, D, ε) ε = average roughness of the
inside wall of the pipe
• Π-analysis gives
 Pipe losses
• Major losses due to pipe roughness and friction between the
pipe and the fluid.

hL
 Pipe losses
• Major losses

Where f is Darcy-Weisbach friction factor