Friction Factors for Pipe Flow ‘Br LEWIS F. MOODY," PRINCETON, N. J. ‘The object of this paper ix to furnish the engineer with simple means of estimating the friction factors to be used in computing the loss of head in clean new pipes and in elored conduits running full with steady flow. The modern developments in the application of ‘theoretical hydrodynamics to the luid-friction problem are impressive and scattered through an extensive litera- ture. This paper is not intended as a critical survey of this wide field. For a concise review, Professor Bakhine- ‘efPs (1)* small book on the mechanics of fuid flow is fan excellent reference, Prandtl and Tietjens (2) and Rouse (5) have also made notable contributions to the subject. The author does not claim to offer anything particalarly new or original, his aim merely being to ‘embody the now accepted ‘conclusions in convenient form for engineering use. IN the present pipe-flow study, the frston factor denoted by {in the eooompeaying chars isthe coeiciat in the Dazey formula Ly ynrZe Jn whieh ye the lon of head in friction, in feet of fxd cola ofthe Muidfowing; Land D thelength snd injernal diameter of thesipeinfeet; V the mean velocity of fw in feet per e503; and g the acceleration of gravity in fost per seoond per second (on valu taken ax S210). ‘The factor fis » dimenionose quantity, and at ordinary velocities ia function of to and only two, other dimensionless quantities, the relative roughness of the ttc, (dng Baer gnc not open lhe sholateroughnes) and the Reynolds number R= “2 ( being tho cooliciont of kinematio viscosity of the fui in aque feat per second). Fig. 1 gives numerical values of fas a funtion of faa. ‘ten years ago R. J. 8. Pigatt (4) published a char for the same {fiction factor, using the same co-ordinates as in Fig. 1 of this paper. His chart has proved to be most useful and praction! and hss been reproduced in.« number of texts (5). The Pigott cart was based upon sn analysis of some 10,000 experiments from various sures (0), but did not have the benefit, in plotting or firing the curves, of Iter developments in functional forms of the curves. ‘ In the same year Nikufadse (7) published kis experiments on artfcially roughened pipes, Based upon the tests of Nikuredso nd others, von Kérmén:(8) and Prandtl (0) doveloped their ‘theoretical nalyces of pipe flow and gave us muitable formulas ¥ Profesor, Bydesulic Bngineoring, Prineston University. Morn agate # Numbers in parenthessrofor to the Bibliography at the end of the pape. ‘Gonteibuted by the Hydraulic Division and presented atthe SaminAnmual Meeting, Pittsburgh, Pa, June 10-22, 1084, of Ta ‘Summon Soonsry oF Mucuantou Beno, "Now: Statemente and opinions advanced ia papera are to be ‘usdarstood as individual expressions of thelr authors and ot thoes ofthe Society. ‘with numerical constants forthe eate of perfectly smooth pipes ‘or those in Which the ieegularities ere small compared to the ‘hicknoss ofthe laminar boundary layer, and forthe ease of rough pipes where the rougnnasses proirade sificiently to break up the Jaminer layer, and the flow booomes eompletely turbulent. ‘The analysis did not, however, cover the entire field ut ltt gp, namely; the transition zone between smooth aad rough pipes the region of inoomplota turbulence. Attempts to fil thie gap by the use of Nikurade's results forartifelal oughnose produced by closely packed send grains, were not adequate, singe the re- sults wore clearly t varianos from aotual experienc for ordinary surinces enoountered in practice. Nikuradse's curves showed a sharp drop followed by a. pooalir reverse eurva,* not oberved ‘with commercial surfaces, and nowhere suggested by the Pigott chart based om many tests, : ‘Recently Colebrook (11), in eolaboration with C. ML. White; doveloped a function whieh gives a practical form. of transition curve to bridge the gap. This function agrees with the tro ex- ‘tromes of roughness and gives values in very satisfactory ngree- ment with eotual measurements on most forms of commercial piping and usual pipe surfaces. Rouse (12)/has shown that i is ressonable and practically adequate salution and has plotted a chart based’ upon it. In order to simplify the plotting, Rouse adopted oo-ordinatad inconvenient for ordinary engineering use, since f is implicit in both oo-ordinates, and Fl values are repre sented by curved co-ordinates, so that interpalation ia trouble- ‘The author hes drawn up a new chart, Fig. 1 i the more con ‘ventional form used by Pigott, taking advantage of the func~ tional relationships established in recent years. Curves of ‘versus FR are plotted to logarithmic ccales for various constant ‘values of relative roughneks 5; and to permit essy selection of, ‘pa asompunying sats Fg. on tom wie cube ‘ead for any sizeof pipe of «given typo of surface Tn order to find the fiction loss in a pipe, the procedure is a follows: Find the appropriate + from Fig. 2, then follow the corresponding line, thus identified, in Fig. 1, to the value of the Reynolds mumber Ri carresponding to the velosty of flow. ‘Thefactor is thus found, for wei the Darey formula Ly WIS D In Fig. 2, the seales et the top and bottom give values of the ‘iameter in both feot and inches. Fig. 1 involves only dimen- sionless quantities and is applicable in any eystam of unit. ‘To daclitate the ouloulation of R, auxiliary sales are shown at the top of Fig. 1, giving values of the product (VD") for two fluids, Le, water and atmoepheri air, 60 F. (D" is the inside iametar in inches.) Aa a futher auxiliary, Fig. 3s given, from ‘whiel: Roun be quickly found for watar at ondinary vemperatares, for any sie of pipo and mean velocity V. Dashed lines on this chart have been sdded giving values of the discharge or quantity of fluid flowing, Q = AY, expressed in both cubic feet par seoond and in U. 8 gallons per minnte. * Rous, reference (8), . 250; and Powell, referense (10), p. 174. on‘TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASME. er NOVEMBER, 1944 ee rou Sw a tuama'38u a). Besa uaawinn sovonge Ge eet eto oe 2 be yop Ole og» edo slo oe» cua Ol oo i $1509 uv ohotly SoA} ose ea a cn (S3Hont ww Mane 0 ALooTan) $209 ay SSW As GGA) 40. Sarret } ‘MOODY—FRICTION PACTORS YOR PIPE FLOW era PIPE DIAMETER IN FEET, D 45 oO + 208 006 005 004 003 902 201 9008, 2008 ‘9005, 9008 9003 0002 £ D 001 20008 RELATIVE ROUGHNESS 888 ‘D004 ‘00093 200p2 ‘00091 ‘900908 900906, - 900008 NE 5 SEED 0 PIPE DIAMETER IN INCHES, D” 456. 3 8 & = & zg a 8 e 8 g os 5 : os os & a 2 a 3 450) 60 Fro For othor fluids, the Kinematic viscosity » may be found from Hig. 4, which with Prof. R. L, Daugherty’s kind permission hes ‘been reproduced.* “fo enable F to be quickiy found for vations fluid, Fig. 4 includes an ausiliary disgram constructed by Ds F, Wisiceaus, which gives R for various values of the protect YD" shown by the diagonal lines. . For any value of vin the le, hand diagram, by folowing a horizontal line to the eppropriste ingonal at the right, the eorzesponding FE aaay be eal the op ofthe auxiliary graph (Over a large part of Fig. 1, an approximate figure for Ris sulltien, sinoe f varies only slowly with changes ix Ry ancin the rourh-pipe sone fis independent of R. ‘From the act oom, ‘ideraton, it beoomes possible to bow, in the righthand mare of Fig. 2, values of f for rough pipes end complete turbuloree “Tsference (18) andraference (8). 1 it s seen that che conditions of any problem clesy fallin the ove of complete tarbulanee shove and tothe ight ofthe deaies Tine in Fig. 1, then Fg. 2 wil give the value of f directly wakes further reference to the other gharts Tiosmariox op Usm ov Caants Example 1: To estimate the lois of head in 200 ft of 6-in, asphalted casbiron pip earying water with a een vest of S fos: In Fig 2 for 8 in, dim (bottom scale), the dngooet for “aephalted cation” gives £m 0.0008 Gef-band margin). In ‘ie 8, for 6 in. dinm (of-hand margin), the diagoaal for F = 6 {peaives Rt 25 (0° (bottom scale) (or, instead of using Pig 8, compute YD’ = 6 X 6 = 38). In Fig 1, locate from the ight,om ‘hand margin the eurvo for & = 0.0008 end follow this curve to a D point above FE = 25 (10) on the bottom sele (or below VD" = ‘36 on the top seale). ‘This point gives f = 0.02 (loft-hand mar- sen); then LY gq 200) (0 ars 8 = BE = 000 OS gag #5 # fltion loss Ezample 2: To estimate the loss of head per 100 fin 15+ new cast-iron pipe, carrying water with a meen velocity of 20 fps Tn Mig. 2, for 15 in, diam (bottom sealo), tho diagonal for “oust fron gives S = 0.0007 (left-hand manga). In Fig. 8, for 15 in ‘iam (lft-hand margin), the diagonsl for ¥ = 20 fps gives R= 2 (10% (or, instead af using Fig. 8, compute YD" = 20 X 15 = 300), Tn Big. 1 the curve for & = 0.0007 Gnterpoating between 0.0006 end 0,0008, right-hand margin) abe point above RR = 2 G0" (bottom sotle) (or below VD" = 800, top scale) gives f= (0.018 eft-hand margin). Ta this ease the point on Fig. falls aston the boundary of the region of “eomplate turbulence, rough ripe!" Here Fi or YD" need only be approximated suficintiy {ones that the point fal in the complete tarbulence region, and f tan then be found directly from the right-hand margin in Fig. 2 ‘without farther refrenge to Big. 15 then Ly (400) 20} 15 3g ~ 8 ae) cea ‘= 8.05 o, say, 9 ft fretion lous Te must be recognized that any high degree of sovurney in do- termining fis not tobe expected. With smooth tubing, it true, good degross of aoouaey aro obtaingble; a probable variation in f ‘within about 5 per cent (14), and for commercial steel and ‘wrought-iron piping, a variation within about 10 per cent. ‘But in the transition and rougi-pipe regions, we ack the primary ‘nd obvious esrenial, «technique for messuring the roughness of f pipe mechanically. Une such a technique is developed, we encase B 888888 DIAMETER IN INCHES, D" nv s00 08 & Loe seseal 2 345681 2 oe: o of REYNOLDS NUMBER R-¥ FOR WATER AT 60°F (V mi ; D acrEEr; V=i26(0%); R--6880 v0" ‘TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASM.E. vassal 2 & NOVEMBER, 1944 rato lng wt sie in opt ae: {SE may irc nuh late Th tno Pg ‘Sst be me poly mpromnn by bead ans or thn nm ft ha trl eo rear enh lan, ove nly oe eta ot hon reno awe oN dyn ore han thew etal ew ho ‘charts that a wide variation in estimating the roughness affects f {Situ sua gee upelean, the ast etn nf sa bl po i Sag ltr of ata ae Ties py ny om el cr ping in i iofoto a aly fs wht oa un uo So mute acl re [es ay nnn nn ue te Saying appa oon in eerie tenga oie prince pea “lbh we hw ven eo rt enema ot hug any cw woe en of Slots er srt nt ath abr he thn hip nay enw, it tat dh sgl eon perenne wee ses or mig tn gh ‘nips "nano! tn abe wrt ota aay, cups ae mera “Sn of ase se Th ad sere yi isl it oe aren sway a hy ne in ee itn ony apo se nie 00 oe Rly sboe!otbsnt ors ‘st day ot lpg» somal Patna lon, ‘eval aber sien by aaa se = inp gh veg Hager Pali en ie ny uns 0 hen aiken Seu ltrs toh rae itr ele sgn loco ar SED LIN ier he ch pe aes c 82888 DIAMETER IN FEET, D ‘os Sees el 2 34568 8 io Fra.675 MOODY—FRICTION FACTORS FOR PIPE FLOW yout (saxon nia x 28N1 A) (0A) 40 S3MWA » g = z bo x ; a i z oro f = i S ecno® 8 loo uw Loe & °o > jsoora 8 or 3 Zz - ae er @ = Y3ISWNN SCIONAZSY678 4nd tho conditions are probably also aoc by presture waves Initioting inntebilty. This region has been ealled a critical nono, and th indefnitenes of behavior in thi region as been indiasted by a hatched area mithout definite flnen. ‘The minizaum limit for f values is the dotted continuation of the laminar flow line, corresponding to véry smooth and steedy initial ow. "When {here is cistinet turbulence in the entering uid, the Sow in the sxitical zones ely tobe pulsating (2) rather than steady. The effects of strong intial turbulenew may oven extend into the laminar-fow sone, raising the f values somewhat, as far a to a Reynolds numberof aboat 120, Above-a Reynolds number of 3000 oF 4000, conditions again Decome reasonably determinate, Here. we fiod two regions, namely, the transition tone and the rough-pipe sone. The transition tone extends upmard from the lise fr perfectly smooth pipes, for which the equations Z Ryj uv mi (Gcéema, Prand, Nikuredse) tothe dashed line indiating ita ‘pper limi, plotted from the relation 1 Re Vi~ 300 D- (Gollowing the corresponding line in Rouses char, reference 12) Jn the transition zone the eurves follow the Colebrook function 1 = 2 og (2 + loge Fa i OF 1/ vj = Blog Rv7—08 ‘These curves are asympiotio at one end to the smooth pipe line ‘nd at the other to tho horizontal lines of the rough-pipe tone Actually,"the curves converge rapidly to these limits, merging ‘withthe smooth pipe lin at the left, and atthe right, beyond the asked line, becoming indistinguishable from the constant nes for rough pipe. ‘Tun Coursnoox Funicrrox ‘The basis of the Colebrook function may be briefly outlined. Von Kérmén had shown that, for completely turbulent flaw in rough pipes, the expression 1/\/7— 2 log (D/2e) is equal to constant (1.74), or, as exproaied by Colebrook, 2 log 222 = 1/vj is equel to-zero. In the transition region of incomplete ‘clic on ins expen nt eal 0 os Iv tntomefontone hens oes of nga 8h lca fn lina Sana ie, Seer isi ind peal xine acing seuss roles by noting 1/4? lg (2) es inn se iia by ‘skne "By die tn Polina ps ow nl deer ot ‘ere alors ttl ont sale ure,” Chg earns a ‘Retnownipe eve en nln soe ca rouge curves tcyein aig nr Chichen (i), ae ov orn led in hi "ig. 3 he pine! wi sal ay pe at ison vaso op o sisi pipe sso Eo act ath clot omer ie gro more i eae fara tsi ithe evo ar qe eet ew Manes oo fr ea ty agente sean ns ce ‘Sroming ui Stn fences “a8 may te pre! In ate oma as prepa to Bo mwtr= D2, cco tor 2 ig taf ipegehaing sr he pion ral ho nam dey moveoaihsithsne ganpewal ‘TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASM.D NOVEMBER, 1944 Ra.o Rouse (12), also using equivalont eo-ordinates, bas plotted in his Fig. 6, here reproduced as Fig. 6, « large number of points ach of which represents a seris of teste on a given see of com, ‘mercial pipe, together with the Colebrook curve. As he paints ‘uty the deviation of the points from the Colebrook curve ‘evidently not much greater tasn the experimental seater of the ‘individual measurements ia any one serie." ‘When the thickness of the laminar layer, which decreesos with {creasing Reynolds number, becomes so smal, compared to the surince iregulaitos, that the laminar flow is broken up into furbulesse, the flow conditions pass over into the zone of "sough pipes,” with complete turbulence established practioally tvugh- ‘ut the fow, Viscous forces thea beeome negligible compared to indrtis forces, nd f cesses to bea funetion of the Reynolds mum. br and depends only upon the relative roughness giving hori ‘onl lines of constant fin tho ahart. ‘These lines ageve with the ‘Yon Kérmn rough-pipe formula wt (8), wir sain) Since f depends upon the relative roughness, the tatio of the ‘absolute roughness to the pipe dismeter, even a faisiy tough sie {aco in avery lxge pipe gives small relative roughness ‘Thus Colebrook plots the results obtained on the penstocks of the Ontario Power Company, where metal forma and specially laid conorete produced a very smooth example of consrete surface, ‘This im combination with the lange dismeter gave ra roughness comparable to drewn brass tubing, with] values falling ‘practically on the “smooth pipe” line of Fig 1. Sach specially fabricated welded-ote! pipelines as thoee of the Coloredo aque uct system would probably give value along the samo curve, ‘On the other hand, at very high velocities in drawn tubing ofI i | i ‘MOODY—-FRICTION FACTORS FOR PIPE FLOW or ‘small diameter, even the small absolute roughness is suliient to break up the laminar boundary layer, and the tubing becomes in effect = “rough pipe.” Vary fow experiments have cacvied the ‘velocities and Reynolds numbers high enough to permit close estimate of « for drawa bras copper, or salar tubing; but by applying the Colebrook funstion to the evailale date (14, 18), for the smoothest surfaces reported upon, « was estimated aa of ‘the order of 0.000005; and a line eorresponding to this value has ‘been drawn in Fig. 2, sarving at a minimum Himit for surfeoee Iikely to bo enoountered in practice. ‘Pon Fatorion Factons Avritan 10 Oray-Caannest, FLow Pipe fiction factors have sometimes been applied to open channel fow, and more commonly te ftition losses lnspo pipes and other cloted/conduita have been computed from opea. ‘channel formules. ‘The Chezy formula for apen channels is F = CyvinB in which ¥-is the mean velocity; m the hydzaulie mean depth or “hydraulic radius," the seotional aree divided by the wetted perimeter; 5 the slope, the loss of head divided by length of channel, and C a coeficiet.” The Chety formal is equivalent ‘0 the Darey formula for pipes, the Chany coeficient C being cone vere Foy etn = 8 Hae, ‘however, that the Chery eoefieients have been derived principally from observations on relatively wide and shallow channels of Jange area and rough bottoms, far from eizculrin shape, and that they involve a free water surface not presen in closed conduits, 0 that; even when the flow is uniform, the problem is highly compler. Consequenty, such formulas as Manning's ere recon ‘mended for open channels in preferunce tothe use of values of © the average dep Glivided by ‘the curface breadth; the later form representing the xatio of mean velocity to the gravitational eritical velocity or velocity of propagetion of surface waves, ‘This proposed oriterion defines whether the flow falls in the ““ranquil” “shooting,” or ertical state, The neglect of this {actor may st least partially account for inoonistencies between vatious open-channel formulas, and betwean open-channel and pipo-hiction formulas, and easts partioular doubt on wecepted {formulas for open-channel friction in the erteal or shooting-flow rogions. ‘These considerations suggest the plotting of open: channel friction fsotors 2s & function of the relative roughness ‘nd the Froude number, i aimilar manner tothe plotting of faa function ofthe relative roughness and the Reynolds number for led conduits For the foregoing reasons, Fig. 1 is not reoommesided with ‘uch confidence for general applicetion to open channels, for hich’ formula such as Manning's better represents the availble {nformation. ‘The chars can however be applied, atleast as an ‘approximation, to noacireular closed conduits of not too eccentric form or not too diforent from a circular section, by using ao equivalent diameter a) ‘anath of perimeter, Since civil engincars usually clasiy surface roughness by the ‘Kutter and Manning roughness factor n, it would be helpful in selecting a value of efor such variable surfaces a conorete if we could correlate « and xn. P. Panagost has applied the Colo. brook function to the test date ealloted by Scobey (16) and finds the following values of « corresponding to the Kuster m ratings «sven by Seobey, which may be at last tentatively tlie Felten cage 0010S 0.01 0.012 0.018 0.014 0.18 8.018 Mgrs! O,00015 0.0008 0.002 0.405 g.011 0.02 0.00 Accordingly, on the basis of Seobey's data the lines given ia ‘ig. 2 for eonerete may be somewaat more definitely deseribed as follows: UD eatin oe mi oor nw it HACE cena ecto Although the curves in Fig. 1 re plotted from definite fune- ‘tonal forms whieh ean be aocoptad with some eonfdence within th degree of accuracy required in engineering use, further ia formation wil be welcomed which would improve thetocetion and definition of the lines in Fig. 2, or which would ad¢ new lines for other materile. Any test of friction head in pipe of any mate. ial can be applied to Fig, 1, and earresponding points can be readily located in Fig. 2.” A 45-deg line through point 20 Joouted oan than be added to Fig. 2, to represent a particular kind of pipe surface, Acnownmesmnre ‘For helpful suggestions and assistance, the author is parti: lesly indebted to Prof. B.A. Bukhmetet, Mr. Raiph Watson, ‘Dr. G. P. Wislionnus, Dr, A. T. Ippon; and to Mr, P. Penagos for collecting date and numerical checking ‘BIBLIOGRAPEY 2 “The Moshaaics of Turbulat Flow,"-by B. A, Bakhmetat, Prinootgn Unlearity Pres, 1086, 2 (Applied Hydro- and Acromesbanios” by Ty. Prandtl and 0.6. Tiotins, ginearing Societies Monographs, McGrail Book Gampany, Ine, New York, Ne 1096. 8 Phuid Mechaaiee for Hytraue Basineere" by H. Rows, Englnosring Bodesies Monographs, MaGrew-llil Book Company, Inc, New Yor, N.Y, 1038 4 “ithe low of Fluida in Closed Conduits," by R.J.$. 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Powell, The Macnilon Company, New York, No, Toto, 1. “Furbulant How tn Pipes, With Pectiouar Referenas to the ‘Transition Haglos Betworn to Smooth and Hough Pipe Lame! he Gr, olerk, Hunal of aon of il Basis (oadon, Meghan), vals, 1998-1030, pp 183-186, 12" Mbvaluaton of Bossdary Roughnes.” by H- Rowse, Procaed- ‘ Aniatant fa Moshenioal Eugioering, Prinslon University, Prisaeton NJ