Pressure Loss

The pressure loss (or major loss) in a pipe, tube or duct can be calculated with the Darcy-
Weisbach equation

Δpmajor_loss = λ (l / dh) (ρf v2 / 2)

where

Δpmajor_loss = major (friction) pressure loss in fluid flow (Pa (N/m2), psf (lb/ft2))

λ = Darcy-Weisbach friction coefficient

l = length of duct or pipe (m, ft)

v = velocity of fluid (m/s, ft/s)

dh = hydraulic diameter (m, ft)

ρf = density of fluid (kg/m3, slugs/ft3)

Pressure Loss in Air Duct

Air flows with velocity 6 m/s in a duct with diameter 315 mm. The density of air is 1.2 kg/m3.
The friction coefficient is estimated to 0.019 and the length of the duct is 1 m. The friction
loss can be calculated as

Δpmajor_loss = 0.019 ((1 m) / (0.315 m)) ((1.2 kg/m3) (6 m/s) 2 / 2)

= 1.3 Pa

Note! - In addition to friction loss - there is almost always minor loss in a flow.

Head Loss
Alternatively the Darcy-Weisbach equation can express head loss as water column by
dividing the pressure loss (1) with the specific weight of water

Δhmajor_loss,w = λ (l / dh) (ρf v2 / 2) / γw

= λ (l / dh) (ρf v2 / 2) / ρw g

= λ (l / dh) (ρf / ρw) (v2 / (2 g)) (2)

where

Δhmajor_loss,w = major head loss (water column) in fluid flow (m H2O, ft H2O)

λ = friction coefficient

l = length of pipe or duct (m, ft)

dh = hydraulic diameter (m, ft)

v = velocity of fluid (m/s, ft/s)

γw = ρw g = specific weight of water (9807 N/m3, 62.4 lbf/ft3)

ρw = density of water (1000 kg/m3, 62.425 lb/ft3)

g = acceleration of gravity (9.81 m/s2, 32.174 ft/s2)

Note! - in the equation above the head is related to water as the reference fluid. Another
reference fluid can be used - like Mercury Hg - by replacing the density of water with the
density of the reference fluid.

If the density in the fluid flow is the same as the density in the reference fluid - as typical with
water flow - eq. (2) can be simplified to

Δhmajor_loss = λ (l / dh) (v2 / (2 g)) (2b)

where

Δhmajor_loss = major head loss (column of flowing fluid) (m "fluid", ft "fluid")

For metric units the head loss can alternatively be modified to

Δhmajor_loss,w (mmH2O) = λ (l / dh) (ρf / ρw) (v2 / (2 g)) / 1000 (2c)

where

Δhmajor_loss,w (mmH2O) = head loss (mm H2O)

For imperial units the head loss can alternatively be modified to

Δhmajor_loss,w (inH2O) = 12 λ (l / dh) (ρf / ρw) (v2 / (2 g)) (2d)

where

Δhmajor_loss,w (inH2O) = head loss (inches H2O)

The Darcy-Weisbach equation with the Moody diagram are considered to be the most
accurate model for estimating frictional head loss in steady pipe flow. Since the approach
requires a trial and error iteration process, an alternative less accurate empirical head loss
calculation that do not require the trial and error solutions like the Hazen-Williams equation,
may be preferred.