Bernoulli Equation

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AONG manager 2017-01-12

It is customary to express the energy contained in a fluid in terms of the potential energy
contained in an equivalent height or “head” of a column of the fluid. Using this convention,
Bernoulli’s theorem breaks down the total energy at a point in terms of:

1.     The head due to its elevation above an arbitrary datum of zero potential energy.

2.     A pressure head due to the potential energy contained in the pressure in the fluid at
that point.

3.      A velocity head due to the kinetic energy contained within the fluid

Assuming that no energy is added to the fluid by a pump or compressor, and that the fluid
is not performing work as in a steam turbine, the law of conservation of energy requires
that the energy at point “2” in the piping system downstream of point “1” must equal the
energy at point “1” minus the energy loss to friction and change in elevation. Thus,
Bernoulli’s theorem may be written:

Or

1/2
where:
Z = elevation head, ft

P = pressure, psi
p = density, lb/ft3

V = velocity, ft/sec

g = gravitation constant
HL = friction head loss,
ft

 Darcy’s Equation

This equation, which is also sometimes called the Weisbach equation or the Darcy-
Weisbach equation, states that the friction head loss between two points in a completely
filled, circular cross section pipe is proportional to the velocity head and the length of pipe
and inversely proportional to the pipe diameter. This can be written:

where:

L= length of pipe, ft
D = pipe diameter, ft

f = factor of proportionality

Equations 1 and 2 can be used to calculate the pressure at any point in a piping system if
the pressure, flow velocity, pipe diameter, and elevation are known at any other point.
Conversely, if the pressure, pipe diameter, and elevations are known at two points, the
flow velocity can be calculated.

In most production facility piping systems the head differences due to elevation and
velocity changes between two points can be neglected. In this case Equation 2 can be
reduced to:

where ∆P = loss in pressure between points 1 and 2, in

psi

2/2