FLUID FLOW IN PIPES

Chapter 8:
MEFM_323 (FLUID MECHANICS)

Pipes are closed conduits through which fluids (liquids or gases)

Pipes are integral components of any fluid
system acting as passageways for fluids with
pumps supplying the necessary working pressure
flows. Conduits may have fluids flowing at full capacity or partially full.
Whichever is the case, they are integral components of any fluid system.
Pipes are referred to as conduits because they allow the medium to flow
through by making use of pumps as prime movers and are normally
circular in cross-section. Conduits allowing “conditioned air/ cooled air”
to pass through are more popularly known as “air ducts” and are either
square or rectangular in cross-section and are normally just made from
bended sheets of metal making use of insulators (prevent heat transfer-
either heat gain/ heat loss). These are normally fixed/ located above
head as discharge systems are normally located mounted along ceilings
of structures.
Fluid flow in pipes maybe steady or unsteady. In steady flow,.
It may either be laminar, transitional, and or turbulent depending upon
the Reynolds Number value(Refer to previous chapter for such definitions) .

Air ducts are used as conduits for conditioned air

and are normally hanged from the ceiling since
they are just made from bended sheets of metal
which are light weight.

REYNOLDS NUMBER, Re a dimensionless number which is the ration of the inertia force to the viscous
force.

For pipes with full flow of medium

where: Re Reynolds Number, dimensionless

ʋ mean velocity, m/s
D pipe diameter, m
Ƞ kinematic viscosity, m2/ s
μ dynamic viscosity, Pa-s
ρ mass density of fluid, kgm/ m3

HEAD LOSSES IN PIPE FLOW

As mentioned in the previous chapter, fluid flow possesses different forms of energy like
kinetic energy (due to speed of fluid flow) and potential energies (due to elevation of fluid flow about a
reference point and pressure exerted upon the fluid causing it to flow). Eventually as the fluid flows in
encounters losses (due to friction, etc..) thus, the initial energy possessed by the moving fluid is no longer as it
is as it exits (Ein ≠ Eout; Ein > Eout).

Head losses in pipes maybe classified into two (2) the “major head loss”, which is caused
by pipe friction along straight sections of pipe of uniform diameter and uniform roughness, and
the “minor head loss”, which are caused by changes in velocity or direction of flow, and are
commonly expressed in terms of kinetic energy.

1 FLUID MECHANICS/ ENGR. GSROBLES, ME, MEM

 1. MAJOR HEAD LOSS, hf (due to pipe friction):

1A. DARCY-WEISBACH FORMULA…

where: Hf major head loss, m

f friction factor
= 64/ Re (dimensionless)
L pipe length, m
ʋ velocity, m/ s
D pipe diameter, m
Note: If not mentioned as to what type
go acceleration due to gravity, m/s2
of major head loss, use only “Darcy- Ṽ volume flow rate, m3/ s
1B. MANNINGS
Weisbach Formula” FORMULA…

where: Hf major head loss, m

n coefficient of roughness, dimensionless
L pipe length, m
ʋ velocity, m/ s
D pipe diameter, m
Ṽ volume flow rate, m3/ s

1C. HAZEN-WILLIAMS FORMULA…

where: Hf major head loss, m

c1 hazen’s coefficient, dimensionless
L pipe length, m
D pipe diameter, m
Ṽ volume flow rate, m3/ s

2. MINOR HEAD LOSSES, hl…

Minor head losses are caused by the changes in direction or velocity of flow. These changes may
be due to sudden contraction, sudden enlargement, valve bends, and any other pipe fittings. These
losses can be usually be neglected if the length of the pipeline is greater than 1500 times the pipe
size diameter. However, in short pipelines, because such losses may exceed the friction losses,
minor losses must be considered.

2 FLUID MECHANICS/ ENGR. GSROBLES, ME, MEM

 2A. DUE TO SUDDEN ENLARGEMENT:

where: hl minor head loss , m

ʋ1 initial velocity, m/ s
ʋ2 final velocity, m/ s
go acceleration due to gravity, m/ s2

2B. GRADUAL ENLARGEMENT:

where:
hl minor head loss , m
k head loss coefficient for diverging sides,
dimensionless
ʋ1 initial velocity, m/ s
ʋ2 final velocity, m/ s
go acceleration due to gravity, m/ s2

2C. SUDDEN CONTRACTION:

where: hl minor head loss , m

kc head loss coefficient of sudden
contraction, dimensionless
ʋ velocity of smaller pipe, m/ s
go acceleration due to gravity, m/ s2

3 FLUID MECHANICS/ ENGR. GSROBLES, ME, MEM

 3. LOSSES DUE TO BENDS & FITTINGS…
Bends and fittings also somehow contribute to a certain degree in terms of head loss and is given
by the formula:

where: hl minor head loss , m

k pipe factor loss coefficient, dimensionless
ʋ velocity of pipe, m/ s
go acceleration due to gravity, m/ s2

PIPES CONNECTED IN SERIES:

For pipes of different diameters

connected in series as shown, the
discharge in all pipes are all equal
and the total head lost is equal to
the sum of the individual head
losses.

Ṽ1 = Ṽ2 = Ṽ3 = Ṽ
Hl = hf1 + hf2 + hf3 + hminor

PIPES CONNECTED IN PARALLEL:

For pipes in parallel, the flowing equations
apply:

Ṽ = Ṽ1 + Ṽ2 + Ṽ3
Hl = hl1 = hl2 = hl3

In the pipe system shown, pipe1 draws

water from reservoir A and leads to junction
C which divides the flow to pipe 2 and 3,
which join again in junction D and flows
through pipe 4. The sum of the flows in pipe
2 and 3 equals the flow in pipes 1 and 4.
Since the drop in the energy grade line, EGL
between C and D is equal to the difference in
the levels of piezometers a and b, then the

4 FLUID MECHANICS/ ENGR. GSROBLES, ME, MEM

 head lost in pipe 2 is therefore equal to the
head lost in pipe 3.

Ṽ1 = Ṽ4 Ṽ1 = Ṽ4
Ṽ1 = Ṽ2 + Ṽ3 Note: The number of equations
needed to solve the
hf2 = hf3 problem must be equal to
the number of pipes.
Hl A-B = hf1 + hf2 + hf4

Hl =
SAMPLE PROBLEMS: hl1 = hl2 = hl3
1. Oil of 0.80 specific gravity is set to flow in a 200mm diameter pipe. Find the mean velocity.
Use μ = 8.1 x10-2 Pa-s.

2. For laminar flow conditions, what size of pipe will deliver 6 liters per seconds of oil having a
kinematic viscosity of 6.1 x10-6 m2/ s?

3. Oil having a relative density of 0.869 and dynamic viscosity of 0.0814 Pa-s flows through a 150mm
diameter and 50m long pipe at a velocity of 1 m/s. Find the head lost due to friction.

4. A fluid flows at 0.001 m3/s through a 100mm diameter pipe. Determine whether the flow is
laminar if the fluid is:
(a) Hydrogen, ƞ = 1.08 x10-4 m2/s (d) Water, ƞ = 1.02 x10-6 m2/s
-5 2
(b) Air, ƞ = 1.51 x10 m /s (e) Mercury, ƞ = 1.15 x10-7 m2/s
-7 2
(c) Gasoline, ƞ = 4.06 x10 m /s (f) Glycerin, ƞ = 1.18 x10-3 m2/s

5. What commercial size of new cast-iron pipe shall be used to carry 4,490 gpm of fluid with a lost
head of 10.56 ft? Assume f = 0.019

6. Two pipes each 300m long are connected in series. The flow of water through the two pipes is
150 Li/s with a total frictional loss of 15m. If one pipe has a diameter of 300mm, what is the
diameter of the other pipe? Neglect minor losses and assume f = 0.02 for both pipes.

7. Two pipes 1 and 2 having the same length and diameter are in parallel connection. If the flow in
pipe 1 is 750 Li/s, what is the flow in pipe 2 if the friction factor, f of the second pipe is twice than
that of the first pipe?

8. A pipe network of pipeline 1 from A to B, then at B it is connected to pipelines 2 and 3, where

again it merges at joint C to form a single pipeline up to point D. Pipelines 1, 2, and 4 are in series
connection whereas pipelines 2 and 3 are parallel to each other. If the rate of flow from A to B is
10 Li/s and assuming f = 0.02 for all pipes, determine the flow in each pipe and the total head lost
from A to D.

Pipeline Length Diameter

1 3000mm 200mm
2 2200mm 300mm
3 3200mm 200mm
4 2800mm 400mm

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