Equivalent pipe length method

A method that is not completely accurate but valid for estimating head losses.
located consists of expressing them in the form of equivalent length (Le), that is, to assess
how many meters of straight pipe of the same diameter produce a continuous pressure drop
which is equivalent to the loss that occurs at the singular point.

Therefore, the equivalent length of a singularity can be determined by equating the

formulas for calculating hsy hr:

The total pressure drop in a pipe of length L with i singularities of length

equivalent to Leieach of them will be the one to produce a pipe of the same diameter but
with a total length.

For example, if the sum of the resistance coefficients (K) at the singularities of a
250 mm diameter pipe with yf = 0.020 and K = 10 means that to calculate the losses
of total load, the actual length of the pipeline must be increased by a length
the equivalent of Le = 125 m, that is, 500 diameters. This equivalent length produces the same
loss of charge that the singular points it replaces.

If the pressure loss due to friction is expressed using the simplified Darcy equation:

and doing:

will result

(6)
It can be observed that the value of m not only depends on the roughness and the diameter, but
also from the Reynolds number, when the regime is not fully turbulent.

The equivalent length of the conduction, Le, will be obtained by equating formulas (5) and (6):

where from

The nomogram in figure 3.20 facilitates calculations. This nomogram consists of three parts:
joining with a line the point of the left scale corresponding to the accessory that is
mark with the point of the right scale corresponding to the inner diameter of the pipe, the
the intersection point of this line with the central scale gives us the equivalent length of
accessory.

The Method of Equivalent Length

In basic terms, the concept of Equivalent Length consists of defining,
for each accessory in the system to be studied, a virtual length of
straight pipe that, when used with the friction loss equation,
generate the same loss associated with the localized loss of the referred
accessory. If we use the Hazen-Williams equation, we would have the following:

Where hl is the localized loss generated by a certain special piece of

diameter "D" and with an Equivalent Length equal to "LE".

In this way, both the Friction Losses and the Losses

Located, for each diameter in the system, will be evaluated with the same
Friction Loss Equation to obtain the Total Loss (ht) of the
system, only that the actual pipe length (Lr) will have the sum of added to it
the Equivalent Length of each accessory, in order to have a calculation length:
With the above, we have eliminated the first complication of the method of
Localized Loss Coefficient: an equation disappears in the
formulation of the energy equation in a Hydraulic System (and with
she the need to resort to numerical methods for the resolution.

Similarly, for the Equivalent Length method, it is necessary to resort to

tables orNomogramsin which it is determined, according to the characteristics of
the piece (type and diameter), the Equivalent Length to be introduced into the equation of
loss due to friction that we are using.

The Equivalent Length method is widely used in design.

small diameter installations (Sanitary Installations in Buildings)
no significando ésto que no sea aplicable a sistemas de mayor diámetro. El
problem, in the case of the design of Aqueducts, for example, is the little
availability of reference values of Equivalent Length for diameters
greater than 400 mm.

Let's see the application of the Equivalent Length method in the calculation of
losses in a system in the following example:

Determine the total losses in a PVC pipe of 350 m in length and

300 mm in diameter (12”), when it is used to carry 112 l/s and in which
the following accessories are installed, with the same diameters as
the pipe

Description Quantity

2
Long radio elbows at 90°
1
Check valve
1
Gate Valve 100% open

In this example, we have, for all the pieces, the same diameter as the
pipeline, so we will be able to group the calculation of the Total Losses (that
includes Friction Losses and Localized Losses) with a single equation:
To determine the Calculation Length (Lc), we use theNomogram, and
we obtain for each accessory the Equivalent Length:

Length
Equivalent
Description Quantity
(m)

Long radio elbows at 90° 2 2×6 = 12

Check valve 1 26

Gate Valve 100% open 1 2.25

Total (m) = 40.25

With this, we substitute to obtain the total loss in this system:

Simplification of the Equivalent Length Method

e
Although the method simplifies the terms for calculating total losses in
Hydraulic Systems still has one of the disadvantages that
we referred to the method of the Coefficient of Localized Losses: it requires grouping and
to account for all the parts in the system, which is not practical in most cases
of the applications.
If in the previous example, we determined the percentage of increase that
represents the determined Calculation Length (which includes the
Equivalent Length) with respect to the Pipe Length
Real, we will have:

Which means that increasing, in this case, the value of actual length
at 11.5% we would be considering the localized losses in
our calculation.

This procedure is the justification for a very common simplification in the

design of Water Supply Systems: to assume a factor (FM),
in percentage form of increase for the Actual Length (of Pipe)
Straight) and with which we will have the Length of Calculation to use in the equation
of losses due to friction:

Generally this percentage increase, according to the type of application,

oscillates between 5% and 50%, depending on the selection of the existing relationship between
the number of pieces and the length of straight pipes in the system under study. For
example:

In systems where extensive sections of pipe are predominant with average to

low density of accessories, as in the case of Conductions (Aductions)
distribution networks, we can use between 5% and 25%
In systems characterized by short sections of piping, in which are
you need a significant amount of accessories, as in the case of
Sanitary Installations in Buildings, we should think of greater values:
between 25 and 50%.
This simplified method applies only when we are establishing the
Equivalent length of accessories that effectively generate
"minor" losses, such as in the case of elbows, tees, and valves of
gate 100% open. In cases where we have any device that
Generate localized losses of a certain magnitude, such as when we talk about
flow or pressure regulating valves and partially open valves,
among others, we should preferably use the Coefficient method
Localized Losses or the Equivalent Length as explained in the
previous example.

Various formulas were proposed for the calculation of various

pressure losses due to friction, when fluids flow in
curves, accessories, etc. But the simplest method is
consider each accessory or valve as equivalent to one
determined length of straight tube. This allows for their reduction
losses in the pipes, valves or fittings yet
common denominator: the equivalent length of the equal tube
relative roughness.

For the welded accessories, similar ones are found.

length equivalents of pipe, but for valves
contractions and expansions the same lengths apply
equivalents (Crane Diagram). The welded elbows are of
shortwave or longwave radios and their equivalents in tube come
expressed in pipe diameters as follows:

LONG. EQUIVAL. EN
COD SOLDIER
PIPE DIAMETER
Wide Radio to
5.6
45°
Short Radios
8.0
45 degrees
Wide Radio to
9.0
90°
Short Radio to
12.5
90°
Wide Radio a
12.21
180°
Short Radio to 16.9
 180°

The presence of shut-off valves, enlargements, elbows,

narrowings, tees, etc. Introduce pressure losses
supplementary in any installation, for altering the direction of the
flow or modify the linear displacement speed of
some fluid vein fillets.

Except for the losses due to the widenings and

narrowings, those of elbows, tees, and keys are complicated
to evaluate algebraically. The Crane Diagram is a
nomogram that can be useful for such a purpose is used as follows:
let's suppose that one wants to know the pressure drop that
produce a 45° elbow, with an interior diameter of 10 inches.
We join the point of these elbows (third point of the scale)
left, starting from the bottom) with division 10 of the scale
right. The line thus drawn intersects the central scale at the
division 3.5, which means that the pressure drop produced
for that elbow is the same as the one produced by 3.5 m of the pipe
a 10 inch diameter inner line. This length is called
Equivalent Length.

The pressure losses due to the constrictions and to the

widenings can also be known by Crane or
algebraically:

where V2it is the linear velocity at the narrowest section, Kest.

it is a constant that depends on the relationship of areas (A2/A1) y
what could be found in Loss Coefficient Graphs
of load or in tables of additional losses due to friction in
accessories.

The data indicates that resistance K tends to decrease at

increase the size of the attachment or the valve
Approximate values of lengths can also be obtained.
equivalent diameters multiplying K by 45 in case of
liquids similar to water and 55 in the case of similar gases
in the air. Most of the given values are for attachments of
standard thread and it is likely that its accuracy has a margin
of 30%. The difference in loss due to friction between
Threaded terminals, with flange and welded are insignificant.
The manufacturers and users of valves, especially those of
control, they have found it convenient to express the
valve capacity using a flow coefficient Cv,
this coefficient relates to K through the expression:

where Cv is the flow coefficient in the valve in gal/min.

water at 60°F, going through a valve pressure drop
1 lbf/in2you provide the internal diameter of the valve
expressed in inches

Talking about laminar flows, the data on losses due to

friction of accessories and valves is scarce, the data
Kittredge and Rowley indicate that the additional loss due to
friction expressed as the number of speed charges K is
constant for turbulent Reynolds numbers. However
we can guide ourselves by the following table.

ADDITIONAL LOSS DUE TO FRICTION FOR FLOWS

LAMINATES THROUGH ACCESSORIES

Additional Losses Due to Friction

Expressed as K
Accessory or Valve

Re = Re =
Re = 50 Re = 1000
100 500

L 90°, short radio 16.0 10.0 7.5 0.9

Standard in section 2.5 0.5 0.4
Bifurcation to the line 9.3 4.9 1.9 1.5
Gate valve 24.0 9.9 1.7 1,2
Globe Valve
stopper.
30.0 20.0 12.0 11.0

Stopper 27.0 19.0 14.0 13.0

Angular Valve 19.0 11.0 8.5 8.0
Swing valve 55.0 17.0 4.5 4.0
EQUIVALENT LENGTH METHOD

LIKE
AND TWEET

Posted By:Civil Engineer12:06 p.m.

This method consists of adding to the actual length of the tube, an equivalent length of
the pressure losses caused in the existing special pieces in the
pipe. Each special piece corresponds to a fictitious and additional length (1). The table
The following shows the equivalent length for different pieces.
APPLICATION EXAMPLE: There is a PVC pipe with a diameter of 250 mm (10 inches).
Class 10. The pipe has a total length of 1,150 m and carries water from a tank.
elevated 80 meters above discharge level (see figure). Determine the flow rate that
it flows through the pipe, if there are 3 elbows of 22.5º, 6 of 45º, and 2 of 90º along the way,
in addition to having two fully opened gate valves.

Solution.

(a) Using Darcy-Weisbach:

Applied from point A to B, the term P/γ is eliminated in both members, as they are
exposed to atmospheric pressure, the speed in the tanks is very small being
despicable so the equation is as follows when solving for
pressure losses. (A temperature of 20º C is assumed)

being

factoring
how

by clearing the expense

Datos:

ZA - ZB = 80 m

L = 1150 m,

D N = 250 mm,

D I = 231.7 mm

g = 9.81 m/s²

π = 3.1416

Kcodo 22.5º=0.2

Kcodo 45º = 0.4,

Kcodo 90º = 0.9,

Comp. Valve = 0.2

ΣKx = 3(0.2) + 6(0.4) + 2(0.9) + 2(0.2) = 5.2, ΣKx/D4 = 5.2/(0.2317)4 = 1,804.26

L/D5 = 1150/(0.2317)5 = 1.7221 x 10^6

The formula to calculate Q is:

Of Reynolds

Re = (1.2606 x 106) (Q/0.2317 m) = 5.44 x 106 Q, with Q in m3/s

ε/D = 0.0015 mm / 231.7 mm = 6.474 x 106

As can be seen, the Reynolds number depends on the flow rate, so

both the f also depends on expenditure, to solve this type of problem one
they make attempts (by trial and error). Regularly, there are between five and six.

iterations.

In the 6th iteration, the f remains constant, so the solution to the problem is:

Solution (a)

Q = 212 lps.

V= 5.02 m/s