Two major energy losses in pipe flow

Major Losses Minor Losses

• (due to friction) • Sudden expansion
• Sudden contraction
• Bend in pipe
• Pipe fitting
• An obstruction in pipe
Minor Energy head loss: Sudden Expansion
• As fluid flows from a smaller pipe into a larger pipe through sudden enlargement,
its velocity abruptly decreases; causing turbulence that generates an energy loss.
• Sudden enlargement in the diameter of pipe results in the formation of eddies in
the flow at the corners of the enlarged pipe
• The amount of turbulence, and therefore the amount of energy, is dependent on the
ratio of the sizes of the two pipes.
Formula for calculating head loss: Sudden
Expansion
•  he =

he = head loss due to sudden expansion

v1 = velocity before expansion
v2 = velocity after expansion
g = acceleration due to gravity
Minor Energy head loss: Sudden Contraction
• The loss is related to the velocity in the smaller pipe
• In reality, the head loss does not take place due to the sudden contraction but due
to the sudden enlargement, which takes place just after vena-contracta
• The section at which the flow is the narrowest is called vena-contracta
• At vena-contracta the velocity is maximum.
Formula for calculating head loss: Sudden
Contraction
•  hc = 0.5

hc = head loss due to sudden

contraction
v2 = velocity after contraction
g = acceleration due to gravity