ME 305 Fluid Mechanics I

Chapter 8
Viscous Flows in Closed Conduits

These presentations are prepared by

Dr. Cüneyt Sert
Mechanical Engineering Department
Middle East Technical University
Ankara, Turkey
cuneyt@me.metu.edu.tr

They can not be used without the permission of the author.

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Chapter 8 Viscous Flow In Closed Conduits
• Pipes are closed conduits with a circular a cross-section.
• Ducts are closed conduits with a non-circular a cross-section.
• We will only study the flows in which the closed conduit is completely filled. The other case is
referred to as open channel flows.

8.2 Laminar and Turbulent Flows

• To understand the difference we can study the Reynold’s experiment (1883).
Movie Time:

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• Laminar flow: Fluid flows in layers.
• Transition flow: Dye filament becomes wavy.
• Turbulent flow: Dye filament streches, twists into several threads and fills the pipe.
• In laminar flow there is only one velocity component, and it is along the pipe.
• In turbulent flow, the dominant velocity component is also along the pipe. But there are also random
components in the radial direction.

Movie Time:

• In pipes, the critical Reynolds number at which the transition from laminar to turbulent flow
occurs is
Recr = 2300.
• For carefully controlled experiments in very smooth pipes, Recr goes upto 60000.
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8.3 Development of Flow in a Pipe

• At the entrance of the pipe (point 1), the flow has not been subjected to the action of viscosity yet.
The velocity is almost uniform at the entrance.
• In the pipe, fluid particles in contact with the pipe wall will stop and particles adjacent to them will
decerate.
• The region where the viscous affects are important is called the boundary layer region.
• In the inviscid core surrounding the centerline, viscous affects are not important.
• The length at which the thickness of the boundary layer becomes equal to the pipe radius is known
as the entrance length (Le).
• In the entrance region the flow is still developing, Vz = Vz(r,z).
• At point 2, the flow is said to be fully developed. After this point Vz = Vz(r) only.
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• Entrance length depends on whether the flow is laminar or turbulent.
• Laminar flow: Le/D = 0.06 Re
• Turbulent flow: Le/D = 4.4 Re1/6

Pressure Drop in a Pipe

• In the entrance region, some fluid particles accelerate and some others decelerate. Pressure forces
are balanced with viscous and inertia forces.
• In the fully developed region, there is no acceleration. Pressure forces are balanced with viscous
forces only. dp/dx is constant.
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8.5 Pressure (Head) Loss in Closed Conduits
• For a steady flow in a closed conduit, pressure changes are due to
• elevation changes
Bernoulli is enough
• velocity changes due to area changes
• viscous affects (now we will study this in detail)

• Pressure (head) loss can be decomposed into two

• Major loss: In a constant area pipe, pressure drops in the direction of flow.
• Minor loss: Pressure drops in flows through valves, tees, elbows, and other area changes.

8.5.1.1 Major Head Loss in the Laminar Pipe Flow

• Consider a steady flow in a constant diameter, horizontal pipe.
• Pressure drop over a length L is
L ρV 2
∆p = f
D 2

where V is the average velocity and f is the friction factor.

64 64 µ
f = =
Re D ρVD
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• This pressure drop can also be expressed as hf = ∆p/ρg

L V2
hf = f Darcy-Weisbach Equation
D 2g

8.5.1.2 Major Head Loss in the Turbulent Pipe Flow

• There is no analytical formula for ∆p.
• Results are based on experimental studies. ∆p = ∆p (D, L, ε, V, ρ, µ)
• ε is the pipe roughness.
• Using the Buckhingham-Pi theorem, we can find n – m = 7 – 3 = 4 nondimensional groups.

∆p L ε
= F ( Re D , , )
ρV 2 D D
• or using hf = ∆p/ρg
2gh f L ε
= F ( Re D , , )
V2 D D

ε L V2 head loss for a turbulent flow in

hf = f ( Re D , )
D D 2g a constant area pipe.

• f is the Darcy friction factor. It depends on ReD and ε/D (relative surface roughness).
• f can be determined by curve fitting equations through experimental data. There are many different
formulations for f. 7
• Blasius Equation (1911): f = 0.3164 Re D-0.25 It does not consider ε.

1 ⎡ ε/D 2 .51 ⎤
• Colebrook Equation (1939): = - 2 log ⎢ + ⎥ This is an implicit eqn.
f ⎣⎢ 3.7 Re D f ⎦⎥

1 ⎡⎛ ε/D ⎞1.1 6.9 ⎤

• Haaland Equation: = - 1.8 log ⎢⎜ ⎟ + ⎥
f ⎣⎢ ⎝ 3.7 ⎠ Re D ⎥
⎦
−2
⎡ ε/D 5.74 ⎤
• Miller Equation: f = 0.25 log ⎢ + ⎥
⎣ 3.7 Re D0.2 ⎦

• But the most convenient way to get the friction factor for a turbulent pipe flow is to use the Moody
diagram (page 652. Also shown in the next slide).
• It is the graphical representation of the Colebrook equation.
• You need ReD and ε/D to read the f value.
• ε/D for several commercial pipes are given in page 651.
• Note that the laminar friction factor (f = 64/ReD) is also shown in the Moody diagram as a straight
line.
• Moddy diagram has log-log axes. You need to know how to read values from a log axis.

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8.5.2.1 Minor Head Losses in Variable Area Parts
• These occur due to the flows through nonconstant cross-sectional areas, such as
• sudden enlargement (Table 8.1)
• exit
• gradual enlargement (Table 8.2)
• sudden contraction (Table 8.3)
• entrance (Figure 8.27)
• gradual contraction (Table 8.4)
• The general formula to calculate the head loss for these variable area parts is

V2
hf = k
2g

• where k is the head loss coefficient and V is the average velocity.

• V can be either the upstream or the downstream velocity (see the book for details).
• k values can be determined theoretically for some geometries (page 654-655).
• Experimental k values can be obtained from tables or figures.

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8.5.2.2 Minor Head Losses in Valves Fittings and Bends
• For flows through valves, fittings and bends the minor head loss is calculated using an equivalent
length in the Darcy-Weisbach equation.
Le V2
hf = f
D 2g

where Le is the equivalent length, defined as the length of a straight pipe which would produce the
same total head loss as a device such as valve, fitting or bend.
• V is the average velocity in the pipe attached to the device.
• f is the friction factor that can be obtained from the Moody diagram.
• Le values for different devices are given in Table 8.5, Table 8.6 and Figure 8.32.

8.6 Analysis of Vicous Flow in Pipes

• Viscous flows in pipes can be classified as
• series system of pipes
• parallel system of pipes
• pipe networks
• interconnected reservoir systems
• We will only study Class I pipe systems in series (section 8.6.1.1).
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8.6.1 Series Systems of Pipes
• Pipes are arranged such that there is no branching

a b c

• Volumetric flow rate in each pipe shoud be the same. Q = Qa = Qb = Qc

• The total head loss is the sum of the individual head losses hf = hf a + hf b + hf c
• In designing a series system of pipes, we have to consider six primary parameters
• total head loss of the system, hf
• volumetric flow rate of the fluid, Q
• diameter of the pipe(s), d
• length of the pipe(s), L
• roughness of the pipe(s), ε
• absolute viscosity of the fluid, µ
• Depending on the unknown (usually one of the first three parameters) there are three classes of
problems.
• We will only study Class I systems, in which the total head loss need to be determined.

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8.6.1.1 Class I Systems
• The unknown is the total head loss in the system.
• Solution procedure is
• Determine ε/d for each pipe (Use pipe diameter, pipe material and Figure 8.21)
• Calculate average velocity in each pipe V = Q / Apipe
• Calculate Reynolds number in each pipe Re = ρVD/µ
• Determine the friction factor for each pipe, using the Moody diagram (If the Moody diagram is
not available than you need to determine if the flow is laminar or turbulent in each pipoe and use
the appropriate formula to calculate the friction factor).
• Calculate the major head loss in each pipe using the Darcy-Weisbach equation.
• Calculate the minor head loss for variable area parts of the system. For head loss coefficients use
the appropriate tables and figures.
• Calculate the minor head loss for valves, fittings and bends using the equivalent length
technique. Get the equivalent lengths from appropriate tables and figures.
• Calculate the total head loss of the system, by adding the major and minor losses.

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Problem 8.16
The pump, shown in the figure, is used to deliver water to a distribution system. There is no flow to or
from reservoir A, but it is used to damp the pressure and protect the pump. The length of the suction
and dischage pipes are 100 m and 150 m, respectively. The diameter and roughness of all pipes are
0.1 m and 0.5 mm, respectively. The head loss coefficient for the inlet to the pipe is 0.5. The gate
valves are fully open and 90o standard elbows are used. The volumetric flow rate of water to reservoir
B is 0.02 m3/s. Determine the
a) head of the pump.
b) height of the water level h in reservoir B.

Reservoir A
Reservoir B
20 m
h
Pump
Elbow

3m Elbow
Gate valves

water
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