FLUID MECHANICS LAB

Lab Report # 8
Submitted to: Engineer Rizwan Jabbar

Name CMS ID Section

Syed Tallay 344667 ME-12-C

Haidar

National University of Science and Technology (NUST)

School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (SMME)
Energy losses in bends and fittings

Objective
To measuring the losses in pipe fittings related to flow rate and calculating loss coefficients related
to velocity head.

Apparatus
01 45° Elbow
02 Contraction
03 Enlargement
04 90° Elbow
05 Water Inlet Connection
06 90° Short Bend
07 Manometers Bank
08 Gate Valve
Differential Pressure
09
Gauge
10 90° Elbow

11 Water Drain Connection

Pipe Enlarged Section Fittings

OD 20 mm 50 mm -
ID 17 mm 32 mm 17 mm
Pipe and fittings sizes

Theory
Energy losses occur when a fluid flows through pipe fittings such as an elbow or a bend, an
enlargement or contraction in cross-section, or through a valve.

These energy losses, which are termed as minor losses, are primarily due to the change in the
direction of flow and the change in the cross-section of the flow path that typically occurs in valves
and fittings.

Experimental techniques are used to determine minor losses and tests have shown that the head
loss in valves and fittings is proportional to the square of the average velocity of the fluid in the pipe
in which the valve or fitting is mounted.
Thus the head loss is also proportional to the velocity head of the fluid. Experimental values for
energy losses are usually reported in terms of a loss coefficient, K, as follows:

h L =k ( )
v2
2g
in which
K = Loss coefficient
v = Average velocity of flow in the smaller pipe (m/s)
g = Acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s2)

The value of loss coefficient K is dependent on the ratio of the bend radius, R to the pipe inner
diameter D. As this ratio increase, the value of K will fall and vice versa.

Procedure
1. Place apparatus on bench, connect inlet pipe to bench supply and outlet pipe into
volumetric tank.
2. With the bench valve fully closed and the discharge valve fully opened, start up the pump
supply from hydraulic bench.
3. Slowly open the bench valve until it is fully opened and the flow in the pipe is steady.
4. When there are no trapped bubbles, start to close the bench valve to reduce the flow to the
maximum measurable flow rate.
5. By using the air bleed screw, adjust water level in the manometer board. Retain maximum
readings on manometers with the maximum measurable flow rate.
6. Note readings on manometers and measure the flow rate with the volumetric tank.
7. Repeat the experiment with different flow rates.
8. Plot a graph between differential piezometer head, Δh and velocity head for each device and
determine the loss coefficients.
Results
Reading 1:
Manometer readings
Volume, Time, Flowrate,
(mmH2O)
V (l) T (s) Q (m3/s)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
0.0012 59.53 0.000202 305 359 303 290 332 235 217 190 143.5 118 64 109
 Velocity
in small Velocity Differential Piezometer head, ∆ h (mm H2O)
Flowrate bore head,
Q pipe, v (m H2O)
(m/s) 2 90° Sudden Sudden 45° Short
(m3/s) v
4Q elbow enlargement contraction elbow bend
2g
π × d2
0.000202 0.8888 0.04 54 13 97 27 25.5
Values of
1.3435 0.3234 2.4135 0.672 0.6344
k

Reading 2:
Manometer readings
Volume, Time, Flowrate,
(mmH2O)
V (l) T (s) Q (m3/s)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
0.008 70.5 0.000113 255 270 250 249 254 236 231 224 227 201 75 87

Velocity
in small Velocity Differential Piezometer head, ∆ h (mm H2O)
Flowrate bore head,
Q pipe, v (m H2O)
(m/s) 90° Sudden Sudden 45° Short
(m3/s) v2
4Q elbow enlargement contraction elbow bend
2 2g
π ×d
0.0001134 0.4999 0.01274 35 1 18 7 26
Values of k 2.748 0.785 1.4132 0.5496 2.041

Reading 3:
Manometer readings
Volume, Time, Flowrate,
(mmH2O)
V (l) T (s) Q (m3/s)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
0.0015 98.31 0.000153 272 302 264 262 271 235 225 210 181 171 70 9

Velocity
in small Velocity Differential Piezometer head, ∆ h (mm H2O)
Flowrate bore head,
Q pipe, v (m H2O)
(m/s) 90° Sudden Sudden 45° Short
(m3/s) v2
4Q elbow enlargement contraction elbow bend
2 2g
π ×d
0.000153 0.672 0.0730 30 2 36 25 10
Values of k 1.303 0.0869 1.564 1.086 0.435
Graphs

 For 90°elbow

90°elbow
55
Piezometer head

45

35

25
-0.3 0.2 0.7

Velocity head

 For Sudden Enlargement

Sudden enlargement
16

12
Piezometer head

0
-0.3 0.2 0.7

Velocity head

 For Sudden Contraction

 Sudden Contraction
100

Piezometer head 80

60

40

20

0
-0.3 0.2 0.7

Velocity head

 For 45°elbow

45°elbow
15
45°elbow

5
0.9 1.4 1.9 2.4 2.9 3.4

Velocity head

 For Short Bend

 Short Bend
35

Piezometrer head
25

15

5
-0.3 0.2 0.7
Velocity head

Calculations
For reading 1 of 90° elbow:
3
Volume V =0.0012m
Time t =59.53 s
V
FlowrateQ=
t
0.0012
Q=
59.53
3
m
Q=0.000202
s
4Q
Velocity v = 2
π ×d
4 ( 0.000202 )
v=
π × ( 0.0017 )2
m
v=0.888
s
v2
Velocity head=
2g
2
( 0.672 )
v h=
2 ( 9.81 )
v h=0.04 m H 2 O
Piezometric Head hL =0.54 m
hL
Loss coefficient k=
vh
0.54
k=
0.04
 k =1.3435
Using the same procedure, the remaining values of loss coefficients for different pipe obstructions
and flowrates are calculated. The average values of loss coefficient k for different pipe obstructions
are as follows:

Pipe Average
Obstruction Loss Coefficient
90° elbow 1.7982
Sudden Enlargement 0.1629
Sudden Contraction 1.7969
45° elbow 0.7692
Short Bend 1.037
Conclusion
The value of the loss coefficient varies from one geometric obstruction in pipe to another. The high
value of loss coefficient is seen in the 90° elbow where there is a sudden change in flow direction
which results in maximum losses. The smallest value of the loss coefficient is observed to be at
sudden enlargement section of the pipe since only an increase in area of the pipe takes place. There
is no direct hindrance to the flow of the fluid except for the reduction in the fluid velocity with the
increase in pipe area.