Design of a water supply system

Designing a water supply system for a village located 1200 meters away from a mountain lake

with an elevation difference of 3 meters between the lake surface and the village center involves

several calculations and considerations as shown below:

Assumptions: Before proceeding with the design, you should make some reasonable

assumptions about the components and design parameters. Here are three key assumptions:

 Pipe Material and Diameter: Assuming that the pipe material is HDPE (High-Density

Polyethylene) due to its durability and corrosion resistance. The diameter of the pipeline

is assumed to be 150 mm.

 Pump Efficiency: Assuming a pump efficiency of 80% for the calculation of the pump

head.

 Minor Loss Coefficients: Assuming minor loss coefficients for fittings and components.

For example, in this case we will assume a coefficient of 0.5 for standard pipe elbows,

2.0 for a nozzle, and 1.0 for other fittings.

2. Pipeline Design: Since the village is located 1200 meters away from the lake and there is an

elevation difference of 3 meters, you need to consider the friction losses, elevation changes, and

minor losses in the pipeline. Ensure that the pipeline is properly sized, and the fittings are

appropriately placed.

3. Calculate Theoretical Flow Rate: To calculate the possible theoretical flow rate, you can use

the Darcy-Weisbach equation for head loss in a pipeline:

Where:

Using f = 0.38

Q= (3.142*150^2*3)/(4*1200*0.38)

Therefore Q = 212085/1680

Q= 126.24 m^3 /s

4. Calculate Head Loss: The head loss in the pipeline can be calculated using the Darcy-

Weisbach equation:

Where:

HL = Head loss (m)

g = Acceleration due to gravity(9.81) (m/s²)

 HL = (4* 0.38* 1200*126.24^2)/3.142^2* 150^5 * 9.81

HL = 29049826.6/ 2179033

HL = 13.33 m

5. Calculate Minor Loss: To calculate the minor losses due to fittings and components, you can

use the following formula:

Where:

 Hminor = Total minor head loss (m)

 K = Minor loss coefficient for each component

 V = Velocity (m/s)

 g = Acceleration due to gravity (m/s²)

H minor = for elbow 0.5* 100^2/2*9.81=25.4

For nozzle 2* 100^2/2*9.81= 101.6

For other fittings 1* 100^2/2*9.81=50.8

Therefore Hminor = 25.4 + 101.6 + 50.8 = 177.8 m

 

6. Calculate Pressure Drop: The pressure drop in the pipeline can be calculated using the

following formula:

Pdrop = HL + Hminor

Where:

 Pdrop = Pressure drop (Pa)

P drop = 13.33 + 177.8

191.13 Pa

7. Conclusion and Recommendations:

Considering the flow rate, head loss, and pressure drop the design is found to be suitable for

implementation.

The head loss, flow rate, and pressure drop will be able to ensure that the system can provide an

adequate and reliable water supply to the village without excessive energy consumption or losses

in the pipeline.
 References

Brown, G. O. (2002). The history of the Darcy-Weisbach equation for pipe flow resistance.

In Environmental and water resources history (pp. 34-43).

Cengel, Y., & Cimbala, J. (2013). Ebook: Fluid mechanics fundamentals and applications (si

units). McGraw Hill.

Lewis, G. N., Randall, M., Pitzer, K. S., & Brewer, L. (2020). Thermodynamics. Courier Dover

Publications.

McInnis, D. A., & Ghidaoui, M. S. (1996). Applying extended thermodynamics to unsteady

friction in pipe flow. HYDRODYNAMICS: THEORY AND APPLICATIONS, VOLS 1

AND 2, 1199.

Moran, M. J., Shapiro, H. N., Boettner, D. D., & Bailey, M. B. (2010). Fundamentals of

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Schetz, J. A., & Fuhs, A. E. (Eds.). (1999). Fundamentals of fluid mechanics. John Wiley &

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