ENVE2061

Basic Fluid Mechanics

Elif Soyer
Fall 2022, Marmara University
Reynolds Number, Laminar Flow, Turbulent Flow,
and
Energy Losses due to Friction
Experiment done by British Engineer Osborne Reynolds:
Pipe flow experiment

Typical setup for this experiment:

• A long straight glass pipe attached to a container is carrying water
• There is a pipe at the end of pipe to regulate the flow
• A pigment, dye, or colored water is introduced into the flow
Valve C is partially opened to allow a very slow flow in the pipe.
Dye appears as a straight line extending along the pipe.
This indicates LAMINAR FLOW.
 The valve is then opened slowly to allow the pipe flowrate (Q) to
increase gradually until a certain velocity (V) is reached

At this time, the tread of color suddenly break up and mixes with the
surrounding water.
This shows that the pipe flow becomes TURBULENT at this point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pae5WrmDzUU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OzAx1bPGD4
 Reynolds found that the transition from LAMINAR to TURBULENT flow in a pipe actually depends on not only the
velocity but also on the pipe diameter & viscosity of the fluid.

He reported that the starting point of turbulence was related to a particular index number: this dimensionless ratio
is known as REYNOLDS NUMBER

Density of the Average

fluid (kg/m3) velocity in the
pipe (m/s)
𝜌𝑉𝐷 𝑉𝐷
𝑅𝑒 = Diameter of
𝑅𝑒 =
𝜇 the pipe (m)
𝜗
Dynamic
viscosity of the
fluid (kg/m/s) Kinematic viscosity (m2/s)
𝝁
𝑘𝑔 𝑚 𝝑=
𝜌𝑉𝐷 𝑚3 𝑠𝑒𝑐 𝑚
𝝆
𝑅𝑒 = = : 𝑑𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠
𝜇 𝑘𝑔
𝑚. 𝑠𝑒𝑐
 𝜌𝑉𝐷
𝑅𝑒 =
𝜇
Critical Reynolds Number is approximately 2,000

At this point, LAMINAR flow changes to a TURBULENT one.

This change does not happen exactly Re = 2,000 bu varies from 2,000 to 4,000. This range is known as critical zone.

For practical appliations, we will assume

If Re < 2000, the flow is LAMINAR

If Re > 4000, the flow is TURBULENT
Example Problem:
Determine whether the flow is laminar or turbulent if glycerin at 25 oC flows in a circular passage within a
fabricated chemical processing device. The diameter of the passage is 150 mm. The average velocity of flow is
3.6 m/s.

𝜌𝑉𝐷
𝑅𝑒 =
𝜇
 𝜌𝑉𝐷
𝑅𝑒 =
𝜇
Example Problem:
Determine the range of average velocity of flow for which the flow would be in the critical region if SAE-10 oil
at 60 oF is flowing in a 2-in Schedule 40 steel pipe. The oil has a specific gravity of 0.89.
 𝜌𝑉𝐷
𝑅𝑒 =
𝜇
 Loss of Head from Pipe Friction

Resistance to flow in a pipe is

∝𝐿
1
∝
1. Independent of the pressure under which the water flows 𝐷𝑛
2. Linearly proportional to the pipe length (L)
3. Inversely proportional to some power of the pipe diameter (D)
4. Proportional to some power of the average velocity (V) ∝ 𝑉𝑛
5. Related to the roughness of the pipe, if the flow is turbulent.
Loss of Head from Pipe Friction
The most popular pipe flow equation was derived by Henri Darcy & Julius Weisbach. The
equation commonly known as the Darcy-Weisbach equation.
It is dimensionally uniform.

Average velocity, m/s

𝐿 𝑉2
Energy loss ℎ𝐿 = 𝑓
(head loss, m) 𝐷 2𝑔
due to
friction
Pipe diameter, m
Friction factor,
dimensionless Darcy-Weisbach equation

Darcy-Weisbach equation is used to find head loss in LAMINAR or TURBULENT flow.

Only the evaluation of f, friction factor changes.
Loss of Head from Pipe Friction – in LAMINAR FLOW Darcy-Weisbach equation is
used to find head loss in
LAMINAR or TURBULENT
flow.
Only the evaluation of f,
friction factor changes.

In LAMINAR FLOW: friction factor (f) is independent of the surface roughness of the pipe

64
𝑓=
𝑅𝑒 This relationship is obtained from Hagen-Poiseuille Law of laminar flow.

𝜌𝑉𝐷
𝑅𝑒 =
𝜇
Loss of Head from Pipe Friction – in TURBULENT FLOW Darcy-Weisbach equation is
used to find head loss in
LAMINAR or TURBULENT
flow.
Only the evaluation of f,
friction factor changes.

In TURBULENT FLOW: surface roughness influences the friction factor (f)

surface roughness & diameter of the pipe

The Moody Diagram is used to find friction factor, f.

𝑅𝑒: 𝑅𝑒𝑦𝑛𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑠 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟

The Moody Diagram
The chart shows 4 zones of pipe flow

1- Laminar flow zone: friction factor is a simple

linear function of the Reynolds Number (f = 64/Re)

2- A critical zone: the values of f are uncertain

3- A transitional zone: f is a function of both Re and

relative roughness of the pipe.

4- Zone of fully developed turbulence: value of f

depends only on the relative roughness and is
independent of Re (see the next page)

relative roughness
Roughness height (ε) & diameter (D) of the pipe
of the pipe
𝐷 𝜀
𝑜𝑟
𝜀 𝐷
Zone of fully developed turbulence

Value of f depends only on the

relative roughness and is
independent of Re.
The Moody Diagram
The Moody Diagram
Roughness Heights for Certain Common Pipe Materials

Roughness height (ε) & diameter (D) of the pipe

 Equations for the Friction Factor

Researchers studied the on the expressions of friction factor, f

C.F. Colebrook
L. Prandatl
H. Rouse
T. Von Karman
J. Nikuradse

Following to the development of the Moody diagram, the Jain equation was proposed to solve for the friction
factor f, if the Re is known.

0.25 𝑓=
0.25
𝑓= 2 𝑙𝑜𝑔
1 5.74
+ 0.9
2

𝜺/𝑫 5.74 3.7 𝑫/𝜺 𝑅𝑒

𝑙𝑜𝑔 +
3.7 𝑅𝑒 0.9
relative roughness of the pipe
𝝆𝑽𝑫 𝐷 𝜀
𝑹𝒆 = 𝑜𝑟
𝝁 𝜀 𝐷
Friction Factor (f) in Darcy-Weisbach Eqn.
Find the values of f using Moody Diagram & Jain Equation
given values

Re D/ε f
6.7𝑥103 150 0.0430
1.6𝑥104 2000 0.0284
1.6𝑥106 2000 0.0171
2.5𝑥105 733 0.0223

0.25
𝑓= 2
𝜀/𝐷 5.74
𝑙𝑜𝑔 +
3.7 𝑅𝑒 0.9
1-

Select the curve D/ε = 150

2-

D/ε = 150

Draw a line for Re = 6.7 x 103

3-

f = 0.043
* *
Read f from the intersection
f = 0.043 D/ε = 150

Re = 6.7 x 103
Logaritmic scale for Re

Re = 6.7 x 103

Re = 1 x 103 Re = 10 x 103 = 1 x 104

Re = 6 x 103
Re = 7 x 103
Re = 2 x 103
1-

Select the curve D/ε = 2000

2-

D/ε = 2000

Draw a line for

Re = 1.6 x 104
3-

*
f = 0.0284 *
Read f from the intersection
f = 0.0284 D/ε = 2000

Re = 1.6 x 104
Example Problem:
Determine the friction factor (f) if water at 160 oF is flowing at 30.0 ft/s in a 1-in Schedule 40 steel pipe.

𝜌𝑉𝐷
𝑅𝑒 =
𝜇
𝑉𝐷
𝑅𝑒 = 𝑉𝐷
𝜗 𝑅𝑒 =
𝜗
Example Problem:
If the flow velocity of water in previous problem was 0.45 ft/s with all other conditions being the same,
determine the friction factor (f).

𝑽𝐷
𝑅𝑒 =
𝜗
Example Problem:
Figure shows an industrial storage tank from which a horizontal 100 m long pipe carrying water at 25 oC to a
process where a bulk food product is being prepared. The pipe is a DN 50 Schedule 40 steel pipe and design
delivery rate to the process is 520 L/min. Determine the amount of pressure drop that occurs in the pipe from
the storage tank to the processing system.
 Re > 4000 the flow is TURBULENT
𝑉𝐷 In TURBULENT FLOW surface roughness influences the friction factor (f)
𝑅𝑒 = *** use Moody’s Diagram to find f
𝜗
 Loss of Head from Pipe Friction (hL)
𝐿 𝑉 2 Darcy-Weisbach Eqn.
ℎ𝐿 = 𝒇
𝐷 2𝑔

f = ? (friction factor)
Is the flow LAMINAR or TURBULENT? 
Calculate "Reynolds Number"
𝜌𝑉𝐷 𝑉𝐷
𝑹𝒆 = =
𝜇 𝜗

Re < 2000 flow is LAMINAR

Friction factor: f = 64/Re Re > 4000 flow is TURBULENT
Friction factor: Moody Diagram,
Jain Equation
0.25
𝑓= 2
1 5.74
𝑙𝑜𝑔 + 0.9
3.7 𝐷/𝜀 𝑅𝑒

surface roughness height &

diameter of the pipe
Relative roughness
D/ε
Problem
The commercial steel pipeline shown in figure, is 200 m long and has a diameter of 0.45 m. Determine the height of the
water tower (h) if the flowrate is 0.85 m3/s. Assume that minor losses are negligible and water temperature is 4 oC.
Problem 1
The commercial steel pipeline shown
in figure, is 200 m long and has a 𝒑𝟏 𝒗𝟐𝟏 𝒑𝟐 𝒗𝟐𝟐
diameter of 0.45 m. Determine the + 𝒛𝟏 + − 𝒉𝑳 = + 𝒛𝟐 +
height of the water tower (h) if the 𝜸 𝟐𝒈 𝜸 𝟐𝒈
flowrate is 0.85 m3/s. Assume that
minor losses are negligible and water
temperature is 4 oC.
hL-minor hL-friction
neglected as indicated in
the problem hL = hL-friction

Minor loss due to pipe

entrance (hL-minor)

Minor loss due to bend

(hL-minor) Head loss due to friction along the pipeline (hL-friction)
Moody Diagram: see next page
 Draw a line for Re = 1.53 x 106

Select the curve D/ε = 10,000

Read f from the intersection

f=0.013