VEB2122: Civil Engineering Laboratory II

Lab Report

Title: Losses in Pipe

Lecturer: Dr. Husna Takaijudin

Group 3

No Name Student ID

1 Farah Najihah Azmani 19001679

2 Harith Ismail 18002507

3 Michael Tiong Shu Yu 18002455

4 Syameem Hakime bin Abdul Aziz 18002573

Introduction

In a pipe, the energy of water will reduce subsequently because of the constant contact
of water with the pipe. Major head loss is the loss that occurs when water loses its energy due
to friction between pipe and water. Besides, the major head loss is the value of how much the
fluid needs to be elevated by a pump so that it can reach its designed destination. The factor of
major head loss is due to viscosity, dimensions of the pipe, and the velocity of the fluid
traveling through the pipe. As for minor head loss, it is the losses that occur between the
attachments between pipes and the fluid. These losses can be determined based on the
attachments between pipes (fittings, valves, bends, elbows, tees, inlets, exits, enlargement, and
contractions).

Objectives

The purpose of this experiment was to determine the major and minor head losses in
the pipes.

Apparatus

1. 30mm diameter pipes

2. 20mm diameter pipes
3. Joints
4. Valves
5. Fitting attachment
6. Bending attachment
7. Stopwatch
8. Piezometer
9. Tank
Procedures

Step Description Reference

1 The apparatus was set as in the

picture.

2 The motor was switched on to flow

the water into the apparatus.

3 The valve was opened to allow the

water to flow into the pipe.
4 A piezometer tube will be connected
to one of the 20mm pipes.

5 A piezometer tube will be connected

to one of the 20mm pipes.

6 Water was let to be overflowed inside

the piezometer to eliminate bubbles
and a beaker was held upwards to
retain water overflowing from the
piezometer.
7 After the water was stopped from
flowing, the reading from the
piezometer was taken as H1 and H2.

8 The drain valve was closed.

9 The stopwatch was switched on

immediately and the volume of water
was observed and. Then the stopwatch
was stopped as soon as the water
volume reached 10 liters.

10 Step 4-9 was repeated for the 30mm

pipe.
11 The piezometer tubes were connected
to the pipe that has a fitting attachment
in between to observe minor head loss.

12 After the water in the piezometer has

settled down, the water level is
observed and recorded.

13 The stopwatch was switched on

immediately and the volume of water
was observed and. Then the stopwatch
was stopped as soon as the water
volume reached 10 liters.

14 Step 1-3 was repeated with the

piezometer tube connected to the pipe
that has bending attachment in
between.
Results

Major Losses:

Diameter of the pipe =30mm Length of the Pipe =50cm

H1(cm) H2(cm) V(L) t(s)

42 39.5 5 42

Diameter of the pipe= 20mm Length of the Pipe= 80cm

H1(cm) H2(cm) V(L) t(s)

53 52 5 79

Minor Losses:

Fitting: Diameter changes from 20mm to 30mm

H1(cm) H2(cm) V(L) t(s)

40 38.5 5 41
Fitting: Bending Diameter of Pipe= 20mm

H1(cm) H2(cm) V(L) t(s)

38.2 36.6 5 67

Calculation

Temperature of water = 25°C, kinematic viscosity of water = 8.93 x 10-7 m2/s.

I. For major loss of 30mm diameter pipe:

𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎, 𝐴 = 𝜋𝑑 2 /4 × = 𝜋(0.030)2 /4 = 0.00071𝑚2

𝑄 = 𝑉/𝑡 = (5/1000)/42 = 0.000119𝑚3 /𝑠

𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝑄/𝐴 = 0.000119/0.00071 = 0.17𝑚/𝑠

ℎ𝐿 = 𝐻1 − 𝐻2 = (42/100) − (39.5/100) = 0.025𝑚

ℎ𝐿 = 𝑓 × (𝐿/𝐷) × (𝑣 2 /2𝑔)

𝑓 = (ℎ𝐿 × 𝐷 × 2𝑔)/(𝑣 2 × 𝐿) = (0.025 × 0.030 × 2 × 9.81)/(0.172 × 0.50) = 1.018

II. For major loss of 20mm diameter pipe:

𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎, 𝐴 = 𝜋𝑑 2 /4 × = 𝜋(0.020)2 /4 = 0.000314𝑚2

𝑄 = 𝑉/𝑡 = (5/1000)/79 = 0.000063𝑚3 /𝑠

𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝑄/𝐴 = 0.000063/0.000314 = 0.2𝑚/𝑠

 ℎ𝐿 = 𝐻1 − 𝐻2 = (53/100) − (52/100) = 0.01𝑚

ℎ𝐿 = 𝑓 × (𝐿/𝐷) × (𝑣 2 /2𝑔)

𝑓 = (ℎ𝐿 × 𝐷 × 2𝑔)/(𝑣 2 × 𝐿) = (0.01 × 0.020 × 2 × 9.81)/(0. 22 × 0.80) = 0.12

III. For minor loss of fitting pipe:

𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑖𝑝𝑒, 𝐴1 = 𝜋/4 × (𝐷1)2 = 𝜋/4 × (0.020)2 = 0.000314𝑚2

𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑖𝑝𝑒, 𝐴1 = 𝜋/4 × (𝐷1)2 = 𝜋/4 × (0.030)2 = 0.00071𝑚2

𝑄 = 𝑉/𝑡 = (5/1000)/41 = 0.000122𝑚3 /𝑠

𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑖𝑝𝑒, 𝑣1 = 𝑄/𝐴1 = 0.000122/0.000314 = 0.39𝑚/𝑠

𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑖𝑝𝑒, 𝑣2 = 𝑄/𝐴1 = 0.000122/0.00071 = 0.17𝑚/𝑠

𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑣𝑎𝑣𝑔 = 𝑣1 − 𝑣2 = 0.39 − 0.17 = 0.22𝑚/𝑠

ℎ𝐿 = 𝐻1 − 𝐻2 = (40/100) − (38.5/100) = 0.015𝑚

ℎ𝐿 = 𝐾𝐿(𝑒𝑥𝑝) × (𝑣 2 /2𝑔)

𝐾𝐿(𝑒𝑥𝑝) = (ℎ𝐿 × 2𝑔)/𝑣 2 = (0.015 × 2 × 9.81)/(0.22)2 = 6.08

According to the textbook, since the water flows through a sudden expansion pipe, the
formula for calculating the theoretical loss coefficient was (1-D12/D22)2.

KL(theo) = (1-D12/D22)2 = (1-0.0202/0.0302)2 = 0.31

Percentage error of loss coefficient for comparison = (6.08 − 0.31)/6.08 × 100 = 94.9%
 IV. For minor loss of bending pipe:

𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎, 𝐴 = 𝜋𝐷2 /4 = 𝜋/4 × (0.020)2 = 0.000314𝑚2

𝑄 = 𝑉/𝑡 = (5/1000)/67 = 0.0000746𝑚3/𝑠

𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝑄/𝐴 = 0.0000746/0.000314 = 0.24𝑚/𝑠

ℎ𝐿 = 𝐻1 − 𝐻2 = (38.2/100) − (36.6/100) = 0.016𝑚

ℎ𝐿 = 𝐾𝐿 × (𝑣 2 /2𝑔)

𝐾𝐿 = (ℎ𝐿 )(2𝑔)/𝑣 2 = (0.016)(2)9.81)/(0.24)2 = 5.45

Since there are two bendings, the loss coefficient was divided by 2 to get the loss coefficient
for each bending.

KL(exp) = 5.45/2 = 2.725

According to the textbook, since the water flows through a 90o smooth bend flanged pipe, the
theoretical value of the loss coefficient was 0.3.

Percentage error of loss coefficient for comparison = (2.725-0.3)/2.725*100 = 89%

Discussion

This test was conducted to find out the losses in pipes either major losses or minor
losses. For all experiments, the kinematic viscosity used was 8.9 x 10^-7 since the temperature
of the water was 25 degrees celsius. For the major losses, two tests were conducted. For the
first test, the diameter, D of the pipe was 30mm while the length, L was 50cm. The head loss
was calculated by finding the difference in piezometer levels and the value was 0.025m. From
these values, the friction factor, f was calculated using the equation ℎ𝐿 = 𝑓 × (𝐿/𝐷) × (𝑣 2 /
2𝑔)and the value obtained for f was 1.018. Velocity, v was calculated by discharge divided by
the cross-sectional area of the pipe. However, for the second major losses test, the value of D
was 20mm and L was 80cm. The head loss for this test was calculated to be 0.01m while the f
value was 0.12.

Factors that can affect the major losses vary from the viscosity of the fluid in the pipe,
the internal diameter of the pipe, as well as the roughness of the pipe’s material. As the viscosity
increases, the head loss increases. Based on the head loss equation used, diameter is inversely
proportional to the head loss therefore to reduce the head loss, a bigger diameter will be
required. Last but not least, the roughness of the pipe relates to the friction between the pipe
and the water. Hence, the higher the roughness, the more friction there is and this will increase
the losses in the pipe.

For the minor losses test, another two tests were conducted. For the first test, the pipe
was fitted with an expansion pipe that changes the diameter from 20mm to 30mm. The area
before and after the fitting was calculated to be used to find the respective velocities. For the
20mm side, the velocity was 0.39m/s while at the 30mm, the velocity was 0.17m/s. The average
velocity for this fitting was calculated by the difference between the two velocities and the
value was 0.22m/s. The level difference of piezometers was 0.015m and this was the head loss,
HL. Using all of those values, the loss coefficient, KL was calculated using the equation ℎ𝐿 =
𝐾𝐿 × (𝑣 2 /2𝑔). The value obtained for this was 6.08 and this was the experimental value. The
theoretical value on the other hand was calculated using the equation, KL(theo) = (1-D12/D22)2
for sudden expansion fitting and the value was 0.31. This means the percentage difference
between the two values was 94.9%.

Next, the second minor losses test was for bending fitting. The velocity was calculated
by dividing the discharge by the cross-sectional area of the 20mm diameter pipe and the
velocity was 0.24m/s. The head loss for this test was 0.016m. The experimental KL value was
calculated using ℎ𝐿 = 𝐾𝐿 × (𝑣 2 /2𝑔)which gave the value 5.45. Since there were two bending
fittings within the system, the value was divided by 2 to see the KL value for individual fitting.
The experimental KL was 2.725. The theoretical value was 0.3 as the water flows through a
90o smooth bend flanged fitting. The percentage errors calculated for these two values were
89%.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there were a few factors that can affect the head losses in the pipes. In
this experiment, we studied the relationship between the diameter of the pipe and major head
losses. The major head loss increases as the diameter of the pipe decreases. We also studied
that the fittings of the pipe can affect the minor losses in the pipe. Although the minor losses
from using the fitting pipe and bending pipe were almost the same, the loss coefficient from
using a fitting pipe was higher than using a bending pipe. This will prove that the higher the
loss coefficient, the higher the minor losses will be. If we follow all the precaution steps in
doing the experiment, we will get the best result for the experiment. The objective of this
experiment was then achieved.

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