Water Flow in Pipes

3.1 Description of A Pipe Flow

• Water pipes in our homes and the distribution

system
• Pipes carry hydraulic fluid to various components
of vehicles and machines
• Natural systems of “pipes” that carry blood
throughout our body and air into and out of our
lungs.

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• Pipe Flow: refers to a full water flow in a
closed conduits or circular cross section
under a certain pressure gradient.

• The pipe flow at any cross section can be

described by:
• cross section (A),
• elevation (h), measured with respect to a
horizontal reference datum.
• pressure (P), varies from one point to another, for
a given cross section variation is neglected
• The flow velocity (v), v = Q/A.
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Difference between open-channel flow and the pipe flow

Pipe flow Open-channel flow

• The pipe is completely filled • Water flows without
with the fluid being transported. completely filling the pipe.

• The main driving force is likely • Gravity alone is the

to be a pressure gradient along driving force, the water
the pipe. flows down a hill.
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 Calculation of Head (Energy) Losses:
In General:
When a fluid is flowing through a pipe, the fluid experiences some
resistance due to which some of energy (head) of fluid is lost.
Energy Losses
(Head losses)

Major Losses Minor losses

loss of head due to pipe Loss due to the change of
friction and to viscous the velocity of the flowing
dissipation in flowing fluid in the magnitude or in
water direction as it moves
through fitting like Valves,
Tees, Bends and Reducers.
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 3.5 Losses of Head due to Friction
• Energy loss through friction in the length of pipeline is commonly
termed the major loss hf
• This is the loss of head due to pipe friction and to the viscous
dissipation in flowing water.
• Several studies have been found the resistance to flow in a pipe is:

- Independent of pressure under which the water flows

- Linearly proportional to the pipe length, L
- Inversely proportional to some water power of the pipe diameter D
- Proportional to some power of the mean velocity, V
- Related to the roughness of the pipe, if the flow is turbulent
 Major losses formulas
• Several formulas have been developed in the past.
Some of these formulas have faithfully been used in
various hydraulic engineering practices.

1. Darcy-Weisbach formula
2. The Hazen -Williams Formula
3. The Manning Formula
4. The Chezy Formula
5. The Strickler Formula

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The resistance to flow in a pipe is a function of:

• The pipe length, L

• The pipe diameter, D
• The mean velocity, V
• The properties of the fluid
• The roughness of the pipe, (the flow is
turbulent).

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 Darcy-Weisbach Equation
2 Where:
L V
hL  4 f  f is the friction factor
D 2g
L is pipe length
D is pipe diameter
hL is the loss due to friction

It is conveniently expressed in terms of velocity (kinetic) head in the pipe

The friction factor is function of different terms:

 e  VD e   VD e 
f  F  N R ,   F  ,   F  , 
 D   D   D

Renold number Relative roughness

Friction Factor: (f)
• For Laminar flow: (NR < 2000) [depends only on
Reynolds’ number and not on the surface roughness]
16
f 
NR
• For turbulent flow in smooth pipes (e/D = 0) with
4000 < NR < 105 is
0.079
f  1/ 4
NR

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 Empirical Formulas 2

Manning Formula

• This formula has extensively been used

for open channel designs

• It is also quite commonly used for pipe

flows

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• Manning

1 2 / 3 1/ 2
V  Rh S
n Rh  hydraulic Radius 
wetted A D

wetted P 4
hf
S
Simplified

L
n  Manning Coefficien t

10.3 L nQ 
2
hf  SI Units
D 5.33
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 1 2/ 3 1/ 2
V  Rh S
n
2
Q
h f  10.3n 2 L 16 / 3
D
L 2 2
h f  6.35 1.33 n V
D

• n = Manning coefficient of roughness (See Table)

• Rh and S are as defined for Hazen-William
formula.

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16
 The Chezy Formula

V C 1/ 2
Rh S 1/ 2

2
L V 
hf  4  
DC 

where C = Chezy coefficient

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• It can be shown that this formula, for circular pipes, is
equivalent to Darcy’s formula with the value for
8g
C
f
[f is Darcy Weisbeich coefficient]

• The following formula has been proposed for the value of

C: 0.00155 1
23  
C S n
0.00155 n
1  (23  )
S Rh
[n is the Manning coefficient]

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 Minor losses

It is due to the change

of the velocity of the
flowing fluid in the
magnitude or in
direction [turbulence
within bulk flow as it
moves through and
fitting] Flow pattern through a valve

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 • The minor losses occurs due to:

• Valves
• Tees
• Bends
• Reducers
• And other appurtenances

• It has the common form

V2 Q2
hm  k L  kL
2g 2 gA2
“minor” compared to friction losses in long pipelines but,

can be the dominant cause of head loss in shorter pipelines 20

 Losses due to contraction
A sudden contraction in a pipe usually causes a marked drop in pressure
in the pipe due to both the increase in velocity and the loss of energy to
turbulence.
Along wall

2
V2
Along centerline hc  kc
2g
Value of the coefficient Kc for sudden contraction

V2
Head Loss Due to a Sudden Contraction

V 22
hL  K L
2g

2
V2
hL 0.5
2g

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 Head Loss Due to Gradual Contraction
(reducer or nozzle)

hL K L
V 2  V1
2 2

2g

a 100 200 300 400

KL 0.2 0.28 0.32 0.35

A different set of data is :

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 Losses due to Enlargement
A sudden Enlargement in a pipe

(V1  V2 ) 2
hE 
2g
 Head Loss Due to a Sudden Enlargement

V 12
hL  K L
2g
2
 A1 
KL  1  
 A2 

or :

hL 
V1  V2  2

2g

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 Note that the drop in the energy line is much
larger than in the case of a contraction

abrupt expansion

gradual expansion

smaller head loss than in the case of an abrupt expansion

 Head losses due to pipe enlargement may be greatly reduced by
introducing a gradual pipe transition known as a diffusor

V  V2
2 2
hE'  k E' 1
2g
Head Loss Due to Gradual Enlargement
(conical diffuser)

hL K L
V
1  V2
2 2

2g

a 100 200 300 400

KL 0.39 0.80 1.00 1.06

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 Loss due to pipe entrance
General formula for head loss at the entrance of a pipe is also
expressed in term of velocity head of the pipe
2
V
hent  K ent
2g

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 Head Loss at the Entrance of a Pipe
(flow leaving a tank)

Reentrant Sharp
(embeded) edge
KL = 0.8 KL = 0.5

Slightly
rounded
Well
KL = 0.2
rounded
KL = 0.04

V2
hL  K L 31
2g
Different pipe inlets

increasing loss coefficient

Another Typical values for various amount of rounding of
the lip

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 Head Loss at the Exit of a Pipe
(flow entering a tank)
KL = 1.0 KL = 1.0

V2
hL 
2g KL = 1.0
KL = 1.0

the entire kinetic energy of the exiting fluid (velocity V1) is

dissipated through viscous effects as the stream of fluid mixes
with the fluid in the tank and eventually comes to rest (V2 = 0).
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 Head Loss Due to Bends in Pipes

V2
hb  kb
2g

R/D 1 2 4 6 10 16 20
Kb 0.35 0.19 0.17 0.22 0.32 0.38 0.42

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 Miter bends
For situations in which space is limited,

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 Head Loss Due to Pipe Fittings
(valves, elbows, bends, and tees)

V2
hv  K v
2g

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38
The loss coefficient for elbows, bends, and tees

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Loss coefficients for pipe components (Table)
Minor loss coefficients (Table)
Minor loss calculation using equivalent
pipe length
kl D
Le 
f
Energy and hydraulic grade lines

Unless local effects are of particular interests, the

changes in the EGL and HGL are often shown as
abrupt changes (even though the loss occurs over
some distance)
 Example
In the figure shown below, two new cast iron pipes are in series,
D1 =0.6m, D2 =0.4m, length of each pipe is 300m, level at A
=80m , Q = 0.5m3/s (T=10oC). There is a sudden contraction
between Pipe 1 and 2, and Sharp entrance at pipe 1.
Find the water level at B?

e = 0.26mm
v = 1.31×10-6
Q = 0.5 m3/s
 Solution
Z A  ZB  hf
hL  h f 1  h f 2  hent  hc  hexit
2 2 2 2
L1 V1 L2 V2 V1 V2 V22
hL  f1  f2  kent  kc  kexit
D1 2 g D2 2 g 2g 2g 2g
Q 0.5 Q 0.5
V1    1.77 m/ sec , V2    3.98 m/ sec ,
π π
A1 0.62 A2 0.42
4 4
VD VD
Re1  1 1  8.1105 , Re 2  2 2  1.22 106 ,
υ υ
 0.26 
  0.00043,  0.00065,
D1 600 D1
moody
 f1  0.017 moody
 f 2  0.018

hent  0.5, hc  0.27, hexit  1

 2 2 2 2
L1 V1 L2 V2 V1 V2 V22
hL  f1  f2  kent  kc  kexit
D1 2 g D2 2 g 2g 2g 2g

 300  1.77  300  3.98

2 2
h f  0.017  .  0.018  .
 0.6  2 g  0.4  2 g
 1.77 2   3.982   3.982 
 0.5   0.27      13.36m
 2g   2g   2g 

ZB = 80 – 13.36 = 66.64 m
 Example
A pipe enlarge suddenly from D1=240mm to D2=480mm. the
H.G.L rises by 10 cm calculate the flow in the pipe
Solution p1 V12 p2 V22
  z1    z 2  hL
g 2 g g 2 g
V12 V22  p2   p1 
  hL    z 2     z1 
2g 2g  g   g 
V12 V22 V1  V2
 
 2

 0.1
2g 2g 2g

V1 A1  V2 A2
V1 

4 0 .24 
2
 V2 

4 0 .48 2

V1  4V2
16V22 V22 4V2  V2
 
 
2

 0.1
2g 2g 2g
2
6V2
 0. 1
2g
V2  0.57 m / s  Q  V2 A2  0.57  4 0.482  0.103m 3 / s
• Note that the above values are average
typical values, actual values will depend
on the manufacturer of the components.
• See:
– Catalogs
– Hydraulic handbooks !!

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CHW  Hazen Will iams Coefficien t
CHW  Hazen Will iams Coefficien t

51
 When V  3.0m / sec
0.081
Vo 
CH  C Ho  
V 

Where:
CH = corrected value
CHo = value from table
Vo = velocity at CHo
V = actual velocity

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