EQUIVALENT PIPES

INTRODUCTION

• Equivalent Pipe
 Defined as a pipe of uniform diameter having loss of
head and discharge equal to the loss of head and
discharge of a compound pipe, either in series or in
parallel
• Equivalent length
 the length of pipe that is used to express the losses
equal to the loss of head in compound pipes
• Equivalent diameter
 is the uniform diameter of an equivalent pipe
PIPES IN PARALLEL

• For pipes in parallel

1 L1V12 2 L2V22 3 L3V32
hf   
2 gD1 2 gD2 2 gD3

• In terms of discharge
1 1 1
 D  5 2
 D  5 2
 D  5 2
Q1   1
 2 gh f Q2   2
 2 gh f Q3   3
 2 gh f
4  1 L1  4   2 L2  4  3 L3 
PIPES IN PARALLEL

• Total discharge = sum of flows in parallel pipes

Q  Q1  Q2  Q3
• Headloss in equivalent pipe
e LeVe2
hf 
2 gDe
• In terms of discharge
1
 D  5 2
Qe   e
 2 gh f
4  e Le 
PIPES IN PARALLEL

• Thus equating, the total discharge is given as follows

1 1 1 1
 D  5 2
 D 5 2
 D 5 2
 D 5 2
 e
   1
   2
   3

 e Le   1 L1   2 L2   3 L3 
Example

A parallel pipe system consists of the following pipes:

Pipe Length (m) Diameter (cm)
1 1800 50
2 1200 40
3 600 30

Assuming λ is the same for all pipes, what is the equivalent

length of a 50 cm pipe?
PIPES IN SERIES

• For pipes in series

hf  hf1  hf 2  hf 3

1 L1  16Q 2 2 L2 16Q 2 3 L3  16Q 2

hf  5  5  5
D1  2 g 2 D2  2 g 2 D3  2 g 2

16Q 2  1 L1  2 L2 3 L3 
hf   5   
2 g 2  D1 D2 5
D35 

• For an equivalent pipe

16Q 2  e Le 
hf   
2 g 2  De5 
PIPES IN SERIES

• Equating
e Le 1 L1  2 L2 3 L3
5
 5
 5

De D1 D2 D35
EXAMPLE

A compound piping system consists of 1800 m of 50 cm,

1200 m of 40 cm and 600 m of 30 cm pipes of the same
material connected in series.
i. What is the equivalent length of 40 cm pipe of the same
material?
ii. What is the equivalent size of a pipe 3600 m long?