Manifold Hydraulics

Cayuga Lake
Ithaca WWTP Outfall

Monroe L. Weber-Shirk

School of Civil and

Environmental Engineering

Manifolds
Examples
Sprinkler and drip irrigation systems
wastewater discharge (multiport diffuser)

Design objectives
distribute a given discharge uniformly through
multiple ports
choose pipe size given constraints of head loss,
flow distribution, and cost

Multiport Diffuser
Objectives
Minimize detrimental
effects of the discharge
on the environment
Maximize initial dilution
Meet regulatory
requirements

Pollutants
treated wastewater
BOD, N, P, metals

Cooling water from

power plant
Heat

Sites
Rivers, Lakes,
Oceans

Multiport Diffuser
energy grade
line
hydraulic grade line

z=0

Remember Expansions

Representation of EGL and HGL for

multiport diffuser. Does it make
sense?
What happens to HGL across the
ports?

p2 p1 V1 V2 V2

Multiport Diffuser:
Flow Calculations
We will derive equations in terms of ________
HGL
p
because pressure controls the port flow
+z
g
Port flow
based on ______
energy equation
head loss through port (possibly including a riser)

Piezometric head change (H) across port

flow expansion

Piezometric head change ( H) between ports

Darcy-Weisbach and Swamee-Jain

In diffuser

Port types
Nozzle riser
diffuser can be buried
nozzle can give direction to discharge

Port cast in wall of diffuser pipe

cant be used if diffuser pipe is buried
generally not recommended

The Problem
Given a desired discharge
Calculate the head (pressure) required
Calculate the flow from each port

Develop a strategy to solve this problem

Simple Solution
________
Constant ________
pressure in the diffuser pipe
Each port is an ________________
exit (minor losses)

Complete Solution
Determine HGL for the diffuser pipe

Strategy
The diffuser has many ports. If we can develop
equations describing pressures and flows at one
port we can then apply them to all of the ports.
We need equations describing
Flow from a port as a function of pressure (HGL) in the
diffuser
Head loss (and pressure drop) in the diffuser
Flow in the diffuser _________________
(mass conservation)

Port Flow

z = 0 at water surface

2
p

pp
V
pa
V
za

zp
hL

2g
2g
2
a

p
H z

piezometric head

Vd V p

Hd

2g

hL

riser
0

Vr

2
p

V
Vd2
Hd
Hp
hL
2g
2g
V p2

port

Vp

Vd

diffuser pipe

Control volume?

Riser Head Loss

hL hentrance hriser helbow

Vr2
Lr
hL K en f
K el
Dr

2g
Vr Dr2 Vp Dp2

Dp
V V
Dr
2
r

Vp
p

continuity

hriser

2
p

D
p
Lr
hL K en f
K el

D
D
r

Vr2
hel K el
2g

2
p

2g

Lr Vr2
f
Dr 2g

hen K en

Vr2
2g

Riser Head Loss Coefficient

Hd

V p2
2g

hL

D
V

L
p
p
H d 1 K en f r K el

D
D

r 2 g
4

D
p
Lr
K r 1 K en f
K el

D
D

r
Vp2
H d Kr

2g
Vp

2 gH d
Kr

Qp

D p2

2 gH d

Kr

Orifice equation!

(riser loss coefficient)

Note that the riser
coefficient is a
Reynolds
function
of ________
number.
Port velocity (or flow)
given piezometric head
in diffuser and a riser loss

Head Loss across Port

separation

Vi

Pressure
_________
applied
over entire
cross

Vi+1

Momentum
___________
transferred
over smaller
area

Flow ____________
expansion
Same equation applies
as derived previously
The velocities
upstream and
downstream from the
port are determined
from continuity
hLi

Vi - Vi +1 )
(
=
2g

HGL in Diffuser across Port

2

Vi Vi 1

hL
Head loss occurs between
2g
section 1 and section 2
some distance downstream
(~5 times the diameter of
H from
the diffuser)
pressure
We will treat this head loss
recovery
as if it all occurred
immediately after the port
Although there is head loss
past the port the pressure
Vi+1
(HGL) will __________
increase
(proof coming up)

EGL

HGL

Vi

HGL in Diffuser across Port

Vi 2
Vi 21
Hi
H i 1
hL
2g
2g
H expansion

H expansion

H expansion

energy equation using

________
definition of piezometric
head

Vi V
H i 1 H i

hL
2g 2g
2

2
i 1

Vi 2 Vi 21 Vi Vi 1

2g 2g
2g

hL

Vi Vi 1

2g

Vi 1 Vi Vi 1 pressure increase across abrupt expans

Vi Vi 1
g

HGL in Diffuser across Port

H expansion

Vi 1 Vi Vi 1

How can we find velocity

continuity
downstream
of port i? ___________

Qi Q p Qi 1
i

Vi Vi1
Vi 1 Vi
H expansion
i

Qp

Ad
Qp

Now we have the velocity

downstream of the next port

Ad

Vi 1Q p
gAd

And we can calculate the

increase in HGL across the
port

HGL between Ports

HGL is parallel to EGL so H = E
between diffusers
E = -hf and is due to friction loss (major
losses)
VD
Re

0.25

log

5.74

0.9
3.7 D Re

L V2
hf f
D 2g

Multiport Diffuser: Solution

The diffuser number, spacing, and jet velocity would be
determined in part by the mixing required in the ambient
water (Environmental Fluid Mechanics)
Available head and total flow would be determined by the
water source hydraulics
A criteria may also be established for uniformity of flow
from the ports
Alternate design criteria may dictate different solution
methods

Multiport Diffuser: Solution

D
p
Lr
K en f
K el

Dr
D

Given total discharge, pipe

Kr 1
diameter, port size...

Calculate the piezometric head

(measured from the water
surface) required to give the
D p2 2 gH d
Qp
necessary discharge in the first
4
Kr
port
loss coefficient for port
head required to get desired
2

Kr 4Qp
flow from port
Hd

2g Dp

Multiport Diffuser: Solution

Starting with the first port and
proceeding to the last port ...
Calculate the discharge from port i
Calculate velocity change in
diffuser past port i
Calculate the piezometric head
increase across port i
Calculate the piezometric head
decrease between ports i and i+1
Calculate the piezometric head at
port i+1

Q pi

D p2

2 gH di

Kr

Vi 1 Vi

Qp

Ad

H expansion i
H pipe
Hd

i 1

Vi 1Q pi
gAd

2
L Vi1
f
Dd 2g

H d H expansion H pipe
i

Multiport Diffuser: Solution

1

HGL

Q pi

D p2

2 gH di

Kr

H pipe f

L Vi 21
Dd 2 g

decrease
(_________ in pressure)

3
Vi 1Q p
H expansion
gAd

increase in pressure)
(__________

Vi
Hd

2
Qp
Vi 1 Vi
Ad
5 H d H d H expansion H pipe
i

Known from previous

step

i 1

Multiport Diffuser: Solution

Calculate the total discharge from the ports
Compare with design discharge
Adjust the _________
piezometric head
____ at first port to give design
discharge (use goal seeking, solver, or trial and error on
spreadsheet). Alternately, set velocity past last port = 0
by changing piezometric head at first port.
It may be necessary to adjust diffuser or port diameter.
It will likely be possible to decrease the size of the
diffuser pipe as the flow decreases. This may also help
increase the discharge uniformity of the ports.

Multiport Diffuser:
Example Solution (1 m pipe)
SI units
total flow (Q)
2.5
port velocity (Vp)
3
port diameter (Dp)
0.230
port area (Ap)
0.04
number of ports
20
port flow (Qp)
0.13
terminal piezometric head (H)
0.8
distance between ports (L)
4
pipe roughness ()
0
diffuser diameter (Dd)
1

Multiport Diffuser:
Example Solution (0.63 m pipe)
total flow (Q)
2.5
port velocity (Vp)
3
port diameter (Dp)
0.230
port area (Ap)
0.04
number of ports
20
port flow (Qp)
0.13
terminal piezometric head (H)
1.2
distance between ports (L)
4
pipe roughness ()
0
diffuser diameter (Dd)
0.63

EGL
HGL

4.5
4
3.5
3

(m)

SI units

2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0

20
40
60
distance along diffuser (m)

80

Design Guidelines
The port discharge velocity should be _______
~3 m/s to achieve
good mixing with the ambient water.
The sum of all port areas must be less than the diffuser pipe
area. The best area ratio (port area/diffuser area) is usually
between 1/3 and 2/3.
The effects of pipe friction and pressure recovery will tend
fL
D
=
to cancel when
3
d

Ld is the total length of the diffuser pipe and the friction factor, f, is
obtained by iteration since it is a function of the pipe diameter.
If the diffuser area obtained using this method is less than 1.5 x
port area then this design criteria can not be used.

Multiport Diffuser:
Thought Experiments
What happens to the uniformity of flow rates from the ports
as the size of the diffuser pipe decreases? (Assume the
pressure in the feeder pipe is varied to maintain constant
flow while the port size remains the same.)
______________
Less Uniform
What happens to the uniformity of flow rates from the ports
as the size of the ports decreases? ______________
If the goal is uniform flow distribution why not use very
Moreports?
Uniform
small
____________________
Which port will have the highest flow rate? _____________

Energy requirements

First or last!

Diffuser Homework

20 ports

Hometown WWTP

300 m

95 m

Quiz
The friction factor for major losses in pipe flow is relatively
constant for a given geometry at high Reynolds numbers. Head
loss is proportional to the friction factor. Therefore head loss is
independent of Reynolds number at high Reynolds numbers.
Explain why this is or isnt true.
In large multiport diffusers the diameter of the main diffuser
pipe is decreased in increments as the flow decreases (due to
discharge from the ports). If you compare discharge from a port
upstream from a decrease in diffuser pipe diameter with the port
just downstream from a diameter change which port will have
the highest flow? You may assume the transition in diffuser pipe
diameter is smooth. Explain your answer and sketch the HGL
and EGL.