Flow In Circular Pipes

Objective
To measure

the pressure drop in the straight section of

smooth, rough, and packed pipes as a function of flow
rate.
To correlate this in terms of the friction factor and
Reynolds number.
To compare results with available theories and
correlations.
To determine the influence of pipe fittings on pressure
drop
To show the relation between flow area, pressure drop
and loss as a function of flow rate for Venturi meter and
Orifice meter.

APPARATUS
Pipe Network
Rotameters
Manometers

Theoretical Discussion
Fluid flow in pipes is of considerable importance in process.
Animals and Plants circulation systems.
In our homes.
City water.
Irrigation system.
Sewer water system

Fluid could be a single phase: liquid or gases

Mixtures of gases, liquids and solids

NonNewtonian fluids such as polymer melts, mayonnaise
Newtonian fluids like in your experiment (water)

Theoretical Discussion
Laminar flow
To describe any of these flows, conservation of mass and
conservation of momentum equations are the most general forms
could be used to describe the dynamic system. Where the key
issue is the relation between flow rate and pressure drop.
If the flow fluid is:
a. Newtonian
b. Isothermal
c. Incompressible (dose not depend on the pressure)
d. Steady flow (independent on time).
e. Laminar flow (the velocity has only one single component)

Laminar flow
Navier-Stokes equations is govern the flow field (a set of equations
containing only velocity components and pressure) and can be solved
exactly to obtain the Hagen-Poiseuille relation
.

Pz

Flow

If the principle of conservation

of momentum is applied to a
fixed volume element through
which fluid is flowing and on
which forces are acting, then
the forces must be balanced
(Newton second law)

Vz(r)
Pz+dz

r+dr

Body force due to gravity

In

r
Pz+dz

Forces balance

Laminar flow
Continue

Sumofforces
Rateofchangeofmomentum

inthez direction inthez direction

dFz r 2r zr r dz
dFz r dr 2 (r dr) zr r dr dz

1Shear forces

p z 2rdr
p z dz 2 rdr

2.Pressure

g2 rdrdz

3..Body force

Laminar flow
Continue
Momentum is
Mass*velocity (m*v)
Momentum per unit volume is

*vz

Rate of flow of momentum is

*vz*dQ
dQ=vz2rdr
but
vz = constant at a fixed value of r
v z (v2rdr) z v z (v2rdr) z dz 0

Laminar flow

Laminar flow
Continue
2 r zr r dz 2 (r dr) zr r dr dz p z 2 rdr p z dz 2rdr g2rdrdz 0

dvz

dr
Q

R
0

p pz 0 pz L gL
R 4 p
2vz dr
8 L

Hagen-Poiseuille

Turbulent flow
When fluid flow at higher flowrates,
the streamlines are not steady and
straight and the flow is not laminar.
Generally, the flow field will vary in
both space and time with fluctuations
that comprise "turbulence
For this case almost all terms in the
Navier-Stokes equations are important
and there is no simple solution

uz
z

Uz
average

ur
r

Ur
average

P = P (D, , , L, U,)

p
average
P

Time

Turbulent flow
All previous parameters involved three fundamental dimensions,
Mass, length, and time
From these parameters, three dimensionless groups can be build

P
L
)
2 f (Re,
U
D

UD
inertia
Re

Viscousforces

Friction Factor for Laminar

Turbulent flows
From forces balance and the definition of Friction Factor
P Ac S L
Ac
1
rh D
S
4
P

R
2L

Ac: cross section area of the pip

S: Perimeter on which T acts (wetted
perimeter)

f
2
1/2 U

Rh hydraulic radius

For Laminar flow

(Hagen - Poiseuill eq)

For Turbulent Flow

r 4 P
Q
8 L
P 8U
2
L
R

PR
f
U 2 L

P R
8
16
f

2
L U
UR Re
P D
0.25
f

0.079Re
2
L 2 U

Surface Roughness
Additional dimensionless group /D need
to be characterize
Thus more than one curve on friction factorReynolds number plot
Fanning diagram or Moody diagram
Depending on the laminar region.
If, at the lowest Reynolds numbers, the laminar portion
corresponds to f =16/Re Fanning Chart
or f = 64/Re Moody chart

Friction Factor for Smooth, Transition,

and Rough Turbulent flow

P D
f
L 2 U 2

1
4.0 * log Re*
f

Smooth pipe, Re>3000

f 0.4

f 0.079Re0.25

Rough pipe, [ (D/)/(Re) <0.01]

Transition function
for both smooth and
rough pipe

1
D
4.0 * log 2.28

1
D
D /
4.0 * log 2.28 4.0 * log 4.67
1

f
Re f

0.010

1.00E+03

/D

0.00005
0.0001
0.0002
0.0004
0.0008
0.0010.002 0.004
0.006
0.008
0.010.015
0.02 0.030.040.05

laminar fow

Fraction factor

Moody Diagram

0.100

1.00E+04
1.00E+05

Re
1.00E+06
1.00E+07
1.00E+08

Fanning Diagram

1
D
D /
4.0 * log 2.28 4.0 * log 4.67
1

f
Re f

f =16/Re

1
D
4.0 * log 2.28

Flow in a Packed pipe

The equations for empty pipe flow do not work with out considerable
modification

Ergun Equation

PDp 3

150(1 )
f

1.75
2
L Uo (1 )
Uo Dp

Dp

Dp is the particle diameter,

is the volume fraction that is not occupied by particles
Reynolds number for a packed bed flow as
This equation contains the interesting behavior that the
pressure drop varies as the first power of Uo for small Re
and as Uo2 for higher Re.

Flow

Uo Dp
Re
(1 )

Energy Loss in Valves

Function of valve type and valve position
The complex flow path through valves can
result in high head loss (of course, one of
the purposes of a valve is to create head
loss when it is not fully open)
Ev are the loss in terms of velocity heads

U2
Ev K
2
Leq U 2
p
U2
hv
Kv
2f

2g
D g

Friction Loss Factors for valves

Valve

Leq/D

Gate valve, wide open

0.15

Gate valve, 3/4 open

0.85

40

Gate valve, 1/2 open

4.4

200

Gate valve, 1/4 open

20

900

Globe valve, wide open

7.5

350

Energy Loss due to Gradual

Expansion
A1

A2

KE

U1 U2 2
E E KE
2

U 22
E E KE
12
2
A
2
A1

0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0

20

40
angle ()

60

80

Sudden Contraction
(Orifice Flowmeter)
Orifice flowmeters are used to determine a
liquid or gas flowrate by measuring the
differential pressure P1-P2 across the
orifice plate

2( p1 p2 ) 1/ 2

Q Cd A2
2
(1 )

1
0.95
0.9
0.85
Cd 0.8
0.75
0.7
0.65
0.6
102

103

P1

P2

Flow

105

104

Reynolds number based on orifice diameter Red

Re

106

107

Venturi Flowmeter
The classical Venturi tube (also known as the Herschel Venturi
tube) is used to determine flowrate through a pipe. Differential
pressure is the pressure difference between the pressure
measured at D and at d
D

Flow

Boundary layer buildup in a pipe

Becauseoftheshareforcenearthepipewall,aboundarylayer
formsontheinsidesurfaceandoccupiesalargeportionofthe
flowareaasthedistancedownstreamfromthepipeentrance
increase.Atsomevalueofthisdistancetheboundarylayerfills
theflowarea.Thevelocityprofilebecomesindependentofthe
axisinthedirectionofflow,andtheflowissaidtobefully
developed.

Pipe
Entrance

Pipe Flow Head Loss

(constant density fluid flows)

Pipe flow head loss is

proportional to the length of the pipe
proportional to the square of the velocity
(high Reynolds number)
Proportional inversely with the diameter
of the pipe
increasing with surface roughness
independent of pressure
Total losses in the pipe system is
obtained by summing individual head
losses of roughness, fittings, valves ..itc

Pipe Flow Summary

Thestatementofconservationofmass,momentumandenergybecomes
theBernoulliequationforsteadystateconstantdensityofflows.
Dimensionalanalysisgivestherelationbetweenflowrateandpressure
drop.
Laminarflowlossesandvelocitydistributionscanbederivedbasedon
momentumandmassconservationtoobtainexactsolutionnamedof
HagenPoisuille
Turbulentflowlossesandvelocitydistributionsrequireexperimental
results.
Experimentsgivetherelationshipbetweenthefractionfactorandthe
Reynoldsnumber.
Headlossbecomesminorwhenfluidflowsathighflowrate(fraction
factorisconstantathighReynoldsnumbers).

Images - Laminar/Turbulent Flows

Laser - induced florescence image of an

incompressible turbulent boundary layer
Laminar flow (Blood Flow)

Simulation of turbulent flow coming out of a

tailpipe

Turbulent flow

Laminar flow

http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/~cfd/gallery/lim-turb.html