Design Equations for

Laminar and Turbulent

Flow in Pipes

Outline
1.Velocity Profiles in Pipes
2.Pressure Drop and Friction Loss
(Laminar Flow)
3.Friction Loss (Turbulent Flow)
4.Frictional Losses in Piping
Systems

Velocity Profiles in
Pipes
Recall velocity profile in a circular
tube:

P0 PL
2
2
vz
R r
4 L

1. What is the shape of this profile?

2. The maximum occurs at which
region?
3. What is the average velocity of the

Velocity Profiles in
Pipes

Velocity Profiles in
Pipes
Velocity Profile in a Pipe:

P0 PL
2
2
vz
R r
4 L
Average Velocity of a Fluid in a
Pipe:

P0 PL
2
vave
D
32L

Maximum vs. Average

Velocity

Outline
1.Velocity Profiles in Pipes
2.Pressure Drop and Friction
Loss (Laminar Flow)
3.Friction Loss (Turbulent Flow)
4.Frictional Losses in Piping
Systems

Recall: HagenPoiseuille Equation

P0 PL
2
vave
D
32L

Describes the pressure drop

and flow of fluid (in the laminar
regime) across a conduit with
length L and diameter D

Hagen-Poiseuille
Equation
32Lvave
P0 PL
2
D

Pressure drop / Pressure loss (P0

PL):
Pressure lost due to skin
friction

Friction Loss
32Lvave
P0 PL
2
D
In terms of
energy lost per
unit mass:

PO PL 32Lvave
Ff

Mechanical energy lost due to

friction in pipe (because of
what?)

Friction Factor
Definition: Drag force per
wetted surface unit area (or shear
stress at the surface) divided by
the product of density times
velocity head

P0 PL AC AS
S
f

2
2
v 2
v 2

Friction Factor
2

Ff
L v
4fF
gc
D 2gc
Frictional force/loss head is
proportional to the velocity
head of the flow and to the
ratio of the length to the
diameter of the flow stream

Friction Factor for

Laminar Flow
Consider the Hagen-Poiseuille
equation (describes laminar flow)
and the definition of the friction
2
factor:
F
P

P
L
v
P0 PL
2
f
O
L
vave

D
32L

Prove:

16
fF
NRe

gc

4fF

D 2gc

Valid only for

laminar flow

Outline
1.Velocity Profiles in Pipes
2.Pressure Drop and Friction Loss
(Laminar Flow)
3.Friction Loss (Turbulent
Flow)
4.Frictional Losses in Piping
Systems

Friction Factor for

Turbulent Flow
2

Ff
L v
4fF
gc
D 2gc
1. Friction factor is dependent on
NRe and the relative roughness
of the pipe.
2. The value of fF is determined
empirically.

Friction Factor for

Turbulent Flow
How to compute/find the value of the friction
factor for turbulent flow:
1. Use Moody diagrams.
- Friction factor vs. Reynolds number with a
series of parametric curves related to the
relative roughness

2. Use correlations that involve the friction

factor f.
- Blasius equation, Colebrook formula,
Churchill equation (Perry 8th Edition)

Moody Diagrams
Important notes:
1. Both fF and NRe are plotted in logarithmic
scales. Some Moody diagrams show fD
(Darcy friction factor). Make the
necessary conversions.
2. No curves are shown for the transition
region.
3. Lowest possible friction factor for a
given NRe in turbulent flow is shown by the
smooth pipe line.

Friction Factor
Correlations
1. Blasius equation for turbulent flow in
smooth tubes:

0.079
fF
0.25
NRe

4000 NRe 10

2. Colebrook formula

1
2.51

2log10

3.7D NRe fD
fD

Friction Factor
Correlations
3. Churchill equation (Colebrook formula
explicit in fD)
0.9

1
0.27
7

2log10

N
D
fD
Re

4. Swamee-Jain correlation

fD

0.25

5.74
2log10

0.9
3.7D NRe

Equivalent Roughness,

Materials of
Construction
Copper, brass, lead
(tubing)
Commercial or welded
steel
Wrought iron
Ductile iron coated
Ductile iron uncoated
Concrete

Equivalent
Roughness (m)
1.5 E-06
4.6 E-05
4.6
1.2
2.4
1.2

E-05
E-04
E-04
E-04

Frictional Losses for

Non-Circular Conduits
Instead of deriving new correlations for f, an
approximation is developed for an equivalent
diameter, Deq, which may be used to calculate NRe and
f.

S
Deq 4RH 4
Pw

where RH = hydraulic radius

S = cross-sectional area
Pw = wetted perimeter: sum of the length of the
boundaries of the cross-section actually in contact
with the fluid

Equivalent Diameter
(Deq)
S
Deq 4RH 4
Pw
Determine the equivalent diameter of
the following conduit types:
1.Annular space with outside
diameter Do and inside diameter Di
2.Rectangular duct with sides a and b
3.Open channels with liquid depth y
and liquid width b

Frictional Losses for

Non-Circular Conduits
Instead of deriving new correlations for f, an
approximation is developed for an equivalent
diameter, Deq, which may be used to calculate NRe and
f.

S
Deq 4RH 4
Pw

where RH = hydraulic radius

S = cross-sectional area
Pw = wetted perimeter: sum of the length of the
boundaries of the cross-section actually in contact
with the fluid

Equivalent Diameter
(Deq)
S
Deq 4RH 4
Pw
Determine the equivalent diameter of
the following conduit types:
1.Annular space with outside
diameter Do and inside diameter Di
2.Rectangular duct with sides a and b
3.Open channels with liquid depth y
and liquid width b

Non-Newtonian
Fluids

Newtonian Fluids

water
air
ethyl
alcohol

Non-Newtonian Fluids

blood

toothpaste

ketchu
p

Non-Newtonian Fluids

grease
polymer melt
cake batter

Non-Newtonian Fluids

molten
metal

paint
whipped
cream

Non-Newtonian Fluids

Foods
Emulsions (mayonnaise, ice
cream)
Foams (ice cream, whipped
cream)
Suspensions (mustard,

chocolate)
Gels (cheese)
Biofluids
Suspension (blood)
Gel (mucin)

Solutions (spittle)
Personal Care Products
Suspensions (nail polish, face
scrubs)
Solutions/Gels (shampoos,

conditioners)
Foams (shaving cream)

Electronic and Optical

Materials
Liquid Crystals (monitor
displays)
Melts (soldering paste)
Pharmaceuticals
Gels (creams, particle
precursors)
Emulsions (creams)
Aerosols (nasal sprays)
Polymers

Non-Newtonian Fluids
Why are these fluids nonNewtonian?
Non-Newtonian
behavior
is
frequently
associated with complex internal structure:
The fluid may have large
molecules (like a polymer), or

complex

The fluid may be a heterogeneous solution

(like a suspension)...

Non-Newtonian Fluids
Why are these fluids nonNewtonian?
Fluid systems may be non-ideal in two ways:
1. The viscosity may depend on shear rate
2. The viscosity may depend on time
Some (many) may have both

Classification
Time-Independent Fluids
The relation between shearing stress and
rate is unique but non-linear
The viscosity of the fluid at a given
temperature depends on the rate of
shearing

Classification
Time-Independent Fluids

Classification
Time-Independent Fluids
1. Bingham plastics
depends on a critical/yield shear
stress (0) and then becomes constant
Ex. sludge
paint
blood
ketchup

Classification
Time-Independent Fluids
1. Bingham plastics

Classification
Time-Independent Fluids
2. Power law fluids

Classification
Time-Independent Fluids
2. Power law fluids
Pseudoplastic fluids : decreases as
the shear rate increases (shear rate
thinning)
Ex. polymer melts
paper pulp in water
clay solutions
molasses
whipped cream

Classification
Time-Independent Fluids
2. Power law fluids
Dilatant fluids : decreases as the
shear rate
increases (shear rate
thickening)
Ex. Quicksand
Starch suspension
Wet sand

Classification
Time-Dependent Fluids
Shear rate depends on the shearing time or
on the previous shear rate history

Classification
Time-Dependent Fluids
1. Thixotropic fluids
: shear stress decreases with time at
constant shear rate; alternatively, the
apparent viscosity decreases with time
: the change is reversible; the fluid
rebuilds itself once shearing is removed
Ex. gelatin
shortening
cream

Classification
Time-Dependent Fluids
2. Rheopectic fluids
: shear stress increases with time at
constant shear rate; the apparent
viscosity increases with time
: the change is reversible
Ex. highly concentrated starch solutions
gravy
beating and thickening of egg whites
inks

Classification
Viscoelastic Fluids
The shear stress is determined by the
shear strain and the rate of shear strain
when applied stress is removed, the
material does not instantly vanish since
the internal structure of the material can
sustain the stress for some time
(relaxation time)
due to the internal stress, the fluid will
deform on its own, even when external
stresses are removed