Dr. Burhan S.

Abdulrazzaq

1.12.2 Other Pipe Flow Examples

1.12.2.1 Adding a parallel pipe example

A pipe joins two reservoirs whose head difference is 10m. The pipe is 0.2 m diameter, 1000m in length
and has a f value of 0.008.
a) What is the flow in the pipeline?
b) It is required to increase the flow to the downstream reservoir by 30%. This is to be done
adding a second pipe of the same diameter that connects at some point along the old pipe and runs
down to the lower reservoir. Assuming the diameter and the friction factor are the same as the old
pipe, how long should the new pipe be?

10m

Original pipe
New pipe

100
0m

a)
fLQ 2
hf =
3d 5
0.008 × 1000Q 2
10 =
3 × 0.25
Q = 0.0346 m 3 / s
Q = 34.6 litres / s

b)
H = 10 = h f 1 + h f 2 = h f 1 + h f 3
∴
hf 2 = hf 3
2 2
f 2 L2Q2 f LQ
5
= 3 3 53
3d 2 3d 3
as the pipes 2 and 3 are the same f, same length and the same diameter then Q2 = Q3.

By continuity Q1 = Q2 + Q3 = 2Q2 = 2Q3

So
Q1
Q2 =
2
and
L2 = 1000 -L1
Then
 Dr. Burhan S. Abdulrazzaq

10 = h f 1 + h f 2
f1 L1Q12 f 2 L2Q22
10 = +
2d12 2d 22
f1 L1Q12 f 2 (1000 − L1 )(Q1 / 2)
2
10 = +
2d12 2d 22

As f1 = f2, d1 = d2
10 =
f1Q12 ⎛
L +
(1000 − L1 ) ⎞
2 ⎜ 1 ⎟
3d1 ⎝ 4 ⎠

The new Q1 is to be 30% greater than before so Q1 = 1.3 × 0.034 = 0.442 m3/s

Solve for L to give

L1 = 455.6m

L2 = 1000 – 455.6 = 544.4 m