Frictional Losses in a Pipe Flow (Major Losses)

F r ic t io n a l L o s s e s :

F r o m t h e d im e n s io n a l a n a ly s is , w e le a r n e d t h a t t h e n o r m a liz e d p r e s s u r e d r o p ,  P / ( ½  V 2 )
in a p ip e f lo w d u e t o t h e fr ic t io n a l lo s s c a n b e r e la t e d t o o t h e r d im e n s io n le s s p a r a m e t e r s
s u c h a s t h e p ip e R e y n o ld s n u m b e r (  V D /  ) , r e la t iv e r o u g h n e s s (  / D ) a n d t h e le n g t h t o
P VD L 
d ia m e t e r r a t io ( L / D ) . T h a t is ,   1 ( , , ).
1 V 2  D D
2
I t is lo g ic a l t o a s s u m e t h a t t h e p r e s s u r e d r o p is lin e a r ly p r o p o r t io n a l t o t h e p ip e le n g t h s o
th a t
P L VD 
  2 ( , ),
1 V 2 D  D
2

L 1 U D  L 1
or P  (  V 2 ) 2 ( , )  f ( V 2)
D 2  D D 2

VD  P D
b y d e f in in g t h e fr ic t io n a l f a c t o r f   2 ( , )  ( ).
 D 1 V 2
L
2
 Frictional Factor
T h e fr ic t io n a l fa c t o r is t h e n a fu n c t io n o f t h e R e y n o ld s n u m b e r a n d t h e r e la t iv e r o u g h n e s s
a lo n e . F o r a la m in a r flo w ( R e < 2 ,3 0 0 ) in s id e a h o r iz o n t a l p ip e , t h e fr ic t io n a l fa c t o r is n o t
c o r r e la t e d t o t h e r e la t iv e r o u g h n e s s a n d is a fu n c t io n o f t h e R e y n o ld s n u m b e r a lo n e . I t
c a n b e s h o w n t h a t t h e fr ic t io n a l fa c t o r is s im p ly f = 6 4 /R e ( s e e c h a p t e r 8 .2 in t h e F M
b o o k f o r t h e d e r iv a t io n ) . I f t h e p ip e f lo w is t u r b u le n t ( R e > 4 ,0 0 0 ) it s fr ic t io n a l fa c t o r
r e la t io n c a n n o t b e d e t e r m in e d a n a ly t ic a lly a n d it is u s u a lly d e t e r m in e d e m p ir ic a lly a n d is
t a b u la te d in t a b le s o r c h a r t s ( s e e t h e M o o d y c h a r t in c h a p t e r 8 .4 in th e te x t ) . T h e
fr ic t io n a l fa c t o r is p lo t t e d a s a fu n c t io n o f t h e R e y n o ld s n u m b e r a n d r e la t iv e r o u g h n e s s .
T y p ic a l r o u g h n e s s v a lu e s fo r c o m m e r c ia lly a v a ila b le p ip e s a r e lis t e d in T a b le 8 .1 a s a
r e fe r e n c e . O t h e r fr ic t io n a l fa c t o r c o r r e la t io n fo r m u la s a r e a ls o a v a ila b le . T h e m o s t
fa m o u s o n e is t h e C o le b r o o k e q u a t io n :

1  / D 2 .5 1
  2 .0 lo g (  ).
f 3 .7 R e f

T h e d r a w b a c k o f u s in g t h is e q u a t io n is t h a t f is n o t e x p lic it ly r e la t e d t o R e a n d  /D .
S o m e t im e s , t h e f o llo w in g e q u a t io n c a n b e u s e d in s t e a d :

1 .3 2 5
f  fo r 1 0 -6
   1 0  2
an d 5 0 0 0 < R e< 1 08.
   
D

2
ln   5 .7 4 
 3 . 7 D 
0 .9
R e
 Minor Losses
F r ic t io n a l lo s s e s ( m a jo r lo s s e s ) u s u a lly a r e r e s p o n s ib le f o r t h e m a jo r it y o f t h e p r e s s u r e
lo s s e s in a p ip e s y s t e m . H o w e v e r , p ip e s y s t e m s u s u a lly c o n s i s t o f m a n y o t h e r
c o m p o n e n t s , s u c h a s v a lv e s , b e n d s , e lb o w s , e x p a n s io n s , e t c . , w h ic h a ls o c o n t r ib u t e t o t h e
t o t a l h e a d lo s s o f t h e s y s t e m . T h e s e lo s s e s c a n b e s ig n if ic a n t if t h e p i p e le n g t h is n o t v e r y
lo n g . D is c u s s io n a b o u t t h e m in o r lo s s e s c a n b e f o u n d in c h a p t e r 8 . 4 . 2 in t h e t e x t b o o k .
T h e p r e s s u r e d r o p d u e t o m i n o r lo s s e s c a n b e s p e c if ie d b y u s in g t h e l o s s c o e f f ic ie n t , K L ,
w h ic h is d e f i n e d a s

P
K  s o th a t  P = K L ( 1  V 2 ).
L
1 V 2 2
2

One of the example of minor losses is the entrance flow loss. A typical flow
pattern for flow entering a sharp-edged entrance is shown in the following page.
A vena contracta region if formed at the inlet because the fluid can not turn a
sharp corner. Flow separation and associated viscous effects will tend to
decrease the flow energy and the phenomenon is complicated. To simplify the
analysis, a head loss and the associated loss coefficient are used in the extended
Bernoulli’s equation to take into consideration of this effect as described in the
next page.
 V1
Minor Loss through flow entrance

h=z1-z3

V2 V3

Minor loss Actual kinetic energy

V 2 at 3 with minor loss
p  gz
2

(1/2)V22 KL(1/2)V32

p   gz1 (1/2)V32
pp

2
p1 V1 p3 V32 V32
Extended Bernoulli's Equation:   z1  hL    z3 , hL  K L
 2g  2g 2g
2
p1  p3  p , V1  0, V3  1 ( 2 g ( z1  z3 )  gh
1  KL 1  KL
 Extended Bernoulli’s Equation
B a s e d o n t h e p r e v io u s d is c u s s io n , t h e p r e s s u r e d is t r ib u t io n a lo n g a p ip e s y s t e m c a n b e
c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y u s i n g t h e e x t e n d e d B e r n o u l l i 's e q u a t i o n :

2
P1 V 1 P 2 V 22
  g z1  g h A  g h E  g h L    g z2
 2  2
F o r a h o riz o n ta l(z 1 = z 2 ), fu lly -d e v e lo p e d (V 1 = V 2 ), s tra ig h t p ip e s y s te m w ith n o e x te rn a l p o w e r
( h A = h E = 0 ), th e p r e s s u r e d ro p is r e la te d to th e lo s s e s a lo n e , th a t is ,
L 1
P1  P2   P   g h  fr ic tio n a l lo s s e s + m in o r lo s s e s = f ( V 2)  K L( 1 V 2)
L
D 2 2

B o t h t h e lo s s c o e f f ic ie n t a n d t h e f r ic t io n a l f a c t o r c a n b e d e t e r m in e d u s in g t h e e m p ir ic a l
v a lu e s a v a ila b le in s t a n d a r d iz e d t a b le s o r c h a r t s in c h a p t e r 8 .

S p e c ia l n o t e : d u e t o t h e n o n - u n ifo r m it y o f t h e v e lo c it y p r o file s in s id e a p ip e , t h e
k in e t ic e n e r g y t e r m s in t h e e x t e n d e d B e r n o u lli's e q u a t io n s h o u ld b e m o d ifie d t o
in c lu d e t h is e ffe c t . T h e k in e t ic e n e r g y c o e ffic ie n t ,  , is s o d e fin e d in c h a p t e r 8 .6 .1 .
S e e e q u a tio n s 8 .2 8 a n d 8 .2 9 t o g e t m o r e in fo r m a t io n .