Process and Equipment Sharing Series

Fanning Friction Factor

and
Darcy Friction Factor
in Calculating Head Loss
- The Common Mistake -

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer
Overview

Fluids flowing through a medium, such as a pipe, undergo a phenomenon

known as friction. This friction between the fluid and the pipe occurs due to
the shear force generated by the interaction of fluid molecules with the pipe's
surface, which is influenced by several factors, one of which is the pipe's
surface roughness or commonly known as pipe roughness. In reality, the
surface of the medium (in this case, the pipe) through which the fluid flows is
never completely smooth and always has some degree of roughness or
irregularity. As a result of this phenomenon, Head Loss or Pressure Drop
(ΔP) occurs.

Source: feng.stafpu.bu.edu.eg

In order to calculate the Pressure Drop or Head Loss in a pipeline from a

fluid flowing at a certain velocity, we must first understand the concept of the
friction factor. In fluid dynamics, the friction factor is a dimensionless
parameter that depends on the Reynolds number of the flow, indicating the
level of resistance or obstruction to flow within a pipe. This parameter is
crucial in determining the pressure or head loss in piping or channel systems
due to flow resistance.

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer 1
Overview

In engineering literature, we encounter two different friction factors:

1. Darcy friction factor (fd); and

2. Fanning friction factor (ff).

When calculating Head Loss or Pressure Drop for liquid phase, the Darcy-
Weisbach equation is commonly applied, which is expressed as:

𝑳 𝒗𝟐 𝑳 𝒗𝟐
(a) 𝒉 = 𝒇 or (b) 𝒉 = 𝟒𝒇
𝑰𝑫 𝟐𝒈 𝑰𝑫 𝟐𝒈

In most literature, both types of friction factors are often represented by the same
symbol, f, which can lead to confusion and errors in determining which friction
factor should be used in the respective equations. Furthermore, many textbooks
do not explicitly clarify which type of friction factor is being defined. As a
result, people commonly apply both friction factors interchangeably in the
Darcy-Weisbach equation (a), which is the most widely used formula for
calculating Head Loss.

However, it is crucial to note that the Darcy Friction Factor should only be used
with equation (a), while the Fanning Friction Factor is exclusively applicable to
equation (b). Using the correct version of the Darcy-Weisbach equation in
conjunction with the appropriate friction factor is essential.

If the wrong equation is paired with the wrong friction factor, errors of up to
400% can occur. Therefore, ensuring the correct combination of equation and
friction factor is imperative to avoid significant inaccuracies.

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer 2
Problem

Then, what’s the difference between

the Darcy Friction Factor and the
Fanning Friction Factor?

And how are they determined?

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer 3
Discussion

Actually, there is no significant difference between the Darcy Friction Factor

and the Fanning Friction Factor, as both are defined, used, and intended for the
same purpose. The only distinction is that the value of the Fanning Friction
Factor is one fourth of the Darcy Friction Factor, or in formula terms:

𝟏
𝒇𝑭 = 𝒇𝑫
𝟒

However, the Darcy friction factor is often used by engineers who work in SI
units, whereas the Fanning friction factor is frequently preferred by engineers
who use British units.

Still, the use of an incorrect friction factor and formulation can lead to
calculation values with an error of 400%. The next page is an example that
shows a common mistake in calculating Head Loss, which is using equation (a)
for both friction factors. The data and specifications of the fluid and pipe are as
follows.

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer 4
Discussion – Case Example

Fluid Service : Water

Flowrate Q : 2779,982 L/h
Flowrate Q : 0,000772 m3/s
Temperature T : 30 oC

Pressure P : 1,01 Bar

Density ρ : 1000 kg/h
Viscosity µ : 0,000801 Pa.s

Pipe Type : Commercial Steel

Pipe NPS : 2,5
Schedule : 40
Pipe ID : 62,7126 m
Pipe Cross-sectional Area : 0,003089 m2
Pipe Roughness : 0,04572 mm

Based on condition above, we get:

Fluid Velocity : 0,25 m/s
Reynold Number : 19573,2

To calculate the Darcy Friction Factor, to make it simply, we will use S.E.
Haaland’s Equation (1983) as following:

Therefore, we get the friction factor : 0,027.

Because the Fanning Friction Factor is equal to one fourth the Darcy Friction
Factor, thus : 0,0068 (Fanning Friction Factor)

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer 5
Discussion - Result

Based on the friction factor obtained, the magnitude of the Head Loss is as
follows:

• h : 0,01384 m (Darcy Friction Factor)

: 0,135 kPa

• h : 0,00346 m (Fanning Friction Factor)

: 0,034 kPa

For comparison (reference), calculations were performed using Aspen HYSYS

with the same data and specifications. The results from the Aspen HYSYS
calculation are as follows:

We can see that the calculation result using the Fanning Friction Factor is
significantly different, being one-fourth of the value it should be (Darcy;
manually and through Aspen).

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer 6
Discussion - Result

To make the intent clearer, I will vary the flow rate of the fluid, and the
results are shown in the table and graph below.

Head Loss (Darcy f);

v (m/s) NRe Darcy f Fanning f Head Loss (Fanning f); (m)
(m)
0,25 19573,22 0,0272 0,0068 0,0138 0,0035
0,5 39146,44 0,0239 0,0060 0,0485 0,0121
0,75 58719,66 0,0224 0,0056 0,1026 0,0256
1 78292,88 0,0216 0,0054 0,1756 0,0439
1,25 97866,1 0,0210 0,0053 0,2673 0,0668
1,5 117439,3 0,0206 0,0052 0,3778 0,0945
1,75 137012,5 0,0203 0,0051 0,5070 0,1267
2 156585,8 0,0201 0,0050 0,6547 0,1637
2,25 176159 0,0199 0,0050 0,8211 0,2053
2,5 195732,2 0,0198 0,0049 1,0061 0,2515
2,75 215305,4 0,0197 0,0049 1,2097 0,3024
3 234878,7 0,0196 0,0049 1,4318 0,3580
3,25 254451,9 0,0195 0,0049 1,6725 0,4181
3,5 274025,1 0,0194 0,0048 1,9318 0,4830
3,75 293598,3 0,0193 0,0048 2,2097 0,5524
4 313171,5 0,0193 0,0048 2,5061 0,6265
4,25 332744,8 0,0192 0,0048 2,8211 0,7053
4,5 352318 0,0191 0,0048 3,1547 0,7887
4,75 371891,2 0,0191 0,0048 3,5068 0,8767
5 391464,4 0,0191 0,0048 3,8775 0,9694

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer 7
Discussion - Closing

Velocity vs Friction Factor

Velocity vs Head Loss

As we can see, there is a significant gap or error resulting from using the wrong
friction factor and incorrect formulation. Therefore, we must choose the
correct formula for the friction factor being used. We need to be more careful
to avoid the common mistake in calculating Head Loss.

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer 8
Closing

The same applies in reverse, meaning that if the Darcy Friction Factor is
used in the Head Loss calculation using formula (b), this will also result in
an error with the same percentage.

Errors in calculating Head Loss can lead to serious consequences for the
efficiency, cost, and reliability of the piping system. If the Head Loss is
calculated too small, the pump or compressor may not have enough
capacity to overcome the pressure losses. This can lead to fluid flow being
lower than designed, hindering the distribution of fluid to the intended
points, reducing operational efficiency, and even causing production
downtime. On the other hand, if the Head Loss is calculated too large, the
system often experiences overdesign, where components like pumps, pipes,
or fittings are selected with sizes or capacities exceeding actual needs. As a
result, installation costs increase significantly, energy consumption
becomes inefficient because oversized pumps use excess power, and
component wear is heightened due to suboptimal operating conditions.

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer 9
Appendix

Additional!!!

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer 10
Appendix

I randomly challenged myself out of curiosity and discovered a simpler

formula for approximating the friction factor compared to the S.E. Haaland
Equation, the Colebrook-White correlation, and others. The formula is
similar to the Blasius Correlation but with significant differences. The
formula is as follows:

𝟎, 𝟑𝟓 𝜺
𝒇= + 𝑸𝒀 , 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑸𝒀 =
𝟒
𝑹𝒆 𝑰𝑫
*For anyone who knows whose and what formula this is, please let me
know by leaving a comment in the comment section.

I have also tested the above equation using the previous case study, and the
results obtained are as follows:
Head Loss (Darcy Head Loss (Fanning f); Head Loss (QY f);
v (m/s) NRe Darcy f Fanning f QY f
f); (m) (m) (m)
0,25 19573,22 0,0272 0,0068 0,0303 0,0138 0,0035 0,0154
0,5 39146,44 0,0239 0,0060 0,0256 0,0485 0,0121 0,0521
0,75 58719,66 0,0224 0,0056 0,0232 0,1026 0,0256 0,1062
1 78292,88 0,0216 0,0054 0,0217 0,1756 0,0439 0,1762
1,25 97866,1 0,0210 0,0053 0,0205 0,2673 0,0668 0,2608
1,5 117439,3 0,0206 0,0052 0,0196 0,3778 0,0945 0,3594
1,75 137012,5 0,0203 0,0051 0,0189 0,5070 0,1267 0,4714
2 156585,8 0,0201 0,0050 0,0183 0,6547 0,1637 0,5963
2,25 176159 0,0199 0,0050 0,0178 0,8211 0,2053 0,7337
2,5 195732,2 0,0198 0,0049 0,0174 1,0061 0,2515 0,8832
2,75 215305,4 0,0197 0,0049 0,0170 1,2097 0,3024 1,0445
3 234878,7 0,0196 0,0049 0,0166 1,4318 0,3580 1,2175
3,25 254451,9 0,0195 0,0049 0,0163 1,6725 0,4181 1,4018
3,5 274025,1 0,0194 0,0048 0,0160 1,9318 0,4830 1,5972
3,75 293598,3 0,0193 0,0048 0,0158 2,2097 0,5524 1,8036
4 313171,5 0,0193 0,0048 0,0155 2,5061 0,6265 2,0208
4,25 332744,8 0,0192 0,0048 0,0153 2,8211 0,7053 2,2486
4,5 352318 0,0191 0,0048 0,0151 3,1547 0,7887 2,4868
4,75 371891,2 0,0191 0,0048 0,0149 3,5068 0,8767 2,7354
5 391464,4 0,0191 0,0048 0,0147 3,8775 0,9694 2,9942

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer 11
Appendix

The results still have some error or gap, but in my opinion, it is suitable for
preliminary calculations.

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer 12
REFERENCES

1. https://engineerexcel.com/darcy-vs-fanning-friction-factor/
2. https://ubitutors.com/friction-factor-calculator/
3. https://engineeringlibrary.org/reference/head-loss-fluid-flow-doe-handbook
4. Menon, E. S. (2004). Liquid pipeline hydraulics. CRC press.

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer 13
Closing

I am Qodri, a fresh graduate of Chemical

Engineering, Syiah Kuala University, with a
proven track record in technical excellence
and innovation and a strong passion for
process engineering. My dedication and
innovation have led to several notable
achievements on both national and
international levels, spanning various
domains such as scientific paper, innovative
solutions, case studies, plant designs, and etc.
In recognition of my contributions, I was
honored as Aceh's Most Outstanding Youth
in 2023. I bring a strong foundation in
technical concepts and problem-solving, with
expertise in process simulation and other
software like Aspen HYSYS, Aspen Plus,
Aspen EDR, ANSYS, AutoCAD, etc. Skilled
in designing and sizing equipment such as
pumps, pipelines, etc and familiar in
creating, analyzing, and updating P&ID
to optimize system design . I am actively
seeking career opportunities in Process
Engineering and eager to apply my skills and
expertise to contribute and deliver excellence
toward shared success.

Thank You for your attention and your time!

(Feel free to share your thoughts, like, and repost!)

Qodri Yudit Angesta

A Learner and A Curious
Engineer 14