Chapter - 5

Viscous Flow in A Pipe/Duct

Introduction

Transport fluid in pipe system is extremely important in engineering

practice.
 Water pipes and distribution systems
 Oil pipelines
 Gas pipelines
 Viscous Flow in A Pipe/Duct
The three regimes of viscous flow: (a) laminar flow at low Re; (b) transition at intermediate Re; (c)
turbulent flow at high Re.

Flow will appear steady on average but will reveal rapid, random fluctuations if turbulence is present,

If the flow is laminar, there may be occasional natural disturbances which damp out quickly

If transition is occurring, there will be sharp bursts of turbulent fluctuation (Fig. 1b) as the increasing
Reynolds number causes a breakdown or instability of laminar motion.

At sufficiently large Re, the flow will fluctuate continually (Fig. 1c) and is termed fully turbulent.

Fig 1. The three regimes of viscous flow:

(a) laminar flow at low Re;
(b) transition at intermediate Re;
(c) turbulent flow at high Re
 Internal Viscous Flow
• Both laminar and turbulent flows can be internal and external
• An internal flow is contained (or bounded) by walls and the viscous flow will
grow and meet and permeate the entire flow.
• As a result, there is an entrance region where nearly inviscid upstream flow
converges and enters the duct.
 Entrance Region
• Beyond the entrance region, which is a finite distance from the entrance x = Le, the velocity profile becomes
constant, i.e. it no longer changes with x and is said to be fully developed, u≈u(r).
There is an entrance region where a nearly inviscid upstream flow converges and enters the
tube.
Fully developed region where the velocity profile, the pressure gradient & the shear stress are
constant i.e they are not f(x)

▪ The figure above shows developing velocity profiles and pressure changes in the entrance of a duct flow.
 Entrance Region Cont’d.
• For laminar flow, the entrance region can be found form the following empirical correlation:

• Assuming the maximum Re for the laminar flow in a duct is Red,crit = 2300 the
longest laminar developing region becomes: Le = 138d, i.e. 138 times of the tube
diameter.
• Turbulent flow boundary layers grow faster, and the entrance region (Le) is
relatively shorter:
Example
 Laminar Friction Factor
From Continuity equation:

• The energy equation:

• Since V1 = V2, the friction head lost is:

• Momentum along the x‐direction:

Figure shows the control volume of steady,
fully developed flow between two sections
in an inclined pipe.
• Rearranging this, we find that the head loss is related to wall shear stress:
 Darcy Friction Factor
• A German professor, Julius Weisbach 1850, argued that the friction factor is proportional to
L/d and V2 (observed experimentally in turbulent regime).
• He then proposed to represent the frictionless head loss with a dimensionless parameter f
(called the Darcy friction factor), that is defined as:

• By equating the above equations, we find:

f = f(Red, duct roughness, duct shape)

 Friction factor for turbulent flow
The friction factor for the turbulent pipe flow can be calculated from the following correlations:

For a horizontal pipe, we have:

The pressure drop for the turbulent flow decreases with diameter even more sharply than the
laminar flow. Doubling the pipe size decreases the pressure drop by a factor of 27 for a given
Q.
Example 1: An oil with density 900 kg/m3 and
kinematic viscosity = 0.0002 m2 /s flows upward
through an inclined pipe as shown in Figure below.
The pressure and elevation are known at sections
1 and 2 is 10 m apart. Assuming steady laminar
a) verify that the flow is up
flow, b) compute hf between 1 and 2
c) Calculate Q
d) Estimate the V
e) and also calculate Red. Is the
flow really laminar ?
 on
l u ti
so

Red < 2300, and so we are fairly certain the flow is laminar
 5.2 Losses In Pipe System
• Head Loss: the head loss in fittings is sometimes described as “minor losses” because in a
system with a long length of pipe, the head loss in the fittings is usually small compared to
the head loss in the pipe.

• However, if the pipe is relatively short, the head loss in the fittings can be as great or
greater than the head loss in the pipe.

⮚The head loss in a fitting is in some part due to fluid friction in the fitting itself.

⮚But in greater part because of turbulence and eddies which occur because the fitting
interferes with the smooth flow of fluid.

⮚The head loss can be small if the fitting is designed and constructed in accordance with good
flow practice, or considerable if the fitting severely interferes with the smooth flow of the
 Minor Losses In Pipe Systems
For any pipe systems, in addition to the Moody‐type friction loss, computed for the length of
pipe, there are additional minor losses, including: pipe entrance or exit, sudden expansion or
contraction, bends, elbows, tees, other fittings, valves (open or partially closed), and gradual
expansions or contractions.
 Minor Losses…
The losses commonly measured experimentally and correlated with the pipe flow parameters,
usually given as a ratio of the head loss through the device to the velocity head of the
associated piping system:

A single pipe system may have many minor losses. Since all are correlated with they can be
summed into a single total system loss if the pipe has constant diameter:
Some example for K factor

K = Resistance coefficient,
Entrance and Exit K Factor
Equivalent lengths and K value
Equivalent
Constant K
Type of fitting length, L/D
(Dimensionless)
(Dimensionless)

Globe valve, wide open 350 6.3

Angle valve, wide open 170 3.0
Gate valve, wide open 7 0.13
Check valve, swing type 110 2.0
90o standard elbow 32 0.74
90o long-radius elbow 20 0.46
45o standard elbow 15 0.3
Standard tee, flow-through run
20 0.4

Standard tee, flow-through branch

60 1.3

Coupling 2 0.04
Union 2 0.04
 Sudden Enlargement / Expansion
• Like any moving particles with mass and inertia, particles of
fluid cannot follow the exact contour of the sharp
corners.

• Fluids slow down from relatively high velocity and high

kinetic energy in a small pipe to relatively low velocity and
low kinetic energy in a large pipe.
• If process took place without friction, kinetic energy is
converted to injection work resulting in pressure
increase.
• Friction loss = upstream kinetic energy
 Sudden Contraction
• Decrease in pipe diameter & loss is related to the velocity

in the smaller pipe. The loss is associated with the

contraction of flow and turbulence.

• The section at which the flow is the narrowest – Vena

Contracta.
• At vena contracta the velocity is maximum
• Vena contracta – caused by radial inward velocity of fluid approaching tube.

• Flow comes from all directions & fluid forms a neck called vena contracta just downstream of
tube entrance.
 Sudden Enlargement and Contraction

• Friction loss:

K = resistance coefficient
Energy lost is because of turbulence. Amount of turbulence depends on the
differences in pipe diameters

ℎ𝑙 = head loss of flow, K = Resistance coefficient, V = velocity of flow

g = gravitational force
A= area of pipe & D = diameter of pipe

• Loss of head at the exit of pipe

• This loss of head is due to the velocity of liquid been dissipated at the outlet of pipe either in
the form of a free jet ( if outlet of pipe is free ) or it is lost in tank or reservoir ( if pipe is
connected to a tank ).
Example 2 : Water at 200C should be pumped from Tank 1 to Tank 2 at the rate of
120m3/hr. All pipes in the system are 6-in. schedule 40 commercial steel pipes. The
total length of the straight pipe is 150m. Determine the friction losses due to the pipe
fittings, sudden enlargement and contraction as shown in the figure below.
And also calculate the major friction loss due to pipe alone .

900 regular elbow Patm

Tank
Patm
15m
2

Tank
1
900 regular elbow

Figure A pumping system for example 1

 Solution
Contraction loss (the specific energy loss due to contraction ) at the tank exit of Tank 1

Expansion loss at the entrance of Tank 2

Friction loss in the two elbows

 Pipe Line (Fitting & Valves) Flow Analysis
• To solve piping system, extended Bernoulli equation is required
which the total losses is placed at the right hand side (at point 2)

Piping system usually constructed to deliver fluid at higher level or to create a

pressurized system

Head form of Bernoulli equation (unit: length):

on loss
l f r ict i
al
over

Where HL = head loss / friction head loss =

 Valves

Check valve Gate valve Globe valve

Fittings

Coupling 90o elbow

Tee Union
• For valves and fittings, friction loss is determined through:

Where: Kfitting = resistant coefficient for fitting. (L/D)equiv = equivalent length

(the length of pipe that will produce the same head loss as the fitting itself)

• Component with sharp edge such as

sharp edge exit has higher loss
coefficient compare to well rounded
Minor Losses (cont’)

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 Minor Losses (cont’)

• These loss coefficient depends on the manufacturer data

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Minor Losses (cont’)

31
Minor Losses (cont’)

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 Equivalent lengths and K value
Equivalent
Constant K
Type of fitting length, L/D
(Dimensionless)
(Dimensionless)
Globe valve, wide open 350 6.3
Angle valve, wide open 170 3.0
Gate valve, wide open 7 0.13
Check valve, swing type 110 2.0
90o standard elbow 32 0.74
90o long-radius elbow 20 0.46
45o standard elbow 15 0.3
Standard tee, flow-through run 20 0.4
Standard tee, flow-through branch 60 1.3
Coupling 2 0.04
Union 2 0.04
 Attachments in Pipeline System
• Two principles in analyzing piping system which are
a) Conservation of mass throughout the system must be satisfied
b) Pressure drop (and thus head loss) between two junctions must be the same
for all paths between the two junctions
Contraction
Elbows

Valve

Enlargement
 Friction Loss for pipeline system
• For a pipeline system consists of fittings such as elbows, valves,
enlargement and contraction, overall friction loss and head loss is
determine through:

• For a system that involves transfer of liquid from a source to another receiver using a fluid machinery such as
pump, overall energy equation is given as:
Example 3: A piping system delivering water at 25°C from tank 1 to tank 2. The
system consist two 45º, a sharp entrance and a sharp exit. The diameter of the
stainless steel pipe is 2cm and length of 55 m. Determine h so that the flow
rate is 83.3 L/min.

h=?m Tank 1
45°
2
point 1, Just above water level,
Tank 2 45° P1=0
V1 = 0
point 2, Just above water level,
P2= 0 Z1 = 0
V2 = 0
Z2 = h 36
 Solution
Q  A cV avg Q 83.3/(0.01)
(60000)
 Vavg  A 2
 4.42m/s
c

Vavg D 997(4.42)(0.02)
Re    98916, Turbulent
 0.89110-3

Stainless steel, Roughness ,   0.002mm  2106 m Roughness

ratio ,  / D  2 106  0.02  0.0001

 



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 2
V avg (4.42) 2
 0.5  2  0. 4 1  2.29 m
h
L,minor
  K  L
2g 2(9.81) H2 O

h L,total  h L,Major h L,Minor

 49.29  2.29  51.58m
0 0
 1
1 P (V ) 02 Reference point
0  z 1 2  2
z 2  L ,total
Pg 2g
v 2 g 2g h

0  0  h  0  0  0  hL ,total

h  51.58 m

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