PHYSIC & CHEMISTRY Volume, Pressure, Resistance, Flow

Factors which affect flow & resistance of fluid in a tube

1) Laminar Flow via a tube
Movement of a given amount of fluid in a specified time between two
points
For this movement to occur, must be a pressure difference between the
two points [pressure gradient]
Source of pressure differential that causes flow may be gravity or
motion imparted by a pump
Factors affecting FLOW: - Pressure gradient
- Length of tube
- Internal diameter of tube
- Viscosity of fluid

Flow =
Pressure
Resistance


Resistance =
Viscosity Length
Diameter
4


Flow =
Pressure
Viscosity Length
Diameter
4


Algebraic rearrangement: Flow =
Pr
Vis
essure Diameter
4
cosity Length

4
OR Poiseuilles Law Flow =
Pxr
LxVx8

Law of fluid flow:
P: pressure difference or gradient
r: radius of tube
L: length of tube
V: viscosity of the fluid
8: constant of proportionality

For a given tube, the fluid volume flow rate increases linearly with the
applied pressure
The longer the tube and the more viscous the fluid, the less the flow
The wider the tube the more flow it will carry
K Potger page 1 of 2
PHYSIC & CHEMISTRY Volume, Pressure, Resistance, Flow
K Potger page 2 of 2

2)Turbulent Flow via a tube
Under turbulent flow conditions, Poiseuilles Law no longer applies
Reynolds number is a dimensionless quantity whose magnitude gives an
indication of whether flow is laminar or turbulent


Re =

mean velocity x density x diameter
Viscosity


Re < 2000: flow is likely to be laminal
Re > 2500: flow is likely to be turbulent

For a channel of a given size and shape, there is, for any given fluid (viscosity), an
upper limit of flow to which the fluid motion proceeds as if in layers constituting
laminal flow. Beyond such limits the flow is turbulent, and the lateral motions
include eddies and swirling paths


3) Flow through a Orifice
In contrast to laminar flow through a tube which is dependent on the
viscosity of the gas flowing, flow through an orifice,(which may be
considered to be a special form of a tube whose radius is much greater
than its length) depends on the square root of the density of the gas, as
well as the area of the orifice and the square root of the applied
pressure. It is, however, relatively independent of viscosity