ENGINEERING SCIENCE 16

FLUID MECHANICS
Steady Incompressible Flow in
Pressure Conduits
(Pipe Flow)
Prepared by: JRTLustro
 Reynolds Number (Re)
Dimensionless number that indicates
whether the flow is laminar or turbulent
 Reynolds Number (Re)

Re =

where
= fluid density
= flow velocity
= pipe diameter
= fluid viscosity
Reynolds Set-up
 Laminar
Re < 2000

Transition
2000 Re 4000

Turbulent
Re > 4000
 Pipe Flow Equations

Equation Restrictions
Darcy-Weisbach 2 82 circular pipe
Equation = = 2 5
2

= ,
 Pipe Flow Equations
Equation Restrictions

Blasius Formula 0.316 < 100000

= 1 4

Hagen-Poiseuille 64
= laminar flow
Equation

White-Colebrook Equation
1 2.523
(the basis for the Moody = 0.869 +
Diagram) 3.7
 Pipe Flow Equations

Equation Restrictions
1.325 104 102
Explicit Equation = 2
5.74 5000 108
+
3.7 0.9
1.11
1 6.9
Haaland Equation 1.8 +
3.7
 Simple Pipe Problems
Type Required Given
I , , , , ,

II , , , , ,
Re
and
III , , , , , /D

Equation f
Type I (Required: & )
1.) Compute for Re and /
2.) Look up for in Moody diagram or calculate from
an explicit equation (if applicable)
3.) Calculate using Darcy-Weisbach equation
Type II (Required: & )
1.) Compute for /
2.) Assume a value of in Moody diagram or calculate
from an explicit equation
3.) Solve for using Darcy-Weisbach equation
4.) Solve for Re. Use Re and / to find new from
Moody diagram or an explicit equation
5.) Repeat 3.) and 4.) until
Type III (Required: & )
1.) Assume a value of in Moody diagram or calculate
from an explicit equation. Solve for 1 and 2
5
2.) Solve for . = 1
3.) Solve for Re
4.) Find /
5.) Find new from Moody diagram or an explicit
equation
6.) Use new and repeat until
 2 2
8 5
8
= 2 5 = 2

5
= 1
4/
Re = Re =

2
Re =

Sample Problem:
1.) Gasoline at 20 C ( = 4.27 x 10-7 m2/s) is pumped
at 0.30 m3/s through 30 km of 20-cm-diameter cast
iron ( = 0.26 mm) pipe. Compute the head loss in
meters.
Sample Problem:
2.) Water at 20 C ( = 1.082 x 10-5 ft2/s) flows through
80 ft of -in-diameter wrought iron ( = 0.00015 ft)
pipe with a head loss of 40 ft. Compute for the
average velocity in ft/s and flow rate in gal/min.
Sample Problem:
3.) If water at 20 C ( = 1.082 x 10-5 ft2/s) is to be
pumped through 150 ft of cast iron ( = 0.00085 ft)
pipe at 4000 gpm with a head loss no greater than 60
ft, what should be the minimum diameter of the pipe
in inches?