Piping Engineering
Week Name Piping System Components: Single-phase Pressure Drop
Topic Name Problem Solving - 1
Menu Name: Learning Outcome
Learning Outcome:
At the end of this session, you should be able to
Determine the pressure drop of a piping system consisting of
pipelines, valves and fittings
Determine either flow rate through the pipe or diameter of the
pipe iteratively based on the type of the problem
Menu Name: Problem Solving
Consider a piping system as shown here to deliver water flow from a
reservoir at a higher elevation z1 = 60 m to a reservoir at a lower
elevation z2 = 6.0 m. The static pressures (Gauge) at the inlet and exit of
the piping system are P1 = 500 kPa and P2 = 100 kPa, respectively. The
total length of the pipe is L = 200 m and it consists of two gate valves,
one globe valve, and four elbows. Neglect the resistance offered by
elbows against the water flow in this problem. What diameter of
commercial steel pipe would be required to deliver 0.02 m3/s of water?
Use the Crane method.
Take:
Density of water, ρ = 988 kg/m3
Dynamic viscosity of water, µ = 0.001002 kg/m-s
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Sensitivity: LNT Construction General Business
Menu Name: Given Data
Given data:
Pipe Material: Commercial Steel
The total length of pipe, L = 200 m
Pipe inlet elevation, z1 = 60m
Pipe outlet elevation, z2 = 6m
The static pressure at the inlet of the piping system, P1 = 500 kPa (gauge)
The static pressure at the outlet of the piping system, P2 = 100 kPa (gauge)
The desired flow rate in the pipe, Q̇ = 0.02 m3/s
Menu Name: Assumptions
Neglect the head loss due to the presence of elbows.
Flow is at a steady state and fluid is incompressible.
To find Pipe diameter, D.
Menu Name: Solution
Let us apply Bernoulli’s equation including the head loss due to
friction of the pipe, head loss due to the resistance offered by the
valves, and head loss offered at the entrance and exit of the pipe.
Head loss offered by the elbows is not included in the equation.
No pump is required for the water to flow in the pipe.
The driving force for water flow is static pressure head and
elevation difference.
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Sensitivity: LNT Construction General Business
P1 u21 P2 u22
+ + z1 = + + z2 + hPipe + hValves + hEntry + hExit
ρg 2g ρg 2g
• At sectional plane 1-1 the velocity of water at the entry of the
piping system is zero, u1 = 0.
• At sectional plane 2-2, the average velocity of water at the exit of
the piping system is u2.
u22 u21 u22 u22
• Therefore, the change in kinetic energy, − = −0=
2g 2g 2g 2g
• The modified Bernoulli’s equation can be written by replacing the
head loss terms with their corresponding terms and substituting
u22
change in KE is equal to , the equation becomes
2g
P1 P2 u22 L u2 u2
+ z1 = + + z2 + fD + 2 �K Gate Valve �+
ρg ρg 2g D 2g 2g
u2 u2 u2
�K Globe Valve 2g
�+ �K Entrance 2g� + �K Exit
2g
�
• Let us rearrange the modified Bernoulli equation. The rearranged
P1 P2 u2 L
equation is − + (z1 − z2 ) = �1 + fD + 2K Gate Valve +
ρg ρg 2g D
K Globe Valve + K Entrance + K Exit �.
• It is interesting to analyze the modified Bernoulli’s equation
mentioned here.
• The left-hand term is the sum of the static pressure head and the
difference in the potential head.
• Whereas the sum of right-hand terms is the change in KE, and the
net resistance offered by the pipe, valves, entry, and exit against
the water flow in the pipe.
• To maintain the desired water flow rate for the selected pipe
diameter, LHS terms must be balanced with RHS terms.
• To find out the right pipe diameter an iterative procedure should
be adopted.
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Sensitivity: LNT Construction General Business
• From the table as shown here, for β = 1, where β is the ratio of
the downstream pipe diameter to upstream pipe diameter that is
D2 D
= = 1.
D1 D
• Loss coefficient for Gate valve: K Gate Valve = 8fT .
• Loss coefficient for Globe valve: K Globe Valve = 340fT .
• Loss coefficient for Entrance.
• K Entrance = 0.8
• Loss coefficient for Exit.
• K Exit = 1.0
• Substituting of respective loss coefficient of valves, entrance, and
exit of pipe in Bernoulli’s equation yields the following equation.
P1 P2 u2 L
− + (z1 − z2 ) = �1 + fD + 2x8fT + 340fT + 0.8 + 1.0�
ρg ρg 2g D
• Rearranging,
P1 P2 u2 L
− + (z1 − z2 ) = �fD + 356fT + 2.8�
ρg ρg 2g D
• Take atmospheric pressure, 100kPa.
• Let us substitute P1, P2, z1 ,and z2 in the simplified Bernoulli
equation.
• Here the absolute value of pressures are P1 = 500 + 100 = 600kPa
(600−200)x1000 u2 L
+ (60 − 6) = �fD + 356fT + 2.8�
998x9.81 2g D
u2 L
95 = �fD + 356fT + 2.8�
2g D
• Here, u is a function of pipe diameter, D
• For the rightly chosen pipe diameter,
u2 L
95 − �fD + 356fT + 1.5�
2g D
should be equal to zero.
ϵ 0.0457 L 200
= = 0.000914, , = = 4000
D 50 D 0.05
• The velocity of water in the 50 mm commercial steel pipe can be
determined from the given volumetric flow rate, Q̇ .
Q̇ 0.02
• Therefore velocity, u = = = 10.182 m/s
A 0.001964
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Sensitivity: LNT Construction General Business
Menu Name: Iteration: 1
• Let us follow the following iterative procedure:
Iteration: 1
• Initially consider the pipe diameter, D = 50 mm
• The cross-sectional area of the pipe,
π 2 22 50 2
A= D = x� � = 0.001964 m2
4 28 1000
• The roughness of the commercial steel pipe, ε from the given table
is 0.0457 mm.
ρuD 998x10.182x0.05
• Reynolds Number, Re = = = 507058
μ 0.00102
Menu Name: Solution
• Let us use the Selander, 1978 friction factor correlation to find out
the friction factor, fD for the pipe.
10 −2
• Therefore, fD = 4 �3.8 log � + 0.2ϵ/D�� =0.0203
Re
• Now, let us select the fT value from the table.
• For a clean commercial steel pipe, the friction factor for complete
turbulence for the pipe size of 50 mm is obtained from the table as
presented here. The friction factor, fT = 0.019.
• Substitute the values of u, fD, L, D, and fT in the equation,
u2 L
95 − �fD + 356fT + 2.8� and find out the difference.
2g D
• If the difference is within an acceptable range, then the assumed
pipe diameter is correct, otherwise, steps 1 to 8 should be
repeated with updated pipe diameter till the difference falls within
an acceptable range.
• Let us find out the difference.
10.1822
95 − [0.0203x4000 + 356x0.019 + 1.5] = -385 m
2x9.81
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• The difference is 385 m which is not acceptable.
Menu Name: Iteration: 2
• Therefore let us go for the second iteration.
• Pipe diameter assumption, D = 68.97 mm
• The Cross-sectional area of the pipe,
π 2 22 68.97 2
A= D = x� � = 0.00374 m2
4 28 1000
• The roughness of the commercial steel pipe, ε from the given table
is 0.0457 mm
ϵ 0.0457 L 200
= = 0.000663, = = 2900
D 68.97 D 0.06897
• The velocity of water in the 68.97 mm commercial steel pipe can
be determined from the given volumetric flow rate, Q̇ .
Q̇ 0.02
• Therefore velocity, u = = = 5.351 m/s
A 0.00374
ρuD 998x5.351x0.06897
• Reynolds Number, Re = = = 367594
μ 0.00102
• Let us use the Selander, 1978 friction factor correlation to find out
the friction factor, fD for the pipe.
10 −2
• Therefore, fD = 4 �3.8 log � + 0.2ϵ/D�� =0.0192
Re
• Now, let us select the fT value from the table. For a clean
commercial steel pipe, the friction factor for complete turbulence
for the pipe size of 68.97mm is obtained from the table as
presented here. The friction factor, fT = 0.01837.
• Substitute the values of u, fD, L, D and fT in the equation,
u2 L
95 − �fD + 356fT + 2.8� and find out the difference.
2g D
• If the difference is within an acceptable range, then the assumed
pipe diameter is correct, otherwise steps 1 to 8 should be repeated
with updated pipe diameter till the difference falls within an
acceptable range.
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Sensitivity: LNT Construction General Business
• Let us find out the difference.
• That is
5.3512
95 − [0.0192x2900 + 356x0.01837 + 2.8] = 0.039m
2x9.81
• The difference is 0.039m which is acceptable.
Menu Name: Summary
• Solved iteratively a typical piping system problem using the Crane
method.
• Determined the pipe diameter for a given volumetric flow rate of
fluid
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Sensitivity: LNT Construction General Business
