Shear stress distribution across a pipe section

Chapter 10

FLOW IN CONDUITS

For steady, uniform flow, the momentum balance in s for

the fluid cylinder yields

Fluid Mechanics, Spring Term 2011

Velocity for laminar flow in pipes

Using the result

for !, we
with substitute

and

we solve for ! to get:

regardless of whether flow is laminar or turbulent. Integration yields

(Technically, turbulent flow is neither uniform nor steady, and there
are accelerations; we neglect this).
The velocity is 0 at the boundary, Example 10.1:

One boundary condition: Oil flows steadily in a vertical pipe. Pressure at z=100m is
200 kPa, and at z=85m it is 250 kPa.

Given: Diameter D = 3 cm
Viscosity µ = 0.5 Ns/m2
(parabolic profile) Density " = 900 kg/m3

Assume laminar flow.

Is the flow upward or downward? What is the velocity at

the center and at r=6mm?

Example 10.1: Solution The velocity at any point r is found from

First determine rate of change of p + #z

where we have already determined the value of

Since the velocity is given by For r = 0, V = -0.622 m/s

For r = 6 mm, V = -0.522 m/s

Note that the velocity is in the direction of pressure increase.

The flow direction is determined by the combination of
the flow velocity is negative, i.e., downward. pressure gradient and gravity. In this problem, the effect of
gravity is stronger.
Head loss for laminar flow in a pipe Rearranging gives

The mean velocity in the pipe is given by

which we integrate along s between sections 1 and 2:

Identify the length of pipe section L = s2 - s1

This is simply the energy equation for a pipe with head loss

Criterion for Turbulent vs. Laminar Flow in a Pipe Example 10.3: Determine rate of flow in the pipe

The behavior of flow in pipes is determined by the Reynolds

number Re.

Flow tends to become turbulent when Re > 3000.

Flow is always laminar when Re < 2000.
Fluid is kerosene with
For 2000 < Re < 3000, the behavior is unpredictable and
often switches back and forth between laminar and Density " = 820 kg/m3
turbulent. Viscosity µ = 3.2 x 10-3 Ns/m2

When conditions are carefully controlled so that the flow Weʼve solved this type of problem before…
is perfectly motionless at the inlet of the pipe and the pipe The problem here is that we donʼt know (we are not told)
is free of vibrations, then it is possible to maintain laminar whether or not the flow is laminar.
flow even at Re > 3000.
Example 10.3: Solution

We donʼt know the velocity, so we cannot compute the

Reynolds number which tells us whether the flow is laminar or p1, V1, p2 and z2 are zero. We thus have all the information
turbulent. we need to solve for V2

The pipe is quite thin, so we begin by assuming that the flow However, if the flow is laminar then the terms involving
is laminar. Once we have the solution, weʼll check whether squares of velocity should be small, so we assume the
that assumption was justified. term involving V22 is zero (easier calculations…)

Energy equation (point 1 at surface of tank, point 2 at outlet):

(If the flow were turbulent, weʼd have to use a different This is our “guess” for the solution. Now we check
form for the last term, the head loss). whether our assumptions were justified.

Turbulent flow is less efficient than laminar flow:

Velocity profile Velocity profile

for turbulent flow if flow were laminar
Re is much less than 2000, so the flow is laminar. That everywhere
was our main assumption which is thus correct.

Thin, laminar boundary layer

We found that the 1st and 3rd circled terms = 1m.

We neglected the 2nd one. If flow could remain laminar, the pipe could transport more
fluid for a given pressure gradient.

The swirls and eddies associated with turbulence make

This term is indeed negligible so our solution is OK. the fluid appear as though it had a much higher viscosity
where flow is turbulent.
Same concept, different way of looking at it: Velocity distribution in smooth pipes:

Experiments show:

(laminar
boundary
layer)
for

The effective mean stress (or apparent stress) is much

greater than the stress expected for laminar flow.
Within the turbulent flow, this stress is approximately for
linear with radius.
The apparent stress depends on the turbulent velocity Laminar Turbulent
perturbations uʼ and vʼ. where
(note logarithmic scales)

More empirical (experimental) relations for smooth pipes: Rough Pipes

Velocity distribution
shear stress at wall
k is a parameter that characterizes the height of the
roughness elements.
head loss (Darcy-Weisbach
equation) B is a parameter that is a function of the type, concentration,
and the size variation of the roughness.

y is distance from wall.

where for laminar flow

For turbulent flow

with Re > 3000
Rough Pipes

Low Reynolds number or small

roughness elements:
Roughness unimportant, pipe
considered smooth

High Reynolds number or large

roughness elements:
Fully rough, f independent of
Reynolds number.

and are still valid

How to find f for rough pipes? Moody diagram: Example 10.4: Find head loss per kilometer of pipe.
use this parameter and the
corresponding black lines if velocity
is not known.
Pipe is a 20-cm asphalted cast-iron pipe.
Fluid is water.
Flow rate is Q = 0.05 m3/s.
ks/D corresponds to one of the blue curves
Get value for ks from table; each value of
f; the value weʼre looking for

Solution:
First compute Reynolds number

From Table 10.2, ks = 0.12 mm for asphalted cast-iron pipe.

So, ks/D = 0.0006

Reynolds number (if velocity is known)
 With f = 0.019, we get the head loss hf from the Darcy-
Weisbach equation:

f = 0.019

Example 10.5: Find volume flow rate Q.

Relative roughness same as previous problem

Similar to last problem:

Pipe is 20-cm asphalted cast-iron.

Fluid is water.
Head loss per kilometer is 12.2 m.

The difference to the previous problem is that we donʼt

know the velocity, so we canʼt compute Re. x

Compute instead
where

is the kinematic viscosity.

again f = 0.019
 Flow at pipe inlets and losses from fittings
Now we use the Darcy-Weisbach equation again to get V

Rounded inlet Sharp-edged inlet

Head loss for inlets, outlets, and fittings:

where K is a parameter that depends on the geometry.

For a well-rounded inlet, K = 0.1, for abrupt inlet K = 0.5
(much less resistance for rounded inlet).

Bends in pipes:

Sharp bends result in

separation downstream of
the bend.

The turbulence in the

separation zone causes
flow resistance.

Greater radius of bend

reduces flow resistance.
 Transition losses and grade lines

Head loss due to

transitions (inlets, etc.) is
distributed over some
distance.
Details are often quite
complicated.

Approximation: Abrupt
losses at a point.

Turbulent Flow in Non-Circular Conduits In these equations, the circular pipe diameter D was simply
replaced by 4 A / P.
Relations for shear stress at boundary and for head loss
are similar to those for circular conduits: Hydraulic radius:

Circular pipes Non-circular conduits The conduit need not be filled with fluid:

A is the cross-sectional area of the pipe

P is the wetted perimeter of the pipe,

(Darcy-Weisbach that is, the length of pipe perimeter
equation) that is in contact with the fluid.
here A is cross sectional Cross section of
area and P is perimeter
rectangular conduit.
of pipe.
 Uniform free-surface flows
Flow problems for non-circular conduits can be solved
the same way as problems for circular pipes.

Simply replace D by 4Rh

Relative roughness is
Same equations as for non-circular conduits.

Reynolds number is However, A is only the cross-sectional area of the fluid.

As for pipes, is laminar for

and turbulent for

(But for some reason the Reynolds number for open channels
is usually defined as )

Chezy and Manning Equations (for open channels)

Thus far, we have only re-organized the formulas we
used before.
Start with head-loss equation:
However, the way C is commonly determined in the
In an open channel, the hydraulic grade line is the Chezy equation is
same as the free surface, so that the slope is given by

and hence
where n is a resistance coefficient called Manningʼs n.

with

(Chezy equation)
 Recall in the An additional word of caution:
previous approach
we used the Moody Substituting for C, the Chezy equation can be written as
diagram (that
complicated graph).
In the Moody
diagram, we used It is valid only in SI units.
the relative
roughness, ks / D. For “traditional units” (feet, pounds, …) the equation is
Here, there is only
one type of (Manningʼs equation)
roughness which is
independent of the (This sort of stuff only happens if you leave out the
channel size. proper units somewhere; e.g., using a unitless parameter
The approach we used before is more accurate. However, the instead of keeping the units it should have. This is highly
Chezy equation is still commonly used. unscientific!)

Best Hydraulic Section Highest flow rate Q for certain types of shapes
From Chezy formula: Most efficient conduit
with rectangular cross-
for a given slope S0, the flow rate is proportional to section.

Not this
(best hydraulic section for
rectangle is half a square)
or this

Large cross-sectional area A gives high Q.

Best rounded shape: Best trapezoid:
Large wetted perimeter P gives low Q. Half of a circle. Half of a hexagon.