359

CHAPTER 8

EXAMPLE 8–1 Laminar Flow in Horizontal and Inclined Pipes 6 m/s

D = 2 cm
Glycerine
Consider the fully developed flow of glycerin at 408C through a 70-m-long,
4-cm-diameter, horizontal, circular pipe. If the flow velocity at the centerline 70 m
is measured to be 6 m/s, determine the velocity profile and the pressure dif-
ference across this 70-m-long section of the pipe, and the useful pumping
power required to maintain this flow. For the same useful pumping power +15˚
input, determine the percent increase of the flow rate if the pipe is inclined
158 downward and the percent decrease if it is inclined 158 upward. The
pump is located outside this pipe section.
–15˚

SOLUTION The centerline velocity in a horizontal pipe in fully developed flow

is measured. The velocity profile, the pressure difference across the pipe, and
the pumping power required are to be determined. The effects of downward
and upward tilting of the pipe on the flow rate is to be investigated.
Assumptions 1 The flow is steady, laminar, incompressible, and fully devel-
oped. 2 There are no pumps or turbines in the flow section. 3 There are no
valves, elbows, or other devices that may cause local losses.
FIGURE 8–17
Properties The density and dynamic viscosity of glycerin at 408C are Schematic for Example 8–1.
r 5 1252 kg/m3 and m 5 0.3073 kg/m?s, respectively.
Analysis The velocity profile in fully developed laminar flow in a circular
pipe is expressed as

u(r) 5 umax a1 2 b
r2
R2
Substituting, the velocity profile is determined to be

b 5 6(1 2 2500r 2)
r2
u(r) 5 (6 m/s)a1 2
(0.02 m)2
where u is in m/s and r is in m. The average velocity, the flow rate, and the
Reynolds number are

umax 6 m/s
V 5 V avg 5 5 5 3 m/s
2 2
#
V 5 Vavg Ac 5 V(pD2/4) 5 (3 m/s)[p(0.04 m)2/4] 5 3.77 3 1023 m3/s

rVD (1252 kg/m3)(3 m/s)(0.04 m)

Re 5 5 5 488.9
m 0.3073 kg/m·s
which is less than 2300. Therefore, the flow is indeed laminar. Then the
friction factor and the head loss become

64 64
f5 5 5 0.1309
Re 488.9
LV 2 (70 m) (3 m/s)2
hL 5 f 5 0.1309 5 105.1m
D 2g (0.04 m) 2(9.81 m/s2)
The energy balance for steady, incompressible one-dimensional flow is given
by Eq. 8–28 as

P1 V1 2 P2 V2 2
1 a1 1 z1 1 hpump, u 5 1 a2 1 z2 1 hturbine, e 1 hL
rg 2g rg 2g
 360
INTERNAL FLOW

For fully developed flow in a constant diameter pipe with no pumps or tur-
bines, it reduces to

DP 5 P1 2 P2 5 rg(z2 2 z1 1 hL)

Then the pressure difference and the required useful pumping power for the
horizontal case become

DP 5 rg(z2 2 z1 1 hL)

b
1 kPa
5 (1252 kg/m3)(9.81 m/s2)(0 1 105.1 m)a
1000 kg/m·s2
5 1291 kPa

b 5 4.87 kW
# # 1 kW
Wpump, u 5 V DP 5 (3.77 3 103 m3/s)(1291 kPa)a
kPa·m3/s
The elevation difference and the pressure difference for a pipe inclined
upwards 158 is

Dz 5 z2 2 z1 5 Lsin158 5 (70 m)sin158 5 18.1 m

b
1 kPa
DPupward 5 (1252 kg/m3)(9.81 m/s2)(18.1 m 1 105.1 m)a
1000 kg/m·s2
5 1366 kPa
Then the flow rate through the upward inclined pipe becomes
#
Wpump, u
a b 5 3.57 3 1023 m3/s
# 4.87 kW 1 kPa·m3/s
V upward 5 5
DPupward 1366 kPa 1 kW

which is a decrease of 5.6 percent in flow rate. It can be shown similarly that
when the pipe is inclined 15º downward from the horizontal, the flow rate
will increase by 5.6 percent.
Discussion Note that the flow is driven by the combined effect of pumping
power and gravity. As expected, gravity opposes uphill flow, enhances down-
hill flow, and has no effect on horizontal flow. Downhill flow can occur even in
the absence of a pressure difference applied by a pump. For the case of P1 5 P2
(i.e., no applied pressure difference), the pressure throughout the entire pipe
would remain constant, and the fluid would flow through the pipe under the
influence of gravity at a rate that depends on the angle of inclination, reach-
ing its maximum value when the pipe is vertical. When solving pipe flow
problems, it is always a good idea to calculate the Reynolds number to verify
the flow regime—laminar or turbulent.

EXAMPLE 8–2 Pressure Drop and Head Loss in a Pipe

3.0 ft/s 0.12 in Water at 408F (r 5 62.42 lbm/ft3 and m 5 1.038 3 1023 lbm/ft·s) is flow-
ing steadily through a 0.12-in- (5 0.010 ft) diameter 30-ft-long horizontal
30 ft pipe at an average velocity of 3.0 ft/s (Fig. 8–18). Determine (a) the head
loss, (b) the pressure drop, and (c) the pumping power requirement to over-
FIGURE 8–18 come this pressure drop.
Schematic for Example 8–2.
 361
CHAPTER 8

SOLUTION The average flow velocity in a pipe is given. The head loss, the
pressure drop, and the pumping power are to be determined.
Assumptions 1 The flow is steady and incompressible. 2 The entrance
effects are negligible, and thus the flow is fully developed. 3 The pipe
involves no components such as bends, valves, and connectors.
Properties The density and dynamic viscosity of water are given to be r 5
62.42 lbm/ft3 and m 5 1.038 3 1023 lbm/ft·s, respectively.
Analysis (a) First we need to determine the flow regime. The Reynolds
number is
rV avgD (62.42 lbm/ft3)(3 ft/s)(0.01 ft)
Re 5 5 5 1803
m 1.038 3 10 23 lbm/ft·s (a)

which is less than 2300. Therefore, the flow is laminar. Then the friction
factor and the head loss become
64 64
f5 5 5 0.0355
Re 1803
2
L Vavg 30 ft (3 ft/s)2
hL 5 f 5 0.0355 5 14.9 ft
D 2g 0.01 ft 2(32.2 ft/s2)
(b) Noting that the pipe is horizontal and its diameter is constant, the pres-
sure drop in the pipe is due entirely to the frictional losses and is equivalent
to the pressure loss,
2 (b)
a b
L rVavg 30 ft (62.42 lbm/ft3)(3 ft/s)2 1 lbf
DP 5 DPL 5 f 5 0.0355
D 2 0.01 ft 2 32.2 lbm·ft/s2
5 929 lbf/ft2 5 6.45 psi
(c) The volume flow rate and the pumping power requirements are
#
V 5 Vavg A c 5 V avg(pD 2/4) 5 (3 ft/s)[p(0.01 ft)2/4] 5 0.000236 ft3/s

Wpump 5 V DP 5 (0.000236 ft3/s)(929 lbf/ft2) a b 5 0.30 W

# # 1W
0.737 lbf·ft/s

Therefore, power input in the amount of 0.30 W is needed to overcome the

frictional losses in the flow due to viscosity.
Discussion The pressure rise provided by a pump is often listed by a pump (c)
manufacturer in units of head (Chap. 14). Thus, the pump in this flow needs
to provide 14.9 ft of water head in order to overcome the irreversible head loss. FIGURE 8–19
Water exiting a tube: (a) laminar flow
at low flow rate, (b) turbulent flow at
high flow rate, and (c) same as (b)
8–5 ■
TURBULENT FLOW IN PIPES but with a short shutter exposure
to capture individual eddies.
Most flows encountered in engineering practice are turbulent, and thus it is Photos by Alex Wouden.
important to understand how turbulence affects wall shear stress. However,
turbulent flow is a complex mechanism dominated by fluctuations, and despite
tremendous amounts of work done in this area by researchers, turbulent flow
still is not fully understood. Therefore, we must rely on experiments and the
empirical or semi-empirical correlations developed for various situations.
Turbulent flow is characterized by disorderly and rapid fluctuations of swirl-
ing regions of fluid, called eddies, throughout the flow (Fig. 8–19). These
fluctuations provide an additional mechanism for momentum and energy