--

J1Jlq
"'---'
Estimate
friction factor
accurately
--
Here is a very accurate equation
for calculating the friction factor
directly, without trial-and-error.
T. K. Serghides, Ken-McCee Chemical Corp.
The Colebrook equation is a widely used method for
predictingf, the friction factor for fluid flow:*
'-
1
(
EID 2.51
) VT = -2.0 lag 3.7 + ReVJ (1)
where E is the absolute pipe roughness (ft), D is the
internal diameter ofthe pipe (ft), and Re is the Reynolds
number for flow.
\ You cannot salve the Colebrook equation directly, as
the friction factor appears on both sides. To salve it
requires trial-and-error or a graph-which are difficult to
programo Or you can use one of several approximate
solutions that are explicit in f, and therefore can be
solved directly.
This anide presents two new approximations, based
on numerical solution of the Colebrook equation. Both
arrear to be more accurate than any of the other pub-
lished approximations.
The friction-factor equations
This explicit friction-factor equation is valid for transi-
tional and turbulent flow (Re> 2,100) at any relative
roughness (EID):
-
(
(B -
.
A)2
)
-2
f - A - C - 2B + A
(
EID 12
) A = -2.0 lag 3.7 + Re
B = -2,Olog(~~ + 2,~:A)
"-'" .Note thal thefused here is Ihe Darey faCtor, wilh whieh frinional head loss (h.
ti) mav be eakulaled as / = f(UD) (1,212g). Here, Lis lenglh (fl), l' is veloeity (n/s),
and g is the gravitational constant (n/s').
where:
-----
C = -2.0 lag
(
EID + 2,51B
) 3.7 Re
(2)
Eq. 2 is derived by applying Steffenson's accelerated-
convergence technique to an iterative, r'lUmerical solu-
tion of Eq. l. The constants A, B and C are approxima-
tion's of Eq. 1 obtained by three iterations of the
direct-substitution method. Eq. 2 is the approximation
obtained by combining those constants according to
Steffenson's formula.
lt happens that the numerical solution ofEq. 1 by this
technique converges very fast, so Eq. 2 is very accurate-
i.e., it approximates Colebrook's equation within a small
fraction of a percent.
Henrici [1] explains this behavior in discussing the
bounds of error on a numerical solution after a finite
number ofiterations. A previous anide [2] discusses the
conditions for convergence in solving the Colebrook
equation by direct substitution, and explains Steffen-
son's method.
A simpler version of Eq. 2 is nearly as accurate, and
perhaps easier to use for hand calculations. Like Eq. 2,
this equation is obtained by applying Steffenson's
method to a numerical solution of Eq. 1. lt is valid for
Re > 2,100 and any value of El D:
(
(A - 4.781)2
)
-2
f = 4.781 - B - 2A + 4.781
(
EID 12
) where: A = -2.0 lag 3.7 + Re
B = _2 O1
(
EID 2.51A
) . og 3.7 + Re
(3)
63
CHEMICAL ENGINU:RING MARCH 5,1984
FRICTION FACTOR
3.95
6.02
1.19
55.6
0.537
0.859
0.138
.Only for points within equation's limits.
How accurate are the equations?
The table shows the accuracy ofEq. 2 and 3 over a test
matrix of 70 points, and compares these accuracies with
those of seven other explicit approximations of the
Colebrook equation:
. Moody equation [3], which is valid for 4,000 :<;; Re :<;;
107 and E/D :<;;0.01:
r
1= 5.5 X 10-3 O + (2 X 104E/D + 1O6/Re)I/3)
(4)
. Wood equation [4], which is valid for Re 4,000
and all E/D:
1= 0.094(E/D)O225+ 0.53(E/D) + 88(E/D)O44Re" (5)
where: a= -1.62(E/D)o.134
. Jain equation [5], which is valid for 5,000 < Re <
107 and 0.00004 < E/D < 0.05:
~= 1.14 - 2.0 lag (E/D + 21.25/Re09)
. Churchill equation [6], which is valid for all values of
Re and E/D:
1 = 8 ((8/Re)12 + lI(A + B)I5)Y2
where: A = (-2.457 In ((7/Re)09 + 0.27E/D))I6
B = (37,530/Re)I6
. Chen equation [5], which is valid for all values of Re
and E/D:
1
v=
-
2 Ol
(
~ - 5.0452A
) . og 3.7065 Re
where:
-
(
(E/D)IIO98 5.8506 \
A - lag 2.8257 + Re 0.8981/
. Zigrang and Sylvester equations [5], which are valid
for 4,000 < Re < 108and 0.00004 < E/D < 0.05:
1
v= -2.0A
1
v= -2.0 log (E/D - 5.02A
) 3.7 Re
(10)
(
E/D 5.02
) (
E/D 13
) where: A = lag 3.7 - 7fe lag 3.7 + Re
The test matrix is 70 points: 10 relative roughness
values by 7 Reynolds numbers. The values of E/D are:
0.00004,0.00005,0.0002,0.0006,0.0015,0.004,0.008,
0.015, 0.03 and 0.05. The values of Re are: 2,500, 4,000,
30,000, 105, 106, 107 and 108.
The measure of deviation (E) is the fractional differ-
ence between the equation's friction-factor value and the
numerical solution of the Colebrook equation:
' /
E = l(j' - 1)/11
01)
where f is the Colebrook friction factor as calculated
numerically, andj' is the approximation. This compari-
son is similar to the one performed by Zigrang and
Sylvester [5], but it covers the critical zone (2,100 < Re
< 4,000) in addition. --"
The result? As the table shows, the maximum devi-
ation ofEq. 2 from the numerical solution ofEq. 1 is only
0.0023%, and the average deviation is a hundred or
more times smaller than that ofEq. 4 - 10. For Eq. 3, the
maximum deviation is only 0.2%, and while the average
deviation is not as low as that of Eq. 2, it is lower than
those of the other equations.
Note that the figures for Eq. 4 - 6 involved only those
points for which those equations were claimed to be
valido Eq. 9 and 10 are numerical solutions of Eq. 1, so
they were evaluated ayer all 70 points in the matrix.
Conclusion
Eq. 2 appears to approximate the Colebrook equation '-'"
more accurately than other explicit friction-factor equa-
tions. Eq. 3 is not quite as accurate, but is stil1 better than
the other equations looked at here, and is easier to use.
Mark Lipowicz, Editor
(6)
References " /
1.
Henrici. P.."Elernents ofNurnerical Analysis,"john Wiley&Sons, New
York, 1964.
Serghides, T. K.. Iterative solution by direct substitution, Chem. Eng.,
Ser!. 6, 1982.
Daugherty, R. L, and Ingersoll, A. C., "Fluid Mechanics with Engineer-
ing Applications," McGraw-Hill, New York, 1954.
jeppson, R. W., "Analysis of Flow in Pipe Networks," Ann Arbor
Sience, Ann Arbor, Mich., 1977.
Zigrang, D.J., and Sylvester, N. D., Explicit Approxirnations to the
Solution ofColebrook's Friction Factor Equation, AJChE]., Vol. 28,
No. 3, 1982.
Churchill, S. W., Friction-factor equation spans all fluid-flow regirnes,
Chem. Eng., Nov. 7, 1977.
2.
3.
(7) 4.
5.
6.
The author
(8)
' /
T. K. Serghides is a production
superintendent with Kerr-McGee
Chernical Corp., P.O. Box 367, Trona,
CA 93562, where he supervises
production of the South atea plants.
Previously, he worked as a senior
process engineer at the Argus and
Trona facihties. MI. Serghides earned
bis B.S. and M.E. degrees in chernical
engineering at lowa State University.
Registered in California, he belongs to
AIChE and the Instmrnent Soco of
Arnerica.
(9)
64
CHEMICAL ~:NGINEt:RING MARCH 5, 1984
....
4* 1.71
5* 2.67
6* 0.383
7 5.16
8 0.138
9 0.208
10 0.027