LECTURE 3: PIPELINES and PIPE NETWORKS

In general, when a number of pipes are connected together to transport water in a given
project, they perform as a system that may include series pipes, paralel pipes, branching pipes,
elbows, valves, meters & other devices.
If all elements are connected in series the arrangement is known as pipeline otherwise it is
known as a pipe network.
3.1 Pipeline connecting two reservoirs
A pipeline is a system of one or more pipes connected in series and designed to transport
water from one location (often a reservoir) to another.
Three principal types of pipeline problems:
TYPE 1: Flowrate (Q), pipe combinations are given
Head (HL) Loss determined
TYPE 2: Allowable total head loss (HL), pipe combinations are given
Flowrate (Q)
determined
TYPE 3: Flowrate (Q) and allowable total head loss (HL) are given
Diameter (D)
determined

3.2 Calculations Involved in Pipeline Problems

1. Head losses:
HL= Hm + Hf



Hm= Total Minor Losses = K

Hf=Total Friction Losses =



HL= K 

LV
 D

LV
 D

2. Friction Factor (f)

If diameter and flowrate is known (TYPE 1);
- find velocity
- calculate Re

Directly
solved

Trial &
Error

use one of the methods listed below

o graphical solutions (Moody diagram) or
o implicit equation (colebrook-white) or
o explicit equation (Jain equation)

If flowrate is not known (TYPE 2);

- assume complete turbulence conditions in which Re is so big and becomes neglicible
- graphical solution
by using e/D value
find friction factor

explicit equation
by neglegting Re number in Jain equation
calculate friction

.
factor by using following formula, fold =


D/.

calculate flowrate and then velocity and Re number by using friction factor found in
previous step
.
recalculate friction factor by using Jain Equation, f 

/D &.$'
!"  #.$ % *.+ ,
NR

If |/012 3 /456|< 0.001, stop the iteration and find the flowrate by using new
friction factor.

If diameter is not known (TYPE 3);

-

assume friction factor

graphical solution
by using e/D value
find friction factor

explicit equation
by neglegting Re number in Jain equation
calculate friction

.
factor by using following formula, fold =


D/.

calculate flowrate and then velocity and Re number by using friction factor found in
previous step
.
recalculate friction factor by using Jain Equation, f 

/D &.$'
!"  #.$ % *.+ ,
NR

If |/012 3 /456|< 0.001, stop the iteration and find the flowrate by using new
friction factor.

3. Head Losses in Reservoir Problems:

If the discharge is to another reservoir:
Z1
A
Z2
B

zA +

OA 


PA
R

= zB +

OB 


PB
R

+ hL
PA PB
R

=0

Reservoirs are open to the atmosphere gauge pressures are equal to zero

Reservoir cross sectional area is so big compared to the cross sectional area of the pipes,
OA  OB 
velocity in reservoirs become negligible and taken as zero

,
=0
 

Total Head for reservoir A and B is elevation head (surface elevation)

z A = z B + hL

hL  z A 3 z B

If the discharge is a free jet to atmosphere:

ZA
A
B
V2
ZB

zA = z B +

OB 


hL

hL =zA 3 zB 3

vB 2
2g

TYPE 1: Diameter D and flowrate Q known, determine the head loss

Example 3.1 (4.1.5, Hwang) Determine the elevation of the upstream reservoir (A) if the
downstream reservoir (B) is at 750 m the flowrate (water at 10) through the smooth concrete
pipeline is 1.2 m /s.

A
B

Pipe 1 and 2: 100 m long (D = 0.5 m)

expansion 2 3: D = 0.5 to 1 m

Pipe 3: 100 m long (D = 1 m)

confusor 4: loss coefficient 0.3

Pipe 5: 50 m long (D = 0.5 m)

bend 5 6: loss of coefficient 0.2

Pipe 6: 50 m long (D = 0.5 m)

valves 1 2: fully open globe valve

Solution:
Energy Equation:
zA +

OA 


PA
R

= zB +

OB 


PB
R

+ hL

Minor losses

z A 3 z B  hL
zA 3 750 m  hL

Friction losses

zA  hL  750 m

Velocities:
Velocity at pipe 1:
Velocity at pipe 3:

. \# /]



. \# /]

 = 6.11 m/s

. .^/_

 .^/_

 = 1.52 m/s

Velocity at pipe 5 and 6: 6.11 m/s

Friction Losses:
h =

Pipe 1

` .

.L.V
 D

e = 0.18 mm (from Table )

\.a.

b.a .

R 

V.D

e / D = 0.18 mm/500 mm = 0.00036

a.. .

= 3.06 d 10a
. d ef

from Moody Diagram => f = 0.0155

f and fa  0.0155
Pipe 3

# .

\..

b.a \

R 

(smooth concrete)

e/D  0.18 mm/1000 mm  0.00018

V.D

.. .

= 1.53 d 10a
. d ef

f  0.0145
h total for 0.5 m 
h for 1 m 

\% % .a.

. .

b.a . \

. _.

\..

b.a \

Minor Losses

V` 

Globe Valve

hOlO  K OlO .

Entrance Loss

hnolp  K . .

Sudden expansion

h 

V qV# 


V` 


= 0.173 m

 .a.

 ..a.

b.a

b.a

a.q.
b.a

= 11.79 m

= 19.02 m

= 0.95 m

= 1.073 m

Confusor Loss

V

 ..a.

= 0.57 m

V

b.a

 ..a.
b.a

= 0.38 m

V

. .a.

= 1.90 m

hr p  K p .

Bend Loss

hB  K B .

Exit Loss

h  K  .

b.a

hL  h\  h  11.79 m  0.173 m  1.07 m  0.57 m  0.38 m  19.02 m  2.58 m  35.86 m

Water elevation at reservoir A = 750 m  35.86 m  785.86 m

Type 2: tu is known, pipe properties are known, Q determined

Example 3.2 .1(4.1.4, Hwang, Third Ed.) Determine the flowrate if the 6-in cast iron pipe
discharges 680F water into the air after the 650-ft journey.
100 ft

Gate Valve
5 ft

Solution:
D=

a {.. . _ \

T = 68v

 {

L = 650 ft. 1 m/3.28 ft  198.1 m

= 0.152 m

v  1.8w  32

T  20w

z  100 ft. 1 m/3.28 ft  30.5 m

z  5 ft. 1 m/3.28 ft  1.52 m
Cast iron pipe (e) = 0.26 mm

z +

O` 


P`

= z +

O 


P
R

+ hL

P  0 , V  0 , P  0
30.5 m 
28.98 m 

V 


O 


.by..V 

  . \

+1.52 m  hL

 K . .

V 


 K z{n .

.by..V 

 1  0.5  0.15  1   

. \

.

V 


O 


+ K ln .

V 


Velocity and friction factor are unknowns
Trial and Error

1) assume velocity
R 

V.D

, e/D, f = ?

2) assume complete turbulence conditions

Velocity assumption
Calculate Re number
Find friction factor, f
Calculate hL, if it is not equal to

Find hL ~ try another velocity

~ R

~ hL
~f

2) Assume Complete Turbulence



.a \\

. \\

= 0.0017

Friction factor is just depend on e/D

f = 0.023 from Moody diagram
28.96 m  2.65  1303. 0.023.

O 

b.a

V  4.17 m/s
Check complete turbulence assumption
R 

V.D

_. . . \
. ad ef

f  0.024

= 4.86 d 10

e/D  0.0017 Moody Diagram

Diff  |f 3 f" | 

28.96 m  2.65  1303. 0.024.

V  4.09 m/s

Q  A. V 

 . ^
_

O 

b.a

. 4.09  0.074 m /s