2014 CM3215 Frictional Losses in

Straight Pipe

CM3215
Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering Laboratory
Prelab Preparation for

Frictional Losses in
Straight Pipe

Professor Faith Morrison

Department of Chemical Engineering
Michigan Technological University

Faith A. Morrison, Michigan Tech U.

Data correlation for friction factor (P) versus Re (flow rate) in a pipe

16
Re

Moody Chart
(Geankoplis, 2003)
Faith A. Morrison, Michigan Tech U.

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2014 CM3215 Frictional Losses in
Straight Pipe

Data may be organized in terms of two dimensionless

parameters:
Reynolds Number
Flow density
rate vz D v z average velocity
Re
D pipe diameter
viscosity
P0 PL pressure drop
Fanning Friction Factor L pipe length

Pressure
1
P0 PL
f 4
Drop
L 1 2
v z
D 2

Faith A. Morrison, Michigan Tech U.

Prelab: (Friction Lab)

1. Create a plot in Excel or some other computer

program of friction factor versus Re for a smooth pipe
for 4000 < Re < 106; affix this plot to a page in your
notebook.

2. Calculate the Reynolds number and pressure drop in

psi for 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 gpm for each of the three
pipe sizes we have in the lab. The pipe length is
6.0ft.

3. Answer this question in your lab notebook before the

start of lab: will you be able to accurately measure
the pressure drops generated in this lab? Which
ones?

Faith A. Morrison, Michigan Tech U.

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2014 CM3215 Frictional Losses in
Straight Pipe

Reference: Morrison, Faith A, An Introduction to Fluid Mechanics,

Cambridge University Press, 2013, Figure 7.18, page 532.

Faith A. Morrison, Michigan Tech U.

CM3215 Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering Laboratory

Lab: Frictional Losses in Straight Pipe

Note: For this laboratory, no procedure will be supplied.

Run water through pipes of three sizes

Measure pressure drop across the pipe as a function of flow rate

Convert your pressure-drop/flow-rate measurements to .

Compare with literature correlations of the same quantity
Calibrate the motion of the needle valve
Do you obtain separate correlations of for different sized pipes?
Correctly consider the accuracy of your measurements when drawing
conclusions.

Faith A. Morrison, Michigan Tech U.

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2014 CM3215 Frictional Losses in
Straight Pipe

CM3215
Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering Laboratory

Accuracy of the DP Meter

(revisited)

https://www.honeywellprocess.com/
ST 3000 Smart Pressure Transmitter Models Specifications 34-ST-03-65

Faith A. Morrison, Michigan Tech U.

CM3215
Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering Laboratory

Accuracy of the DP Meter

(revisited)
(again)

https://www.honeywellprocess.com/
ST 3000 Smart Pressure Transmitter Models Specifications 34-ST-03-65

Faith A. Morrison, Michigan Tech U.

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2014 CM3215 Frictional Losses in
Straight Pipe

Estimates of standard error,

Differentialpressureatmidrange,psi
10

,
1

0.1

0.01

0.001

0.0001

0.00001

11 students: A B C D E F G H I J K

Faith A. Morrison, Michigan Tech U.

historicalaverage,station1
4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5
p,psi

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 18.0 20.0
current,mA
Faith A. Morrison, Michigan Tech U.

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2014 CM3215 Frictional Losses in
Straight Pipe

historicalaverage,station1
4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5
p,psi

2.0

1.5

1.0 Which is more

uncertain, slope or
0.5 intercept?

0.0
4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 18.0 20.0
current,mA
Faith A. Morrison, Michigan Tech U.

historicalaverage,station1
4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5
p,psi

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 18.0 20.0
current,mA
Faith A. Morrison, Michigan Tech U.

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2014 CM3215 Frictional Losses in
Straight Pipe

1.0

0.5

0.0
4.0 6.0 8.0

Faith A. Morrison, Michigan Tech U.