FRICTION LOSS ALOI{G A PIPE

Introduction

In hydraulic engineering practice, it is frequently necessary to estimate the head loss

incurred by a fluid as it flows along a pipeline. For example, it may be desired to
predict the rate of flow along a proposed pipe connecting two reservoirs at different
levels. Or it may be necessary to calculate what additional head would be required to
double the rate of flow along an existing pipeline.

Loss of head is incurred by fluid mixing which occurs at fittings such as bends or
valves, and by frictional resistance at the pipe wall. Where there are numerous
fittings and the pipe is short, the major part of the head loss will be due to the local
mixing near the fittings. For a long pipeline, on the other hand, skin friction at the
pipe wall will predominate. In the experiment described below, we investigate the
frictional resistance to flow along a long straight pipe with smooth walls.

Friction Loss in Luminur und Turbulent Pipe Flow

Gradient

Perimeter P - fiD
/' Cross-sectional area A - TTD2 14
h,
>< 1, +-T +T,

1l {-T,
l
+T +T 2
:

L
Arbtlrryvjatsn_

Fig 9.I lllustration offully developed.flow along a pipe

Fig 9.1 illustrates flow along a length of straight uniform pipe of diameter D. All
fittings such as valves or bends are sufficiently remote as to ensure that any
dishrrbances due to them have died away, so that the distribution of velocity across

95
the pipe cross section does not change along the length of pipe under consideration'
Such a flow is said to be "fully developed". The shear stress t at the wall,
which is

uniform around the perimeter and along the length, produces resistance to the flow.
shown by
The piezometric head h therefore falls at a uniform rate along the length, as
the piezometers in Fig 9.1. Since the velocity head is constant along the
length of the

pipe, the total head H also falls at the same rate'

gradient",
The slope of the piezometric head line is frequently called the "hydraulic
and is denoted by the sYmbol i:

-dh -dH
dl dl
(9.1)

(The minus signs are due to the fact that head decreases in the direction of increasing
1, which is measured Positive in the same sense as the velocity
V. The resulting value
of i is then positive). Over the length L between sections 1 and 2, frte fall in
piezometric head is

hr -hz: iL
(9.2)

Expressed in terms of piezometric pressures pr and p2 at sections 1 and 2:

Pr -Pz
(9.3)

in which w is the specific weight and p the density of the water.

't
There is a simple relationship between wall shear stress and hydraulic
gradient 1.
produce a net
The pressures p I and p2 acting on the two ends of the length L of pipe
force. This force, in the direction of flow, is

$r - Pz)A

in which A is the cross-sectional area of the pipe. This is opposed by an equal

and

opposite force, generated by the shear stress t acting uniformly over

the surface of the
section'
pipe wall. The area of pipe wall is PL, where P is the perimeter of the cross
so the force due to shear stress is

T.PL

96
Equating these forces:
(Pr - Pz)A : t.PL

(9.3), to
This reduces, by use of Equation

e\psi'
r, : /[;J
','

(9.1)

of pipe diameter D, namely' A- nDz14andP-nD

Now expressing A and P in terms
so that (A/P)
:D14, we obtain the result:

T, psi
(e.s)

Wemayreasonabiyexpectthattwouldincreaseinsomewaywithincreasingrateof
flow.Therelationshipisnotasimpleone,andtounderstanditwemustlearn Reynolds in
of the motion, first described by osborne
something about the nature
l883.Byobservingthebehaviourofafilamentofdyeintroducedintotheflowalong At low
he demonstrated the existence of two different types of motion'
a glass tube, of
passing down the whole length
as a straight line
velocities, the filament appeared
was gradually increased
the tube, indicating smooth
or laminar flow. As the velocity
a little way along the tube'
steps, he observed that the filament, after passing
in small motion'
with the surrounding water, indicating a change to turbulent
mixed suddenly
decreased in small steps, a
transition from turbulent to
Similariy, if the velocity were
and
occurred. Experiments with pipes of different diameters
laminar motion suddenly
the parameter which
at various temperatures led Reynolds to conclude that
s,ith water
case is
the flow shall be laminar or turbulent in any particular
determines whether

OVD VD
Re
Irv
(9.6)

in which
Re: Reynolds number of the nrotion
p Density of the fluid

here is fi equentlY called the,,hydraulicradius''or''hydraulicmean

The term (AiP) which appears
cross sections of any shape.
*epth", and may be apPlied to

91
 V- Q/A denotes the mean velocity of flow, obtained by dividing the

discharge rate Q by the cross sectional area A

l.l : Coefficient of absolute viscosity of the fluid
V: p/p denotes the coefficient of kinematic viscosity of the fluid

Note that the Reynolds number is dimensionless, as may readily be checked from the
following:

p tM L-31 p[M L-r T-t] v lL'T-11 v [L T-t] D IL]

The motion will be laminar or turbulent according to whether the value of Re is

as

less than or greater than a certain critical value. Experiments made with increasing
flow rates show that the critical value of Re for transition to turbulent flow depends
on the degree of care taken to eliminate disturbances in the supply and along the pipe.
On the other hand, experiments with decreasing flow rates show that transition to
laminar flow takes place at a value of Re which is much less sensitive to initial
disturbance. This lower value of Re is found experimentally to be about 2000. Below
this, the pipe flow becomes laminar sufficiently downstream of any disturbance, no
matter how severe.

Velocity gradient at wall'cJ.= _4lJ

..- D
l-

D-2R

V
lji - 2Y
Laminar Turbulent

fig 9.2 Velocity distributions in laminar ond turbulent pipe.flov's

Fig 9.2 illustrates the difference between velocity profiles across the pipe cross
sections in laminar and in turbulent flow. In each case the velocity rises fiom zero at

9B
 mean veiocity
V is of
the pipe' The
U at the centre of
'.\3ll to a maximum value
less than U in
both cases'
;se
.']ecaseoflaminarflow,thevelocityprofileisparaboli.t.Th.ratioUNofcentre
velocitY is
:; r elocitY to mean lJ .)
/
4

V (9.7)

at the wat is given by

_-l the velocity gradient
_ 4IJ rqi
D
[#) . D
(9.8)

rs
stress t due to fluid viscosttY
that the wall shear
BFry
.t

'D I

(9.9)

to the result
(9'5) from this equation leads
Substituting for
t in Equation

32vY
gDt
(9.10)

equation'
of Poiseuille's
which is one tbrm
of the
is much flatter over rnost
the velocity distribution
the case of turbulent flow'
In
Typically,
reducing slightly.
pip"closssection.AstheR"y,,otd,numberincreases,theprofilebecomes
mean veiocity
ot *u*i*o* to
,t," ,utio
'1'24loabout from 10a to 107'
increasingly flat, t '" "' *" increases
UN falls t'o- uUo'lt
to frnd a simple
not possible now
of the flow, it is
turbulerrt natule n1,..o be found
experimentally.
Because of the *o the value
the waii shear
,t,.,,, relate the wa'l
expression for we might reasonably
such experim.,,tul-r.,ults,
When considering
is given in many
and of the Poiseuille equation,
velocity profile,
the parabolic
ffiof
standard tertbooks '

99
 -- -*-"'-

G *--

factor
So a dimensionless friction
shear stress t to the mean velocitY Pressure'/'PY'
bY G-

f could be defined
T, : f .'/rPVt
(9.11)
r|F

(9'5)'
terms of f bY use of E'quation
I

be exPressed in
The hYdraulic gradient
i may now
is readily obtained:
and the following result 'tr

4f v2
D2g !-

(9.12)

pipe of diameter D'

!t

(hr - hz) between sections 1 and 2 of a

Therefore, the head loss (g.2) to be given bY
seen from E'quation
alongwhichthemeanflowvelocityisV,is 3

-Lv2
h,-h,
(e.13)

to
the sections. This is frequently referred
run between
where L is the length of pipe
as DarcY's equation'
walls
flow along pipes with smooth
experiments on. turburent
The results of many
haveshownftobeaslowlydecreasingfunctionofRe.Variouscorrelationsofthe
of which is
been proposed' one
experimental data have

1 4los(R.JO o'4
Jf (9.14)

of
prandtl, fits experimental results well in the range
is due to
This expression, which that f is not given
it does have the slight disadvantage
although
Re from 10a to 107 '
explicitlY.

due to Blasius, is:

Another oorrelation;

f (9.15)

100
 This gives explicit values which are in with those from the more
agreement
complicated Equation (9.1 4) to within about Z% over the
limited range of Re from 104
to 10s. Above 10t, however, the Blasius equation diverges substantially
from
experiment.

We have seen that when the flow is turbulent it is necessary

to resort to experiment to
find f as a function of Re. However, in the case of laminar flow,
the value of f may be
found theoretically from Poiseuille's equation. Equating the
expressions for i in
Equations (9.10) and (9.12):

32 vV 4f v2
gD2 D2s

After reduction this gives the result

16
Re

(e.16)

In summary, the hydraulic gradient i may conveniently be expressed in terms

of a
dimensionless wall friction factor f. This factor has the theoretical value f
16lRe for :
laminar flow along a smooth walled pipe. There is no corresponding
theoretical for
turbulent flow, but good correlation of many experimental results
on smooth walled
pipes is given by equations such as (9.14) and (9.15).

D e s c r iptio n of App ur atus

The apparatus is illustrated in Fig 9.3. Water from a supply tank

is led through a
flexible hose to the bell-mouthed entrance of a straight tube along
which the friction
loss is measured. Piezometer tappings are made at an upstream
section which lies
approximately 45 tube diameters away from the pipe entrance, and
approxima tely 40
diameters away from the pipe exit. These clear lengths upstream
and downstream of
the test section are required to ensure that the results are not affected
by disturbances
originating at the entrance or the exit of the pipe. The piezometer tappings
are
connected to an inverted U-tube manometer, which reads head loss
I
directly in mm of
water gauge, or to a U-tube containing water and mercury to cover
higher values of
head loss.

101
 b-

L-

l-

+- Air valve )
!>

530 mm l-
I

Bleed valves
t

f*

Mercury lJ-tube
t

L-

t>

Tap for isolation of L-

Water water manometer

b
Manometer
1-

From supply (,/-"t, '\,

I

(Bench or Tank)
>

!D

Needle valYe -'''

Manometer Manometer ^-
junction junction
F

Measuring-'
cylinder
l

fig 9.3 Apparatus.fo, measuring.friction loss along a pipe

F

The rate of flow along the pipe is controlled by a needle valve at the pip-e exit, and
may be measured by timing the collection of water in a beaker which is weighed on a I

laboratory scale or measured in a volumetric cylinder. (The discharge rate is so small

as to make the use of the bench measuring tank quite impractical). t

Exp erime nt al Pr o c e dur e

The apparatus is set on the bench and levelled so that the manometers stand vertically. I

The water manometer is then connected to the piezometer by opening the tap at the
downstream piezometer connection. The bench supply valve is then carefully opened T

and adjusted until there is a steady flow down the overflow pipe from the supply tank,
it provides a constant head to the pipe under test. With the needle valve partly
so that
open to allow water to flow through the system, any trapped air is removed by
manipulation of the flexible connecting pipes. Particular care should be taken to clear
all air from the piezometer connections. The needle valve is then closed, whereupon

102
 -I

the levels in the two limbs of the manometer should settle to the same value. If they
do not, check that the flow has been stopped absolutely, and that all air has been
cieared from the piezometer connections. The height of the water level in the
manometer may be raised to a suitable level by allowing air to escape through the air
valve at the top, or may be depressed by pumping in air through the valve.

The first reading of head loss and flow may now be taken. The needle valve is
opened fully to obtain a differential head of at least 400 mm, and the rate of flow
measured. If a suitable laboratory scale, weighing to an accuracy of 1 g, is available,
the discharge is collected over a timed interval and then weighed. If a volumetric
cylinder is used, the time required to coilect a chosen volume is measrned. During the
period of collection, ensure that the outlet end of the flexible tube is below the level of
the bench, and that it never becomes immersed in the discharged water. Otherwise,
the differential head and rate of flow may change, especially at the lower flow rates.
It is recommended that the manometer is read several times during the collection
period, and a mean value of differential head taken. The needle valve is then closed
in stages, to provide readings at a series of reducing flow rates. The water
temperature should be observed as accurately as possible at frequent intervals.

These readings should comfortably cover the whole of the laminar flow region and
the transition from turbulent flow. It is advisable to plot a graph of differential head
loss against flow rate as the experiment proceeds to ensure that sufficient readings
have been taken to establish the slope of the straight line in the region of laminar
flow.

To obtain a range of results with turbulent flow it is necessary to use water from the
bench supply and to measure differential heads with the mercury-water U-tube. The
supply hose from the overhead tank is disconnected and replaced by one from the
bench supply pipe. Since the equipment will be subjected to the full pump pressure,
the joints should be secured using hose clips. The water manometer is isolated by
closing the tap at the downstream piezometer connection. With the pump running, the
bench supply valve is opened fully, and the needle valve opened slightly, so that there
is a moderate discharge from the pipe exit. The bleed valves at the top of the U-tube
are then opened to flush out any air in the connecting tubes. Manipulation of the
tubes will help to fill the whole length of the connections from the piezometer
tappings right up to the surfaces of the mercury columns in the U-tube. The bleed
valves and needle valve are then closed, and a check is made that the U-tube shows no
differential reading. If it does not, further attempts should be made to clear the

103
connections of air. Readings of head loss and flow rate are now taken, starting at the
valve to
maximum available discharge rate, and reducing in stages, using the needle
set the desired flow rates . The water temperature should be recorded at frequent
intervals. It is desirable to provide some overlap. of the ranges covered by the
on
mercury U-tube and the water manometer. Noting that 1 mm differential reading
the mercury-water U-tube represents 12.6 mm differential water gauge' a few
readings should be taken below about 40 mm on the mercury-water U-tube'

The diameter D of the tube under test, and the length L between the piezometer
tappings, should be noted.

Resalts und Culculations

Length of pipe between piezometer tappings L: 524 mm

Diameter of pipe D : 3'00 mm

Cross sectional areaof pipenD2l4 A : 1.069m*2: 1.069 x 10-6m2

Qty t hr hz e V i log i 103f log f Re log Re

(ml) (s) (mm) (mm) ("c) (m/s)
400 5 0.8 521 .0 5 6.0 1 s.3 1.114 0.8 87 -0.052 t0.52 - 1 .918 2954 3.41 1

400 54.0 5 00.0 85.0 1.048 0.192 -0.101 10.61 -r.97 4 211 9 3.444

400 s 8.8 41 6.0 1 14.0 0.962 0.691 -0. 1 61 1 -1.960 2552

0.98 3.407

400 61 .8 452.4 145.0 0.916 0.s 86 -0.232 10.28 -1.988 2128 3.3 8s

400 67 .2 427 .5 114.4 a.842 0.484 -0.3 Is 10.04 -1.998 2233 3.349

300 51 .8 3 90.0 223.0 1 5.3 0.134 0.3 19 -0.497 8.70 -2.061 1947 3.290

300 71 .9 375.0 245.4 0.5 90 0.218 -0.60s 1 0.48 - 1 .980 1565 3.195

300 93.9 362.0 263.0 a.451 0.1 89 -0.124 13.32 -1 .81 s 1211 3.083

200 92.4 349.0 282.0 0.3 06 0.1 28 -0.893 20.01 -1.698 BT2 2.9r0
l-1 4l
I

150 1 00.8 340.0 295.5 0 .211 0.085 -1.07 1 28.20 s50 5s8 2.1
I

B5 1 13.6 332.5 3 06.0 15.3 0.1 06 0.0s 1

-1 .296 66.41 l- 1 118 280 2.448

50 r29.5 325.0 316.0 0.05 5 0.017 -1.165 84.1 1 l-r ot2 144 2.T67

Table g.I Results utith water manometer

I

sA great amount of repetitive computation is required to reduce the results shown in Tables 9.1 and
9.2. Students are encouraged to use a programmable pocket calculator or to write a suitable program
for use on a computer for reducing the experimental data.

t04
Qty t hr hz e V i log i 103f log f Re log Re
(ml) (s) (mm) (mm) ('c) (m/s)
900 39.0 431.0 19s.0 15.5 3.265 5.67s 0.7 54 t .83 -2.1 06 Bt 04 3.940
900 42.9 414.0 214.0 2.968 4.809 0.682 8.03 -2.095 1913 3.898

900 46.6 402.0 226.0 2.732 4.232 0.627 8.34 -2.A19 7285 3.862
900 51 .7 390.0 240.0 15.5 2.463 3.6A7 0.557 8.7 s -2.05 8 6s66 3.811

900 s 8.0 3t7 .0 254.5 2.t95 2.916 0.469 8.99 -2.046 5 853 3.1 67

900 62.1 37 0.s 26r.0 2.03r 2.633 0.420 9.44 -2.027 5414 3.734

900 68. s 362.0 27 0.5 1.859 2.200 0.342 9.37 -2.A28 s 006 3.100
600 4l .5 358.5 27 5.0 1 .187 2.008 0.3 03 9.25 -2.431 4813 3.682
600 51.6 3s1.5 283.5 1 s.9 1.555 1.63s 0.214 9.96 -2.A02 1187 3.622
600 t 0.4 3 40.0 294.0 1.206 1 .106 0.044 11 .20 - 1 .95s 3218 3.s12
300 48.0 331.5 305.5 O.B84 0.62s -0.201 11.71 - 1 .929 2382 3.311

Table 9.2 Results with rnercury) manometer

eoc 0 1 2 3 1 5 6 7 8 9

10 1.307 1.21 1 1.236 \.202 1 .110 1.140 1.110 1.082 1.055 1.029

20 1.004 0 9B0 0.951 0.93 s 0.914 0.893 0.873 0 854 0.836 0.818

30 0.80 1 0.7 84 a.t 69 a.l 53 0 73B 0.121 0.710 a.696 0 683 0.6s B

0C
Table 9.3 Table o.f I06v (*ttg as a.function of water temperature 0

Tables 9.1 and 9.2 present typical results obtained using the water and mercury
rnanometers, and Table 9.3 gives values of 106v, expressed in units of m2ls, as a
tunction of water temperature 0"C, in the range from 1OoC to 39'C.

\ralues of v, which are needed to compute Reynolds numbers, may be obtained by

interpolation from this table. Alternatively, they may be obtained from the empirical
tbrmula

106 v 1.0049 0.0217 6(A 20) + o ooo11(o 20)'

(9.17)

t0s
which fits experimentally measured values of v very well over the range of 0 from
15oC to 30oC.

In Table 9 .I , values of i are obtained simply from

(h, - h,)
L

For example, in the first line of the table,

(sz1 .o s6.o) 0.887

524

and log i, used for graphical representation, is

log i log 0.887 - 0 .052

To obtain the friction factor f, we first compute the velocity head as follows:

In the first line of the table, for example, the flow rate Q is

o:
\ QtY
t 50.8
10-6 *'/t

so the velocity V along the pipe is

7.874 x 10-6
V l.lI4 m/s
A I .069 x 10-6

The velocity head is then

v2 r.1142
0.0632 m
)ct
"b (z" e B1)

fquation (9.12) may now be used to find f:

4f v2
D29

106
so that
rI:--^t 'D 1

4 V'lze
and inserting numerical values for the first line of
the table,

3.00 x 10-3x 1
52 x 10-3
0.887x 4 0n6.'
10.

Then
log f xto') : -1.978

finally, Reynolds number Re is obtained from the definition

VD
Re- v
-
Equation (9.17), to have
in which v is found by interpolation from Table 9.3, or from
the value
^' It
1.1 31 x 10-6

at the relevant temperature of 15.3"C.

Hence
1 .II4 x 3.00 x 10-3 2954
Re
1.131x 10-6

and
log Re : 3'471

the mercury-water manometet' a1e

Calculations for Table 9.2, containing results using
heads recorded from the
done in identical fashion, except that the differential
heads of water by multiplication by the
manometer need to be expressed as equivalent
factor 12.6. So the hydraulic gradient now becomes

12.6(hl - h2)
L

r01
In the first line of Table 9.2, for example,

5.67 5
524

hl -

h"

Fig 9.4 Diagram of mercury-water U-tube

Fig9.4 shows how the factor 12.6 arises. The pressure applied to the left hand limb
of the mercury-water U-tube is greater that applied at the right, so the mercury is
driven down to point U in the right hand limb and up to point T in the right. The
difference of levels of these points is (hr - h2). Now the pressures pu and pu at points
U and V shown on the diagram are equal, since these points are at the same level, and
are connected hydrostatically round the bottom of the U-tube. The difference of
pressgre between U and S in the left hand limb, due to a water column of height (h1 -
hz) and specific weight w, is
pu-ps: w(hr-hz)

In the right hand limb, the mercury column of height (hr - hz) has specific weight sw,
where s is the specific gravity of mercury, so the pressure difference between V and T
is

Pu-Pt: sw(h1 -h2)

Subtracting these results, and recalling that p,': Pv, we obtain

P,-Pt: (s-1)w(hr-hz)

Expressing this as a differential head of water of specific weight w, we see that

108
 .he specific sra\ in s oi mercurl- is 13 .6, So that

hr-h, 12.6(hr - hz)

Re
1 000 2000
0.8

+
+

.472
0.4
Re:1950---
-=--f

0.5 1.0
V (m/s)

Fig 9.5 Variation of hydraulic gradient i with velocity V up to I m/s

Fig 9.5 shows how the hydraulic gradient varies in proportion to flow velocity V over
a range from zero to the critical value, above which the proportionality does not
apply. The critical value of Re for transition from turbulent to laminar flow (the
experiment having been performed with decreasing flow rate) is 1950. Equation
(9.10), which is a form of Poiseuille's equation, may be used to infer the coefficient of
kinematic viscosity from measurements in the region of laminar flow. From the
graph, the slope of the linear porlion is found to be

i
0.112 sf m
V

Rewriting Equation (9.10) in the form

s ]_o,
32V

109
r

and inserting numerical values,

+
32
x o.4rz x (:.oo
' t o-')'

v- 1.137 x 10-6
^'l,
Withinthe limits of experimental error, this agrees with the value v: 1.131 x 10-6
m2ls obtained from the standard data of Table 9.3 at the working temperature of
15.3oC, so confirming the validity of Poiseuille's equation in the laminar flow regime.

-1.0

o -- Equation (9.16)
"' f : 16/Re

log i log f
Equation (9.15)
f - 0.079Re-"0

J-
Iog Re

fig 9.6 Variation o.f log i utith log Re

Fig 9.6 shows logarithmic graphs of both hydraulic gradient i and friction factor f as
functions of Reynolds.number Re. Transition occurs at the value log Re
:3.29, vrz
Re: 1950. The straight line corresponding to Equation (9.16) for laminar flow is
shown on the figure, and it is clear that excellent agreement with experiment is

obtained. This follows, of course, from the good correspondence which has been
found between the value of v obtained from Poiseuille's equation and the value
obtained from standard data. The straight line comesponding to the Blasius Equation

110
 (9.15) for turbulent flow is also shown.
fn the range of log Re from 3.29 to 3.43 (Re
fiom 1950 to 2710), f rises along a curve as Re increases. For higher
values of Re, a
tbir agreement with the Blasius friction factor is found.
Ouestions for Furtlter Discussion

1. What suggestions do you have for improving the apparatus?

2. what percentage changes in the computed values of v, i, f, v and Re would

you expect to result from,

i) An effor of I .0 mm in measurement of L;
ii) An error of 0.03 mm in measurement of D.

a
J. A possible project is the adaptation of the apparatus to operation with air
instead of water. Using values of p and v taken from physical tables, calculate
the likely critical velocity and the corresponding pressure drop. consider
whether this could be measured using a water U-tube. Devise a simple
method of producing a steady flow of air at a known rate by displacement
from a closed vessel.

111