Pipe Sizing

Department Editor: Kate Torzewski

Friction Factor
Fluid flowing through pipes experiences resistance due to viscosity, turbulence and roughness of the pipe surface. The DarcyWeisbach Equation (1) is commonly used for the analysis of steady-state, Newtonian-fluid flow inside pipes. It summarizes the relations between frictional head loss, fluid properties, pipe geometry and discharge. (1) For laminar flow (Re < 2,100), the friction factor is a function of Reynolds number only. (2) In turbulent flow (Re > 4,000), f depends upon Reynolds number and pipe roughness. Hydraulically smooth pipes. In this case, the friction factor is solely a function of Re. For the determination of friction factor, Von Krmn and Prandtl [2] developed Equation (3). (3) This correlation must be solved by iterative procedures, but simpler correlations given by Colebrook [3] and Blasius [4] are written as Equations (4) and (5), respectively.

Hydraulically smooth pipes. Equations (1) and (3) allow us to find an expression for the discharge of a smooth pipe.

NOMENCLATURE
D DR DS D1 f g Gu hf L Q P Re X Diameter of pipe, m Diameter of very rough pipe, m Diameter of very smooth pipe, m Diameter of standard commercially available pipe, m Darcy friction factor, dimensionless Gravitational acceleration, m/s2 Dynamic roughness, dimensionless Frictional head loss, m Length of pipe, m Volumetric flowrate, m3/s Pressure drop, N/m2 Reynolds number, dimensionless, Re = 4Q/D Dimensionless parameter (Eq. [11]) Pipe roughness, m Dimensionless parameter (Eq. [16]) Viscosity, N-s/m2 Density, kg/m3 Diameter multiplier, dimensionless

(10)

(11) Commercial pipes. Equations (1) and (6) allow us to find an expression for the discharge of a commercial pipe.

(12)

PiPe Diameter
Rearranging Equation (1) to yield an expression for pipe diameter gives Equation (13).

1.8 1.7

(13) Smooth pipes. Substituting Equation (5) for f yields a correlation for pipe diameter.

Diameter multiplier,

1.6 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9 1 10 100 1,000 1x104 1x105 1x106 Gu

Re
(4) (5) Commercial pipe. In this case, f is governed by both Re and relative roughness, expressed as /D. The Colebrook-Whites Equation (6) is used to calculate f [3]. (6) As this equation requires trial-and-error solution, Altshul [5] has developed Equation (7), a computationally simpler choice. (7)

(14) Commercial pipes. Determining the diameter of a rough pipe requires the use of Gu, the dynamic roughness. (15) Manipulating Equation (7) to reflect Gu and substituting into the expression for pipe diameter gives Equation (17), commercial pipe diameter. Several design parameters can be condensed into a constant, named . (16)

Figure 1 is a plot with Gu as abscissa and as ordinate. It has the expected limit at Gu = 0, at = 1. First, estimate a pipe diameter assuming smooth pipe. Using this diameter, calculate Gu from Equation (15). Then, from Figure 1, get the value of and multiply it by the diameter to get actual diameter needed for the commercial pipe.

graPhical sizing methoD

To avoid lengthy calculations, a graphical method can be used to approximate pipe diameter. Dividing Equation (17) by Equation (18), we get the diameter multiplier, . (20) A graphical method using can help to quickly estimate the degree of roughness the chosen pipe can withstand.

Pressure DroP
To determine pressure drop, discharge and diameter must be known. Hydraulically smooth pipes. Using Equation (1) and the friction factor correlation for smooth pipe, Equation (8) is found.

(17) The range of Gu is: 0 < Gu < 106, based on the known ranges of Re and /D for all pipe and flow conditions. Substituting these two extreme values of Gu into Equation (15) gives the following extreme cases, which a pipe diameter must fall between. Case 1: Extremely smooth pipe. Gu = 0. (8)

References
(18) Case 2: Extremely rough pipe. Gu = 106
1. Gulyani, B. B., Approximating Equations for Pipe Sizing, Chem. Eng., February 2001, pp. 105108. 2. Von Krmn, T. J., Turbulence and skin friction, J. Aerospace Sci., 7, 120, 1934. 3. Colebrook, C. F., and White, C. M., J. of Institution of Civil Engineers (London), 10, 1, pp. 99118, 19371938.

Commercial pipes. Using Equation (1) and the friction factor correlation for smooth pipe, Equation (9) is found.

(9)

Discharge
To determine discharge, pressure drop and diameter must be known.

(19) Here, we see that even for very rough pipe (/D = 0.01, Re = 108), the diameter estimate will be only about five thirds of that for smooth pipe.

4. Blausius, H., Das Anlichkeitsgesetz bei Reibungsvorgngen in Flssigkeiten, Forschungsarbeit Arb. Ing.-Wes., No. 131, Belin, 1913. 5. Altshul A. D., and Kiselev, P. G., Gidravlika i Aerodinamika, 2nd ed., pp. 166`96, Strojizdat Moscow, 1975.