Flow Through Pipes

Submitted to:

Dr. Aravind Suresh

as partial fulfillment of the requirements for

Chemical Engineering Laboratory I (CHML 403) at Manhattan College

Submitted by:

Lauren Morency

Date of experiment: 10/29/2021

Date of submission: 11/22/2021

Table of Contents
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………….3
Introduction and Theory…………………………………………………………………………3
Broader Impact…………………………………………………………………………………..4
Procedure…………………………………………………………………………………………5
Results and Discussion……………………………………………………………….…………..8
Conclusion and Recommendations………………………………………………………………14
References………………………………………………………………………………………..15

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Abstract
In this paper, it is shown how pressure drops along the length of the pipe. It also evaluates
pressure drop as material, flowrate and number of bends varies. It proves that pressure drops
over the length of a pipe. The experimental pressure found is compared to a calculated pressure
drop for a model of a pipe at the adjusted flowrate given.

Introduction and Theory

The behavior of fluids falls under the science of fluid mechanics. A “fluid” is understood to be a
vapor, liquid, or gas. Fluid mechanics is one of the most important unit operation in chemical
engineering. It directly effects all other unit operations like heat transfer units, pumps, and other
equipment.

In a pipe, the velocity varies along the vertical axis of the pipe because of friction along the wall
of the pipe. The friction force is represented by a friction factor. This factor can be calculated in
different ways depending on the flow regime. The friction factor is a function of the Reynolds
number. The Reynolds number is calculated by multiplying the mean velocity (U), diameter (D)
and density (ρ) then dividing by viscosity (μ). The mean velocity and diameter are the two values
that can be changed to affect the Reynolds number. (1)
UDρ
ℜ=
μ
The Reynold’s number is related to the friction factor through a series of equations. The equation
used to find the friction factor depends on what flow regime the process is flowing in, turbulent
or laminar. In most industrial pipes, there will be a wall roughness which is represented by k. It
is approximated depending on the material of the pipe. (2)

{ [ ]}
−2

( )
1.11
6.9 k
f = 3.6 log +
ℜ 3.7 D

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Figure 1: Example of a liquid flowing through a pipe

After doing a force balance on the pipe you get the equation: (3)
π D2
( P0 −P L ) −τ w πDL=0
4
Then can be rearranged to: (4)

τ w= ( )
D |∆ P|
4 L
Shear stress can be replaced by the friction factor equation: (5)
D |ΔP|
f=
2 ρU L
2

Then pressure drop is found along various lengths and various flowrates. Using equation 5, the
pressure decreases as you flow down the length of the pipe.

Figure 2: Manometer connected to pipe

In this experiment, the experimental pressure is measured using a manometer. A manometer

measures pressure in mm of fluid. One part of the manometer is connected to the tube to measure
the pressure of the flow.

Broader Impact
Fluid mechanics is important in industry because it is cost effect to know exactly what
specifications need to be implemented for the best performance. In a plant there are many pipes
and its important to know the specifications of each pipe. In plants, all of the streams are labeled
on Process Flow Diagrams and the conditions are displayed in a stream table.

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Popular scientists that made discoveries in fluid mechanics are Isaac Newton, Lord Osborne
Reynolds and Ludwig Prandtl. Isaac Newton discovered the law of viscosity of linear fluids
which lead to the frictionless vs. friction assumptions with flow through pipes. Lord Osborne
Reynolds researched the difference between turbulent and laminar flow and also created the
Reynolds number used in this report. Ludwig Prandtl showed that the closer to the wall you are,
the more frictional affects you will have.

Procedure

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 2

The experimental system is a model from GUNT. It features 6 pipes with various diameters,
materials and amount of bends. Pipes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 were used for this experiment. Pipes 1 and
2 are both copper pipes with different diameters. Pipe 3 is made of galvanized steel. Pipe 4 is
made of copper but constricts from a diameter of 26 mm to a diameter of 16 mm for a length of
550 mm then returns back to a diameter of 26 mm. Pipe 6 is also a copper pipe with two 90-
degree bends with a distance of 95 mm between. Then there is stretch of 350 mm of pipe with
two 90-degree angles with a distance of 125 mm between. The bends have a radius of 25 mm,
and the angles have a radius of 15 mm.

Table 1: Pipe information for experimental system given in lab

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 Pipe # Material O.D. (mm) I.D. (mm) Wall Roughness (mm)

1 Copper 28 26 0.03
2 Copper 22 20 0.03

3 Galvanized Steel 16.5 16 0.15

4 Copper 28 26 0.03
6 Copper 22 20 0.03

Set up
1. Make sure that tank B2 (capacity 105 L) contains sufficient water. The system has a
closed loop for the flow of water, with B2 acting as the source as well as the sink.
2. Make sure that valve V7 is open and that the three-way valve V8 is positioned to allow
water to return to tank B2.
3. Make sure that valves V9, V14 and V15 are closed, and valve V10 is partially open.
4. Open valve V1 to bring pipe #1 online. Make sure that valves V2 through V6 are closed.
5. As air bubbles in the measurement hoses cause incorrect measurements due to the low
density of air, the hoses must be bled as follows (adapted from instructional manual):
a. Connect all measurement hoses required for the measurement to pipe #1 and to
the manometer panel in the same sequence.
b. close the ventilation valve on top of the manometer panel.
c. Open the purge valve.
d. Switch on pump P1.
e. Purge the measurement hoses and manometer tubes.
f. The purge pressure may need to be increased by partially closing valve V7.
g. Switch off the pump when there are no more air bubbles in the measurement
hoses.
h. Close the purge valve and valve V1.
6. To utilize the maximum possible measuring range, set the zero position in the center of
the manometer tubes around 500 mm as follows (adapted from the instructional manual):

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 a. Bleed the manometer tubes as described in step 5 above.
b. Close valve V7.
c. Using the ventilation valve, let air into the manometer tubes until the water levels
in the tubes are at the desired position.
d. Open valve V7.
e. The manometer tubes are ready for measurement. With no flow, all levels must be
the same, which represents the zero line.

Procedure
1. Open valve V1 and switch on the pump and set the volumetric flowrate using valve V10.
Make sure to read the top of the float of rotameter Fl1.
Rotameter calibration: Flowrate (m3 /h) = 1.0088 * Reading (m3 /h) – 0.0431
2. Measure the pressure drop as a function of pipe length and water flowrate for pipe #1 in
triplicate.
3. Switch off pump P1. Close valve V1, open valve V2 and measure pressure drop as a
function of pipe length and water flowrate for pipe #2. Ensure before starting that the
zero line has been retained on the manometer tubes.
4. In a similar manner, measure pressure drop as a function of pipe length and water
flowrate for pipes #3, #4 and #6.
a. The zero line on the manometer tubes might need to be moved for pipe #3.
b. You will need to bleed the hoses and zero the manometer tubes once again before
taking measurements on pipes #4 and #6.

Results and Discussion

To model the pressure drop along a pipe, pipe 1 is used for calculations. Pipes 2 and 3 are found
in the Appendix section.

Table 2: Pipe 1 Raw data in mm of water

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 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5

Flowrate (m3/h) 300 mm 550 mm 550 mm 550 mm 550nm

1 543 534 520 510 500

1 2 548 535 523 511 499
3 546 533 521 509 497
1 602 574 550 526 501
1.6 2 602 574 549 524 500
3 603 574 550 525 502
1 650 613 576 540 504
2 2 655 613 576 539 503
3 654 612 576 539 503
1 709 653 604 554 505
2.4 2 710 653 605 555 505
3 710 653 605 555 505
1 818 732 659 584 509
3 2 811 726 656 582 508
3 825 736 653 586 508

This data is our experimental pressure drop in mm of water. In order to compare the
experimental and calculated pressure, both have to be in Pa. To convert mm of water to Pa, a
conversion factor is used: (5)
Pressure ∈Pa=Pressure∈mm water∗9.8066

Table 3: Adjusted Flowrate, Mean Velocity, Reynold’s Number, and Friction Factor for Pipe 1

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 Calibrated Reynolds Friction
Flowrate (m3/h) Mean velocity (m/s)
Flowrate (m3/h) number factor

1 0.9657 0.5052 13090 0.007614

1.6 1.571 0.8219 21300 0.006898

2 1.975 1.033 26300 0.006623

2.4 2.378 1.244 32240 0.006425

3 2.983 1.561 40440 0.006212

Table 3 contains the values using equations 1 & 2 from the introduction. The friction factors
from table 3 is used to calculate the calculated pressure values in the table below.

Table 4: Calculated and Experimental Pressure drop along Pipe 1

Calculated

Distance (m) 0.85 1.4 1.95 2.5

Flowrate (m/h) P1-P2 P1-P3 P1-P4 P1-P5

1 127.0782193 209.3053023 291.5323854 373.7594685

1.6 304.6907617 501.8436075 698.9964532 896.149299

2 462.1265484 761.1496091 1060.17267 1359.195731

2.4 650.2635997 1071.022399 1491.781199 1912.539999

3 989.4895471 1629.747489 2270.005432 2910.263374

Experimental

Distance (m) 0.85 1.4 1.95 2.5

Flowrate P1-P2 P1-P3 P1-P4 P1-P5

1 114.4109167 238.6284833 349.7705167 460.91255

1.6 277.8550833 516.4835667 758.3809333 993.7405333

2 395.5348833 755.11205 1114.689217 1467.728617

2.4 555.7101667 1029.69825 1520.03075 2007.094367

3 849.9096667 1588.6773 2294.7561 3036.792617

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 500
450
400
350
Pressure (Pa)

300
250
200 Calculated
150 Experimental
100
50
0
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2 2.4 2.6
Length (m)

Figure 3: Experimental and Calculated Pressure drop over length of a Pipe for 1 m3/h
For a straight pipe, the calculated vs experimental values are very similar. This means that the
pipe is behaving similar to the model of fluid flowing through pipes.

3500

3000

2500
Pressure (Pa)

2000 1
1.6
1500
2
1000 2.4
3
500

0
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2 2.4 2.6
Length (m)

Figure 4: Experimental Pressure drop over length of Pipe 1 for various flowrates
For Pipe 1 at various flowrates across a length, the higher flowrate had the higher pressure drop.
Also, the lower flowrate stays at a lower pressure throughout than the higher flowrate.

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 4000

3500

3000

2500
Pressure (Pa)

2000
Pipe 1 (1 m3/h)
1500 Pipe 2 (1 m3/h)
Pipe 3 (0.8 m3/h)
1000

500

0
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2 2.4 2.6
Length down pipe (m)

Figure 5: Experimental Pressure drop over length of a pipe for ~ 1m3/h

The galvanized steel with the 26mm diameter had the highest pressure drop along the length of
the pipe. Pipe 2 had a smaller diameter Than both pipe 1 and pipe 3 but only had a higher
pressure drop than Pipe 1. Therefore, the smaller the diameter, the higher the pressure drop.
The galvanized steel is at a slightly higher flowrate which could be the reason for the higher
pressure drop as well. Pipes 4 and 6 includes restrictions and bends compared to pipe 1 that is a
straight pipe.
9000

8000

7000

6000
Pressure (Pa)

5000 0.8
4000 1
1.4
3000 1.6
1.8
2000

1000

0
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2 2.4 2.6
Length (m)

Figure 6: Experimental Pressure drop over the length of Pipe 4 for various flowrates

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Where the pipe constricted, the flowrate jumped up higher for all flowrates. The higher the
flowrate the higher the pressure drop.
2500

2000
Pressure (Pa)

1500

1000 Experimental
Calculated

500

0
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2 2.4 2.6
Length (m)

Figure 7: Experimental vs Calculated Pressure drop Pipe 4 at flowrate 0.8 m/h

Experimental data was a little higher than calculated because we have to assume that the pipe is
completely constricted to 0.016m when in reality it would slowly decrease to 0.016 over a course
of pipe length.
8000

7000

6000

5000
Pressure (Pa)

0.8
4000
1
3000 1.4
1.6
2000 1.8

1000

0
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2 2.4 2.6
Length (m)

Figure 8: Experimental Pressure drop over the length of Pipe 6 for various flowrates

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 3500

3000

2500
PResuure Drop (Pa)

2000

1500 Calculated
Experimental
1000

500

0
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2 2.4 2.6
Length (m)

Figure 9: Experimental vs Calculated Pressure drop Pipe 6 flowrate of 0.8 m/h

The calculated data is higher than the experimental. This could be due to the fact that the friction
force added from the bends is not accurate enough.

2500

2000
Pressure (Pa)

1500

1000 Pipe 6 (0.8 m3/h)

Pipe 4 (0.8 m3/h)

500

0
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2 2.4 2.6
Length (m)

Figure 10: Experimental Pressure drop along pipes at flowrate of 0.8 m/h

Conclusions and Recommendations

In conclusion, the galvanized steel pipe had the most drastic pressure drop and had higher
pressures overall. The bends and restricted diameter gave a higher pressure drop. The higher the
flowrate, the higher the pressure drop was found. A recommendation is to make sure the pipes
are inspected to ensure there is no build up that restricts flow. When performing this experiment,

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work with low flowrates to avoid flooding the manometer. Also it’s better to compare all the
same flowrates for all pipes if possible.

References

Aspiration Energy. Why pipe sizing and flow rate is important?

https://aspirationenergy.com/why-pipe-sizing-and-flow-rate-is-important/ (accessed Nov
22, 2021).

Baratuci, W. The differential manometer. https://www.learnthermo.com/T1-tutorial/ch01/lesson-

E/pg06.php (accessed Nov 23, 2021).

Çengel Yunus A.; Cimbala, J. M. Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications; McGraw-
Hill Education: Singapore, 2020.

McCabe, W. L.; Smith, J. C.; Harriott, P. Unit operations of Chemical Engineering; McGraw-
Hill Education (India) Private Limited: Chennai, 2014.

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