Viscus flow in pipes

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Laminar or turbulent flow

The Reynolds number ranges for which laminar, transitional, or turbulent pipe flows are obtained cannot
be precisely given. The actual transition from laminar to turbulent flow may take place at various
Reynolds numbers, depending on how much the flow is disturbed by vibrations of the pipe, roughness
of the entrance region, and the like. For general engineering purposes 1i.e., without undue precautions
to eliminate such disturbances2, the following values are appropriate: The flow in a round pipe is
laminar if the Reynolds number is less than approximately 2100. The flow in a round pipe is turbulent
if the Reynolds number is greater than approximately 4000. For Reynolds numbers between these two
limits, the flow may switch between laminar and turbulent conditions in an apparently random fashion
transitional flow

𝜌𝑉𝐷 𝑉𝐷
𝑅𝑒 = =
𝜇 𝜈
𝑅𝑒 < 2100 flow is laminar
𝑅𝑒 > 4000 flow is turbulent
We can express the Reynold’s number in term of volumetric, mass flowrate
𝑄 = 𝑉𝐴
where 𝑄 is volumetric flowrate
𝑉𝐷 𝑄𝐷
𝑅𝑒 = =𝜋
𝑣 𝐷2𝑣
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4𝑄
𝑅𝑒 =
𝜋𝐷𝑣
𝑚̇ = 𝜌𝑄
where 𝑚̇ is mass flowrate
4𝑚̇
𝑅𝑒 =
𝜋𝐷𝜇

For Noncircular Conduits, we can calculate the Reynold’s number based on hydraulic
diameter
𝜌𝑉𝐷ℎ
𝑅𝑒ℎ =
𝜇
where 𝐷ℎ is hydraulic diameter

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 4𝐴
𝐷ℎ =
𝑃
where 𝐴 is the cross sectional flow area, 𝑃 is the wetted perimeter.

Entrance Region and Fully Developed Flow

The region of flow near where the fluid enters the pipe is termed the entrance region, figure below

The shape of the velocity profile in the pipe depends on whether the flow is laminar or turbulent, as
does the length of the entrance region, As with many other properties of pipe flow, the dimensionless
entrance length, correlates quite well with the Reynolds number. Typical entrance lengths are given
by

Fully Developed Laminar Flow

the flow in long, straight, constant diameter sections of a pipe becomes fully developed. That is, the
velocity profile is the same at any cross section of the pipe.

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fully developed horizontal pipe flow is merely a balance between pressure and viscous forces the
pressure difference acting on the end of the cylinder of area and the shear stress acting on the lateral
surface of the cylinder of area This force balance can be written as

which can be simplified to give

… (1)

Newtonian fluid, the shear stress is simply proportional to the velocity gradient,

… (2)

combination equation (2) and equation (1)

which can be integrated to give the velocity profile as follows:

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Where 𝐶1 is a constant.
Because the fluid is viscous it sticks to the pipe wall so that 𝑢 = 0 at 𝑟 = 𝐷/2
∆𝑝
𝐶1 = ( ) 𝐷2
16𝜇ℓ
Then the velocity profile can be written as

∆𝑝𝐷 2
𝑉𝑐 = = 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
16𝜇ℓ
the relationship between the wall shear stress and the pressure gradient

𝐷
Where 𝑅 = 2
is the pipe radius.

The volume flowrate though the pipe can be obtained by integrating the velocity profile across the pipe,
where the velocity is constant on small area elements consisting of rings of radius r and thickness dr as
shown in the figure below.

Thus,

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By definition, the average velocity is the flowrate divided by the cross-sectional area,

𝑄 𝑄
𝑉= =
𝐴 𝜋𝑅 2

the pressure drop can be obtained

32𝜇ℓ𝑉
∆𝑝 2
= 𝐷
1 2 1 2
𝜌𝑉 ( 𝜌𝑉 )
2 2
∆𝑝 𝜇 ℓ
= 64 ( )( )
1 2 𝜌𝑉𝐷 𝐷
2 𝜌𝑉
∆𝑝 64 ℓ
= ( )
1 2 𝑅𝑒 𝐷
2 𝜌𝑉

1 ∆𝑝 64 ℓ 1 2
( 𝜌𝑉 2 ) = ( ) ( 𝜌𝑉 )
2 1 2 𝑅𝑒 𝐷 2
2 𝜌𝑉

ℓ 1
∆𝑝 = 𝑓 ( ) ( 𝜌𝑉 2 )
𝐷 2
Where 𝑓 is friction factor (dimensionless)
For laminar flow
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𝑓=
𝑅𝑒
Divide the above equation by 𝜌𝑔
ℓ 1 2
∆𝑝 𝑓 (𝐷 ) (2 𝜌𝑉 )
=
𝜌𝑔 𝜌𝑔

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 ∆𝑝 ℓ 𝑉2
ℎ𝑙 = = 𝑓 ( ) ( ) , 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑚 𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑡
𝛾 𝐷 2𝑔

This called the head loss due to the fiction

𝑝1 𝑉12 𝑝2 𝑉22
+ + 𝑧1 = + + 𝑧2 + ℎ𝑙
𝛾 2𝑔 𝛾 2𝑔
𝑧1 = 𝑧2 and 𝑉1 = 𝑉2
∆𝑝
= ℎ𝑙
𝛾
For nonhorizontal streamline as shown in the following figure

The result is a slightly modified

Thus, all of the results for the horizontal pipe are valid provided the pressure gradient is adjusted for
the elevation term, that is, ∆𝑝is replaced by ∆𝑝 − 𝛾ℓ𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 so that

and

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Turbulent flow

The friction factor in fully developed turbulent pipe flow depends on the Reynolds number and the
relative roughness 𝜀/𝐷, which is the ratio of the mean height of roughness of the pipe to the pipe
diameter.

Typical roughness values for various pipe surfaces are given in Table below

The now famous Moody chart is given in the Figure below. It presents the Darcy friction factor for
pipe flow as a function of Reynolds number and 𝜀/𝐷 over a wide range. It is probably one of the most
widely accepted and used charts in engineering.

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Minor losses

The fluid in a typical piping system passes through various fittings, valves, bends, elbows, tees, inlets,
exits, expansions, and contractions in addition to the straight sections of piping. These components
interrupt the smooth flow of the fluid and cause additional losses because of the flow separation and
mixing they induce. In a typical system with long pipes, these losses are minor compared to the head
loss in the straight sections

Minor losses are usually expressed in terms of the loss coefficient 𝐾𝐿 (also called the resistance
coefficient)

where ℎ𝐿 is the additional irreversible head loss in the piping system caused by insertion of the
component, and is defined as ℎ𝐿 = ∆𝑃𝐿/𝜌𝑔.

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