BASIC

HYDRAULICS
CE216 Hydraulics: Flow in pipelines

Lecture 1: Laminar flow; Darcy friction factor

1. Pressure gradient and shear stress in laminar flow

2. The Poiseuille equation
3. The Darcy friction factor
CE216 Hydraulics: Flow in pipelines

Lecture 2: Colebrook-White equation; examples

4. Turbulent flow
5. Colebrook-White equation and the Moody diagram
6. Head loss plotted against velocity
7. Example 1; iterative solution
8. Example 1; direct solution
9. Example 2; iterative method
10. Example 2; using the Moody diagram
CE216 Hydraulics: Flow in pipelines

Lecture 3: The Hazen-Williams formula; minor losses;

examples

11. The Hazen-Williams formula

12. Example 1 by H-W
13. Velocity profiles across a diameter
14. Effect of a change in roughness in Example 1
15. Minor losses in pipes
16. Example 3: minor losses and remaining kinetic energy
CE216 Hydraulics: Flow in pipelines

Lecture 4: Pipes in series

17. Pipes in series

18. Example 4: pipes in series
19. Example 4 continued
20. Total Energy Line and Hydraulic Grade Line
21. Example 4 extended
CE216 Hydraulics: Flow in pipelines

Lecture 5: Pipes in parallel, at junctions

22. Pipes in parallel

23. Example 5: pipes in parallel and series
24. Pipe junction
25. Pipe junction continued
26. A pump in a pipeline
27. Example 6. Three reservoirs and a pump
28. Example 6 continued
CE216 Hydraulics: Flow in pipelines

Lecture 6: Hardy-Cross pipe network analysis

29. Hardy-Cross
30. Hardy-Cross continued
31. Example 7. Pipe network: single loop
32. Pipe network continued
33. Example 7. Pipe network: double loop
CE216 Hydraulics: Flow in pipelines

Lecture 7: Unsteady flow in pipes

34. Unsteady flow in pipes

35. Oscillating flow in a U-tube
36. Emptying a tank
37. Emptying a tank (Continued)
CE216 Hydraulics: Flow in pipelines

Lecture 8: Pressure transients

38. Pressure transients – rigid pipe

39. Pressure transients – elastic pipe
40. Pressure transients – elastic pipe (2)
41. Pressure transients – elastic pipe (3)
42. After a sudden closure
43. Pressure wave reflections

Hydraulics: Flow in pipelines

Lecture 9: Pumps

44. Pump characteristics curves

45. Archimedean screw and positive displacement pumps
46. Centrifugal pumps (1)
47. Centrifugal pumps (2)
48. Bernoulli’s equation on a rotating reference frame
49. Axial flow pumps
50. Specific speed

University of Southampton
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

CE216: HYDRAULICS
Pipe flow questions

For water use v = 1.1  10-6m2/s unless told otherwise.

 1 cumec = 1m3/s.

1. Show that in a pipe flow problem, when only the flow rate is unknown, the Colebrook White
equation can be re-organised in the form
 k 2.51 
V = −2 2 gdh f / L log  + .
 3.71d d 2 gdh / L 
 f 

2. A pipeline of diameter 0.61m conveys crude oil (density  = 837 kg/m3, viscosity  = 0.0016
kg/ms) with a flow rate of 0.89 cumecs. Assuming the walls are smooth calculate (a) the pressure
loss per metre of length of the pipeline; (b) the wall shear stress. [74.4N/m2,
2
11.35N/m ]

3. Determine the maximum allowable roughness of the pipe walls in problem 2 if the energy
required for pumping (proportional to the head loss) is not to increase more than 10% over that
required for smooth walls.
[0.037mm]

4. If the walls of the pipe in problem 2 were cast iron with an equivalent sand-grain roughness of
0.000244m, compute the head loss for 100 miles of pipe and compare the power consumption
with that of a smooth-walled pipe. [2060m,
15.0MW, 10.7MW]

5. What is the flow rate through a 1m riveted steel pipe (roughness k = 0.9mm) carrying sea
water to the condensers of a steam plant when the pipe friction loss is 0.02m per metre of pipe?
The viscosity of sea water is 10-6m2/s.
[3.55m3 /s]

6. What size of new galvanized iron pipe (k = 0.0005ft) will be required to carry a flow of
0.057m3/s of water without exceeding a head loss of 3.5m per 100m of pipe?
[0.172m]

7(a). When a new 8-in cast-iron water main (k = 0.00085ft) was first installed, pressure gauges
were placed at points A and B, 1000 ft apart on a straight sloping length of pipe, with point A
being upstream from B and located 25 ft higher than B. When the gauge at A registered 310kN/m2
the flow rate through the pipe was measured to be 0.07 cumecs. What was the pressure reading on
the gauge at point B?
[309kN/m2]

7(b). Some years later, when the flow through this same pipe was measured at 0.057 cumecs, the
gauges at point A and B read 289kN/m and 303kN/m respectively. What was the roughness, k, of
the pipe at this time? State the percentage increase in the roughness from its original value for the
new pipe.
[0.57mm, 120%]

Pipe questions(1).doc 21 November 2018

University of Southampton
 Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

CE216: HYDRAULICS
More pipe flow questions

QUESTION 8 IS COURSEWORK, TO BE HANDED IN BY THURSDAY 21 MARCH

2002

8. Two tanks whose water surface elevations differ by 15m are connected by a pipeline consisting of
two pipes in series. The first, 400m long, has a diameter of 0.305m and a roughness k of 0.02mm.
The second has a diameter of 0.457m and a roughness of 0.05mm.

(a) Calculate the maximum permissible length of the second pipe, if the flow is to be not less than
0.25m3/s. Allow for the effect of minor losses at the tanks and at the junction of the pipes.

(b) For a flow of 0.25m3/s draw a sketch of the system showing clearly the Total Energy and
Hydraulic Grade lines, and their elevations at each change of section relative to the elevation of the
water surface of the lower tank.

9. Four pipes come to a common junction J from the points A, B, C and D, where the pressure
heads are respectively 32m, 14m, 22m and 6m. Find the flow rates in the pipelines AJ, BJ, CJ, DJ,
whose properties are given below.
[DJ: 0.304m3/s]

Pipe Length (m) Diameter (m) 

AJ 1000 0.5 0.020
BJ 1500 0.5 0.022
CJ 50 0.2 0.012
DJ 350 0.3 0.013

10. Five pipes are connected in a loop ABCDEA. There are outflows from the system of 0.83m3/s
at A, and 0.61m3/s at E, and an inflow of 0.65m3/s at B. There is also an inflow at C. For all of the
pipes  is 0.021. Find the flow rates if the pipe properties are as given below.
[EA: 0.200m3/s]

Pipe Length (m) Diameter (m)

AB 1000 0.5
BC 500 0.5
CD 200 0.5
DE 850 0.3
EA 250 0.2
11. The sketch shows a cylinder full of oil ( = 900kg/m3, 
= 0.002kg/m/s) whose diameter is 1cm and length (from the
piston to the end) is 3cm. A steady push on the piston causes
a flow of 0.15cm3/s through the needle (diameter 0.25mm,
length 1.5cm) to discharge at atmospheric pressure from the
end. Find the force required to maintain this flow.
[4.18N]

12. A liquid of specific weight g = 9110N/m3 flows by gravity through a 0.3m

diameter tank and a 0.3m long capillary tube of diameter 1.2mm at a rate of
0.0042m3/hour when the depth of liquid in the tank is 0.3m. Neglecting entrance
losses calculate the viscosity of the fluid. [0.00072kg/m/s]

13. Find the length of mercury (s.g. 13.6) in a U-tube that will oscillate with a frequency of
0.53Hz
[1
.77m]

14. A sealed horizontal pipe 3m long is full of water and is suspended from its ends on long
parallel wires. The pipe is swung, staying in the same vertical plane, with a period of 5s and an
amplitude of 1.8m in the horizontal direction. Find the maximum pressure difference in the water
between the ends of the pipe.
[8.53kN/m2]

15. A U-tube contains water over a total length of 2m. Into one side of the U-tube, oil (of density
837kg/m3) is poured, to a depth of 0.6m. Find the natural period of oscillation of the fluids. The
interface between the fluids remains in the vertical part of the U-tube. (Note that the term L/g
dV/dt can be applied over the length of one fluid at a time.)
[2.24s]

16. Water flowing along a pipe at 2.5m/s is suddenly stopped by the rapid closure of a valve.
Assuming that the pipe is rigid, calculate the magnitude of the pressure rise behind the resulting
shock wave.
[3670kN/m2]

17. Repeat question 16 for the case of a steel pipe, diameter 1m, and wall thickness 5mm.

[2065kN/m2]

18. Water flows from a tank at 1.8m/s along a 500m pipeline. A valve at the far end of the
pipeline is suddenly closed. Plot the variation in pressure over the following 2 seconds, at a point
which is 150m along the pipeline from the tank. Assume that the pipe is rigid.
 Pipe questions(4).doc 21 November 2018

ANSWERS