JJ308 ENGINEERING LABORATORY

TITLE : LOSSES IN PIPE

1.0 Experiment outcomes
At the end of the lab session students should be able:
1) To determine the pressure or head loss in different pipe diameters, joint, valves.
2.0 Theory
Transportations or flow of fluid in closed conduits is one of the major topics in Fluid
Mechanics due to its vast application in many fields of study.
Early work in the subject was essentially empirical and despite many advance in
mathematical analysis the complexity of the flow of real fluids is such that very few complete
solutions of flow situations exist and thus, a large part of the topic of fluid flow in closed
conduits remains an empirical science.
Flow Pattern in pipes
There are basically two different flow patterns exhibit by fluid flowing through a pipe,
depending on the fluid flow-rate or velocity. The first kind occurs at lower velocities, where
individual fluid particles follow parallel flow paths, yet those particles nearer to the centre of
pipe move faster than those near the wall. This type of flow is known as laminar or stream
line flow. The second type is turbulent flow which occurs at higher velocities. The paths for
individual fluid particles are sinuous, intertwining and superimposing each other in a
disorderly manner.
Osborne Reynolds investigated these two different types of flow and concluded that the
parameters which were involved in the flow characteristics were:
kg /m3

The density of the fluid

The velocity of flow of the

fluid

m/s

Internal diameter of pipe

The absolute viscosity of

the fluid

Ns/m

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

JJ308 ENGINEERING LABORATORY

Reynolds showed that the character of the flow could be described with the aid of a
Re
dimensionless parameter, which is now known as Reynolds number ),

Re =

Pressure Loss (

Pf

VD

or Head Loss ( h f ) in pipes

The total head, H for a fluid flowing across a pipe is being derived based on Bernoullis
Principle and is expressed as follow:
2

H=

p u
+
g 2 g

+z

p
, Pressure head
g
2

u
,Velocity head
2g
Z , Elevation Head
Laminar Flow (Re < 2000), energy loss is given by Hagen-Poiseuilles Equation
Pf =

128 Q
d 4

or

hf =

128 Q
g d 4

Pf =Pressure loss due friction

=Fluid viscosity

=Pipe lenght
d=Pipe diameter

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

JJ308 ENGINEERING LABORATORY

Q=Volumetric flow rat e
Turbulent flow (Re > 4000), the pressure loss can be calculated based on Darcys Equation:
Pf =

8(R) ( u2 )
u2 d 2

Where, R = Sheer stress acting on the wall

=Fluid density
u = Fluid velocity
Effect of Pipe Diameter on Energy Losses
For a given flow rate, the mean velocity in the pipe is given by:

Q=

D2
u
4

thus, u =

4Q
2
D

Laminar flow,
Pf =

128 Q
d 4

thus,

hf

1
d4

Turbulent flow,
2

h f =8

(1) (4 Q)
d 2 g d2

thus,

hf

1
5
d

Energy losses due to sudden change in pipe diameter

1) Head loss at sudden Enlargement

hf

2
A
u
1 1 2
2g
A2

2) Head loss at Sudden Contraction

A1
u2
u22
hf
1
2
K
C
= 2g
=
A2
2g

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

JJ308 ENGINEERING LABORATORY

KC

d1
= 0.5 (1 d 2 )

Energy Losses in Fitting

hf

u
= k ( 2g

2.0 Apparatus/ Equipment

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

JJ308 ENGINEERING LABORATORY

4.0 Safety Precautions

i.
ii.

Do not start the water pump when there is no water in the water tank.
Ensure the digital manometer is properly connected to the pressure point before taking

iii.

the head loss reading.

Ensure that when running the experiment, the water pump is not turned on for too

iv.

long. As this will raise the water temperature in the tank.

The maximum flow rate to run the necessary experiments should not be more than 8
GPM

5.0 Procedures
i.
ii.

Place the apparatus on a level table.

Plug the 3 pin plug of the apparatus to the laboratory 240 VAC power supply. Switch
ON the power supply.

3
4

iii.

Fill the water tank of the apparatus until

iv.
v.
vi.

Shut off all the valves of the trainer.

Switch ON the trainer main power supply. Ensure the water pump is running,
Adjust the By-pass Valve (BV) and flow Regulating Valve (FRV) to obtain the desired
liquid flow rate.

vii.

Turn off all valves except

V1

of its full capacity.

, connect the pressure meter to measure the head loss

across the 9.8mm PVC pipe. (Check the flow meter reading; adjust BV and FRV to
viii.

maintain the flow).

V1
V2
Turn off
switch on
, with the rest of the valves remain closed, measure
the head loss across the 12mm PVC pipe.

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

JJ308 ENGINEERING LABORATORY

ix.

Turn off

V2

, switch on

V3

, to measure the head loss across 16.3mm PVC pipe.

x.

Turn off

V3

, switch on

V4

, measure head loss across 18.9mm PVC pipe, ball

xi.

valve, 45 Y-joint and Elbow 90 .

V4
Turn off
, fully turn on globe valve, measure the head loss in 90 mitre
bend, 90 T-joint, gate valve and globe valve.

xii.
xiii.
xiv.

Repeat the experiment using different flow rate.

Record all the data obtained to the table provided.
Plot the graph of head loss against flow rate.

6.0 Result/ Data

Fitting

Pressure Drop (mH20)

Max Min (mmHg)

Straight Pipes
9.8mm (PVC)
18.9mm (PVC)
12mm (PVC)
16.3mm (PVC)
Bends
Elbow 90

315
39
186
89
75

90 Mitre Bend

20

90 T-Joint

30

45 Y-Joint

40

Valve
Gate
Ball
Globe
Flow rate (GPM)

-1
-2
-1
5

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

JJ308 ENGINEERING LABORATORY

Losses In Pipe
350
300
250
200
150
Flow rate

Pressure Drop

100
50
0
-50

7.0 Discussion
1. Find the pressure drop for each flow rate in LPM

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

JJ308 ENGINEERING LABORATORY

8.0 Conclusion
As a conclusion, the experiment that have been carried out were successful, even
though the data collected are a little bit difference compared to the theoretical value. The
difference between the theoretical value and the actual value may mainly due to human and
servicing factors such as parallax error. This error occur during observer captured the value of
the water level, and . Besides that, it also may because there is bubble inside the pipe line.
This is because the bubble was not properly flushed during bleeding. There is no other
relative motion between the fluid particles. There is only stress that will be a normal stress
which is equal to the pressure. There are a lot of possibilities for the experiment will having
an error. Therefore, the recommendation to overcome the error is ensure that the position of
the observers eye must be 90 perpendicular to the reading. Other than that, ensure that the
bubble was fully removed from the pipe line.

9.0 References
1) http://kerjacrazy.blogspot.com/2010/01/experiment-3energy-loss-in-pipeand.html
2)

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT