College of Engineering and Computer Science

Mechanical Engineering Department

Mechanical Engineering 390

Fluid Mechanics
Spring 2008 Number: 11971
Instructor: Larry Caretto

April 22 Homework Solutions

8.37

The following equation is sometimes used in place of the Colebrook

equation.

1.325

D 5.74
ln 3.7 0.9
Re

for 10-6 < /D < 10-2 and 5000 < Re < 108. An advantage of this equation is
that given Re and /D, it does not require an iteration procedure to obtain f.
Plot a graph of the percent difference in f as given by this equation and the
original Colebrook equation for Reynolds numbers in the range of validity of
the above equation with /D = 10-4.The calculations were done on a spreadsheet that has been placed on the course web site. You
can download it at http://www.csun.edu/~lcaretto/me390/Colebrook.xls. The results are shown in
the figure below.

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For the relative roughness of 10-4, it appears that the formula would be accurate beyond the
upper limit of Re = 108, but is rapidly losing accuracy at the lower limit of Re = 5000.
8.39

Two equal length, horizontal pipes, one with a diameter of 1 in., the other
with a diameter of 2 in., are made of the same material and carry the same
fluid at the same flow rate. Which pipe produces the larger head loss?
Justify your answer.
We know that for fully turbulent flow the head loss varies as 1/D 5; and for laming flow the head
loss varies as 1/D4; thus we expect the smaller pipe to have the larger head loss in these two
regions. In intermediate regions, the head loss is given by the equation
hL f

V2
1 Q
f

D 2g
D 2g A

1
Q

D 2 g D 2 4

2 f Q 2
g D 5

The ratio of the heat loss in the two-inch pipe to that in the one-inch pipe, when Q and L are the
same, depends only on differences in diameter and friction factor.

hL 2
hL1

f 2 D15 f 2 1 in 5
1 f2

5
5
f1 D2
f1 2 in
32 f1

On the Moody diagram, the friction factor ranges from 0.008 to 0.1; the maximum possible value
of f2/f1 is 0.1/0.08 = 12.5. Even this maximum possible range does not offset the factor of 1/32.
Thus, we conclude that the larger pipe will have the smaller head loss.
8.47

Water flows at a rate of 0.040 m3/s in a 0.12-m-diameter pipe that contains

a sudden contraction to a 0.06-m-diameter pipe. Determine the pressure
drop across the contraction section. How much of this pressure difference
is due to losses and how much is due to kinetic energy changes.
A sketch of the contraction (from the solution manual
for the Munson text) is shown at the left. We can write
the energy equation for between the flow before the
contraction (1) and the flow after the contraction (2).
The head loss for a contraction is written in terms of the
loss coefficient times the velocity after the contraction.

z2

p 2 V22
p V2
p V2
V2

z1 1 1 hL z1 1 1 K L 2 We can find the velocities from

2g
2g
2g
2g

the flow rate, which is constant, and the areas.

V1

Q
Q
4 0.04 m 3 s 2.182 m

A1 D12 4 0.12 m 2
s

V2

4 Q
4 0.04 m 3 s 8.727 m

D22 0.06 m 2
s

The loss coefficient is found from Figure 8.26 on page 440 with A2/A1 = (D2/D1)2 = [(0.06 m) /
(0.12m)]2 = 0.25: KL = 0.4. Since the contraction is horizontal, z2 = z1 and our energy equation
becomes.

p1 p 2 V22 V12
V2

KL 2

2g
2g
The first term on the right represents the kinetic energy change and the second term is the loss
term. Substituting in the velocity data, we can evaluate each term.
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8.727 m
2.182 m
8.727 m

2
2
2
p1 p 2 V2 V1
V2
s
s
s

KL

0.4
9.80665 m
9.80665 m

2g
2g
2
2
s2
s2
p1 p 2
3.640 m 1.553 m 5.193 m

Multiplying the pressure head terms by the specific weight of water, 9.80 kN/m 3from Table 1-6.
gives the following results for pressure drop:

p1 p2 KE
p1 p2 loss
p1 p2 total
8.54

9.80 kN

3.640 m 1 kPa m

35.6 kPa
kN
1 kPa m 2

1
.
553
m
15.2 kPa
kN
m3
9.80 kN
1 kPa m 2

5
.
193
m
50.9 kPa
kN
m3
m3
9.80 kN

Natural gas ( = 0.0044 slugs/ft3 and = 5.2x10-5 ft2/s) is pumped through a

horizontal 6-in-diameter cast-iron pipe at a rate of 800 lb f/hr. If the
pressure at section (1) is 50 psi(abs), determine the pressure at section (2)
8 mi downstream if the flow is assumed incompressible. Is the
incompressible assumption reasonable? Explain.
The energy equation for the pipe flow is.

z2

p 2 V22
p V2
p V2
V22

z1 1 1 hL z1 1 1 f
2g
2g
2g
D 2g

This is a horizontal pipe so z1 = z2 and for incompressible flow with a constant diameter, V 1 = V2
so the only terms left in the energy equation are the pressure drop and the head loss.
2

p1 p 2
p p2
V
1
f

g
D 2g

p1 p 2 f

2
V
D 2

The pipe diameter = 6 in = 0.5 ft and we have data for a weight flow so we find the velocity and
the Reynolds number as follows.

800 lb f h
W
W
4
ft 3
s2
1 slug ft
h
7.995 ft

2
2
2
Ag D1 4 g 0.0044 slug 0.5 ft 34.174 ft lb f s 3600 s
s

7.995 ft
0.5 ft
VD VD
s
Re

7.587 x10 4

5
2

5.2 x10
ft
s
So the flow is turbulent and we find the roughness for cast iron pipe as = 0.00085 ft from Table
8.1 so /D = (0.00085 ft) / (0.5 ft) = 0.0017. From this relative roughness and Re = 7.587x10 4 we
can find f = 0.0245 from the Moody diagram. Using this f on the right side of the Colebrook
equation gives the following result.

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 D
1
2.51
2.0 log10

3.7
f
Re
f

2.51
2.0 log10 0.0017
6.350

3
.
7
7
.
587
x
10
0
.
0245

f 0.0248

Using this friction factor we can find the pressure drop.

p1 p 2

f
0.0248 8 mi 5280 ft 0.0044 slug 7.995 ft
V 2

2 D
2
0.5 ft
mi
s

ft 3

1 lb f s 2
slug ft

294.6 lb f
ft 2

If the initial pressure is 50 psi(abs) the downstream pressure is 50 psi (294.6 psf) / (144 psi/psf),
or p2= 48.0 psi.
8.66

Water flows steadily through a 0.75-indiameter, galvanized iron pipe system

shown in the figure at the right at a rate of
0.20 cfs. Your boss suggests that friction
losses in the straight pipe sections are
negligible compared to losses in the
threaded elbows and fittings of the
system. Do you agree or disagree with
your boss? Support your answer with
appropriate calculations.
From the diagram we see that the flow path
goes through (6 in + 6 in + 4 in + 1 in) = 17
in of straight run pipe. In addition it flows
through two elbows, the branch of a tee and
a reducer before exiting to the atmosphere. The total head loss is the sum of the major and
minor losses. If all the minor losses are based on the same velocity, V, the velocity in the straight
run pipe sections, we can write the total head loss as follows.

hL f

2
V
2g

KL

We can find the water velocity from the flow rate of 0.20 ft3/s and the pipe diameter of 0.75 in =
0.0625 ft.
V

Q
Q
4 0.020 ft 3 s
6.519 ft

2
A D 4 0.0625 ft 2
s

The velocity head that is used to compute the head loss is computed from this velocity.
2

6.519 ft

2
V
s
0.6604 ft
hL

32.174 ft
2g
2
s2
Next, we find the Reynolds number, using the value of = 1.21x10-5 ft2/s for water from Table 1.5.

VD VD
Re

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6.519 ft
0.0625 ft
s
3.367 x10 4
5
2
1.21x10
ft
s

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So the flow is turbulent and we find the roughness for galvanized iron pipe as = 0.0005 ft from
Table 8.1 so /D = (0.0005 ft) / (0.0625 ft) = 0.0017. From this relative roughness and Re =
3.367x104 we can find f = 0.038 from the Moody diagram. Using this f on the right side of the
Colebrook equation gives the following result.
D
1
2.51
2.0 log10

3 .7
f
Re
f

2.51
2.0 log10 0.008
5.189
3.7
4

3.367 x10
0.038

f 0.0371

With this friction factor we can compute the major head loss due to the straight run pipe that has
a total of 17 in.
hLMajor f

V2
17 in
0.0371
0.6604 ft 0.556 ft
D 2g
0.75 in

The minor loss coefficients are 2(1.5) = 3 for the two 90 o threaded elbows, and KL = 2 for the
threaded tee branch flow. There are no data in the text for the reducer, so we can approximate
the loss coefficient as that of a sudden contraction; this should overstate the loss that we would
expect from the more gradual reducer. Since the reducer reduces the diameter from 0.75 in to
0.60 in the area ratio is [(0.60 in)/(0.75 in)] 2 = 0.64 and the loss coefficient is 0.15 for this area
ratio according to figure 8.26. Since the loss coefficient for the sudden contraction uses the
downstream velocity to compute the head loss and we want to have all the loss coefficients
based on the same (upstream) velocity we can modify this loss coefficient as follows.

V2 K
KL 2 L
2g 2g

V1 A1

A2

A
K L 1
A2

V12
V2
K L* 1
2g
2g

K L*

1
0.15

.64

.366

So the sum of the loss coefficients is 3 + 2 + 0.366 = 5.366, and the head loss due to the minor
losses is
hLMinor

K L V2 g 5.366 0.6604 ft 3.544 ft

So the total head loss is 3.544 ft + 0.556 ft = 4.100 ft, with 13.6% coming from the straight run
pipe. You should probably tell your boss that she was basically correct that the minor losses are
much more significant than the major losses, but the major losses do contribute 13.6% of the total
loss and you think that you should include them in your calculations.
8.75

The pump shown in the figure to the

right delivers a head of 250 ft to the
water. Determine the power that the
pump adds to the water. The
difference in elevation of the two
ponds is 200 ft.
We know the pump head is 250 ft and the
relation between the pump head and the pump
power is

W shaft Qhs
net in

In order to apply this equation we have to know the flow rate. We can see if we have enough
information to compute the flow rate from the energy equation. We begin by writing the energy
equation for a control volume between the surface of the lower pond, point 1, and the surface of
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the upper pond, point 2. The difference in elevations, z 2 z1 is given to be 200 ft, and since both
ponds are open to the atmosphere at their surfaces, we have p 1 = p2 = 0 and V1 = V2 = 0.

z2

p 2 V22
p V2
p V2

z1 1 1 hs hL z1 1 1 hs f
2g
2g
2g
D

2
V pipe
2g

KL

Setting V1 =V2 = p1 = p2 = 0 gives

z 2 z1 hs f
D

2
V pipe
KL
2g

f
D

2
V pipe
KL
z1 hs z 2
2g

Entering the given data for z2 z1 and hs reduces the problem to one of finding V.

2
V pipe
hs z 2 z1 250 ft 200 ft 50 ft
2g

KL

This needs to be an iterative solution since f depends on V. Substituting known values for the
sum of the loss coefficients from the diagram (0.8 + 5 + 1.5 + 1.5 + 1.5 + 1.5 +1 = 12.8) and the
other known terms in the head loss gives the following computational equation.

f
D

666.7 f

2
2
V pipe

500 ft
V pipe
KL
f
12.8
50 ft
2g
0.75 ft
2 32.174 ft
s2
3217.4 ft 2
32.174 ft 3217.4 ft 2
2
s2
50 ft 2

pipe
666.7 f 12.8
s2
s2

2
12.8V pipe

Use the kinematic viscosity of water from table 1.5, = 1.21x10-5 ft2/s to develop a computational
formula for the Reynolds number

Re

VD V pipe 0.75 ft

1.21x10 5 ft 2
s

6.198 x10 4 s

V pipe

ft

So we have an iterative solution like the following:

1.

Guess a value for Vpipe

2.

Compute Re = 6.198x104Vpipe

3.

Find the friction factor from the Moody diagram or equations

4.

Use the value just found for f in the equation for V 2pipe to find Vpipe

5.

Continue the process in steps 1 to 4 until two values of Vpipe are sufficiently close.

If we start with a guess that Vpipe = 5 ft/s, we find Re = 3.099x105 and f = 0.0144. Solving the V2pipe
equation gives Vpipe = 11.99 ft/s.
For the next iteration we can use the value just found, V pipe = 11.99 ft/s, as our guess. That gives
Re = 7.431x105 and f = 0.0123 and Vpipe = 12.39 ft/s.
For the third iteration we again use the value just found, V pipe = 12.39 ft/s, as our guess. That
gives Re = 7.677x105 and f = 0.0122 and Vpipe = 12.40 ft/s. This is very close to the value we
used at the start of the calculations and we will use this as our final value.
We are finally able to find the power input to the pump.

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W
4 hs
shaft Qhs V pipe Ahs V pipe D
net in

62.4 lb f 12.40 ft
hp s
0.75 ft 2 250 ft

3
s
4
550 ft lb f
ft

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155 hp