Pipe Sizing
Department Editor: Kate Torzewski
Friction Factor
Fluid flowing through pipes experiences
resistance due to viscosity, turbulence and
roughness of the pipe surface. The Darcy-
Weisbach Equation (1) is commonly used for
the analysis of steady-state, Newtonian-fluid
flow inside pipes. It summarizes the relations
between frictional head loss, fluid properties,
pipe geometry and discharge.
 (1)
For laminar flow (Re < 2,100), the friction fac-
tor is a function of Reynolds number only.
 (2)
In turbulent flow (Re > 4,000), f depends upon
Reynolds number and pipe roughness.
Hydraulically smooth pipes. In this case, the
friction factor is solely a function of Re. For the
determination of friction factor, Von Krmn
and Prandtl [2] developed Equation (3).
 (3)
This correlation must be solved by iterative
procedures, but simpler correlations given by
Colebrook [3] and Blasius [4] are written as
Equations (4) and (5), respectively.
Re
 (4)
 (5)
Commercial pipe. In this case, f is governed
by both Re and relative roughness, expressed
as /D. The Colebrook-Whites Equation (6) is
used to calculate f [3].
 (6)
As this equation requires trial-and-error solu-
tion, Altshul [5] has developed Equation (7), a
computationally simpler choice.
 (7)
Pressure Drop
To determine pressure drop, discharge and
diameter must be known.
Hydraulically smooth pipes. Using Equa-
tion (1) and the friction factor correlation for
smooth pipe, Equation (8) is found.
 (8)
Commercial pipes. Using Equation (1) and
the friction factor correlation for smooth pipe,
Equation (9) is found.
 (9)
Discharge
To determine discharge, pressure drop and
diameter must be known.
Hydraulically smooth pipes. Equations (1)
and (3) allow us to find an expression for the
discharge of a smooth pipe.
 (10)
 (11)
Commercial pipes. Equations (1) and (6) allow
us to find an expression for the discharge of a
commercial pipe.
 (12)
Pipe Diameter
Rearranging Equation (1) to yield an expres-
sion for pipe diameter gives Equation (13).
 (13)
Smooth pipes. Substituting Equation (5) for f
yields a correlation for pipe diameter.
 (14)
Commercial pipes. Determining the diameter
of a rough pipe requires the use of Gu, the
dynamic roughness.
 (15)
Manipulating Equation (7) to reflect Gu and
substituting into the expression for pipe di-
ameter gives Equation (17), commercial pipe
diameter. Several design parameters can be
condensed into a constant, named .
 (16)
 (17)
The range of Gu is: 0 < Gu < 106, based on
the known ranges of Re and /D for all pipe
and flow conditions. Substituting these two ex-
treme values of Gu into Equation (15) gives the
following extreme cases, which a pipe diameter
must fall between.
Case 1: Extremely smooth pipe. Gu = 0.
 (18)
Case 2: Extremely rough pipe. Gu = 106
 (19)
Here, we see that even for very rough pipe (/D
= 0.01, Re = 108), the diameter estimate will be
only about five thirds of that for smooth pipe.
NOMENCLATURE
D Diameter of pipe, m
DR Diameter of very rough pipe, m
DS Diameter of very smooth pipe, m
D1 Diameter of standard commercially
available pipe, m
f Darcy friction factor, dimensionless
g Gravitational acceleration, m/s2
Gu Dynamic roughness, dimensionless
hf Frictional head loss, m
L Length of pipe, m
Q Volumetric flowrate, m3/s
P Pressure drop, N/m2
Re Reynolds number, dimensionless,
Re = 4Q/D
X Dimensionless parameter (Eq. [11])
Pipe roughness, m
Dimensionless parameter (Eq. [16])
Viscosity, N-s/m2
Density, kg/m3
Diameter multiplier, dimensionless
1.8
1.7
1.6
Diameter multiplier,
1.5
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.1
1.0
0.9
1 10 100 1,000 1x104 1x105 1x106
Gu
Figure 1 is a plot with Gu as abscissa and as
ordinate. It has the expected limit at Gu = 0, at
= 1. First, estimate a pipe diameter assuming
smooth pipe. Using this diameter, calculate Gu from
Equation (15). Then, from Figure 1, get the value
of and multiply it by the diameter to get actual
diameter needed for the commercial pipe.
Graphical Sizing Method
To avoid lengthy calculations, a graphical
method can be used to approximate pipe
diameter. Dividing Equation (17) by Equation
(18), we get the diameter multiplier, .
 (20)
A graphical method using can help to quickly
estimate the degree of roughness the chosen
pipe can withstand.
References
1. Gulyani, B. B., Approximating Equations for Pipe Siz-
ing, Chem. Eng., February 2001, pp. 105108.
2. Von Krmn, T. J., Turbulence and skin friction, J.
Aerospace Sci., 7, 120, 1934.
3. Colebrook, C. F., and White, C. M., J. of Institution
of Civil Engineers (London), 10, 1, pp. 99118,
19371938.
4. Blausius, H., Das Anlichkeitsgesetz bei Reibungs-
vorgngen in Flssigkeiten, Forschungsarbeit Arb.
Ing.-Wes., No. 131, Belin, 1913.
5. Altshul A. D., and Kiselev, P. G., Gidravlika i Aerodina-
mika, 2nd ed., pp. 166`96, Strojizdat Moscow, 1975.