Chapter 8 Internal Flow

8-50
Solution Oil is being discharged by a horizontal pipe from a storage tank open to the atmosphere. The flow rate of oil
through the pipe is to be determined.
Assumptions 1 The flow is steady and incompressible. 2 The entrance effects are negligible, and thus the flow is fully
developed. 3 The entrance and exit loses are negligible. 4 The flow is laminar (to be verified). 5 The pipe involves no
components such as bends, valves, and connectors. 6 The piping section involves no work devices such as pumps and
turbines.
Properties The density and kinematic viscosity of oil are given to be U = 850 kg/m3 and Q = 0.00062 m2/s, respectively.
The dynamic viscosity is calculated to be

P UQ (850 kg/m 3 )(0.00062 m 2 / s ) 0.527 kg/m ˜ s

1
Analysis We solve the problem two ways for comparison.

Method 1 – First, the more rigorous way, using the energy equation: We take a Oil 4m
tank 8 mm
control volume with the surface of the oil tank as the inlet (1), and the pipe
discharge as the outlet (2), as sketched. The energy equation in head form from 1
to 2 (see Chapter 5) is 2
P1 V2 P2 V2
 D1 1  z1  hpump, u  D 2 2  z2  hturbine, e  hL
Ug 2g Ug 2g
but for our control volume, P1 = P2 =Patm, so the pressure terms cancel. Also, V1 is negligibly small compared to V2 since
the tank is so large compared to the pipe. Also, there are no turbines or pumps in the flow. Thus, the energy equation
reduces to
V2 2
z1  z2 D2  hL (1)
2g
The kinetic energy correction factor and the equation for the head loss term both depend on whether the flow in the pipe is
laminar or turbulent. We assume one or the other, and then verify at the end whether our assumption was correct. Since the
fluid is very viscous and the diameter is small, we assume laminar flow, for which D2 = 2 if the flow is fully developed at
the end of the pipe. Also, for fully developed laminar pipe flow, the Darcy friction factor is 64/Re, and therefore the
irreversible head loss is
64 P L V2 2 32P LV2
2
L Vavg 64 L V2 2
hL f (2)
D 2g Re D 2 g U DV2 D 2 g U gD 2
where we have also used the fact that V2 = Vavg. Combining Eqs. 1 and 2, we get
V2 2 32 P LV2
D2    z1  z2  0 (3)
2g U gD 2
Equation 3 is in standard form for a quadratic equation for V2, which we can easily solve, yielding
2
32P L § 32 P L · D
 r ¨ 2 ¸
 4 2  z1  z2 
U gD 2 © U gD ¹ 2g
V2 (4)
D2
g
The negative root of Eq. 4 makes no physical sense, since the velocity cannot be negative at the outlet, so we take the
positive root to calculate V2,
2
32(0.527 kg/m ˜ s)(40 m) § 32(0.527 kg/m ˜ s)(40 m) · 2
  ¨ ¸ 4 (4 m)
3 2 2 ¨ (850 kg/m 3 )(9.807 m/s 2 )(0.008 m) 2 ¸ m/s 2 )
(850 kg/m )(9.807 m/s )(0.008 m) © ¹ 2(9.807
V2
2
9.807 m/s 2
0.0031632 m/s

8-28
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educators for course preparation. If you are a student using this Manual, you are using it without permission.
 Chapter 8 Internal Flow
from which we calculate the volume flow rate,
> @
V AcV2 (SD 2 / 4)V2 S (0.008 m) 2 / 4 (0.0031632 m/s) 1.590 u 10 7 m/s
Finally, we verify that the flow is indeed laminar by calculating the Reynolds number,
UV2 D (850 kg/m 3 )(0.0031632 m/s)(0.008 m)
Re 0.0408
P 0.527 kg/m ˜ s
Since this Reynolds number is much lower than 2300, we are confident that the flow is laminar, and thus the analysis is
correct.

Method 2 – We re-solve the problem making the assumption that since the velocity through the pipe is so small, the
pressure at the pipe entrance is nearly the same as the hydrostatic pressure at that location. The pressure at the bottom of the
tank is
P1,gage Ugh
§ 1 kN ·
(850 kg/m 3 )(9.81 m/s 2 )(4 m)¨ ¸
¨ 1000 kg ˜ m/s 2 ¸
© ¹
33.35 kN/m 2
Disregarding inlet and outlet losses, the pressure drop across the pipe is

'P P1  P2 P1  Patm P1,gage 33.35 kN/m 2 33.35 kPa

The flow rate through a horizontal pipe in laminar flow is determined from
'PSD 4 (33.35 kN/m 2 )S (0.008 m) 4 § 1000 kg ˜ m/s 2 ·
Vhoriz ¨
¨
¸ 1.590 u 10 7 m 3 /s
¸
128PL 128(0.527 kg/m ˜ s)(40 m) © 1 kN ¹
The average fluid velocity and the Reynolds number in this case are

V V 1.590 u 10 7 m 3 /s
V 3.164 u 10 3 m/s
Ac SD / 42
S (0.008 m) 2 / 4
UVD (850 kg/m 3 )(3.164 u 10 3 m/s)(0.008 m)
Re 0.0408
P 0.527 kg/m ˜ s
which is less than 2300. Therefore, the flow is laminar and the analysis above is valid.

Discussion The flow rate will be somewhat less when the inlet and outlet losses are considered, especially when the
inlet is not well-rounded. The two methods give the same answer to four significant digits. This justifies the assumption
made in the second method.

8-29
PROPRIETARY MATERIAL. © 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Limited distribution permitted only to teachers and
educators for course preparation. If you are a student using this Manual, you are using it without permission.